Sky Blog
In recent years, state Attorneys General (AGs) have taken a more active approach in antitrust enforcement matters related to mergers and acquisitions. For example, earlier this year, laws in Washington and Colorado requiring parties to submit pre-merger notification filings went …
On October 6, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law California Senate Bill No. 763 (SB 763), effective January 1, 2026, which increases the maximum corporate criminal antitrust penalties in California to $6 million and provides for new civil penalties …
On October 14, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced significant enforcement actions against Southeast-Asian scam networks targeting Americans through “pig butchering” cryptocurrency …
On June 9, 2025, Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued “Guidelines for Investigations and Enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA),” as contemplated by President Trump’s February 10, 2025 executive order, which, among other things, paused enforcement of …
As predicted, antitrust merger enforcement under the second Trump Administration exhibits a return to a more restrained approach at both the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Most refreshingly, the agencies appear committed …
On July 2, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the reinvigoration of their False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement efforts through the formation of a joint FCA Working Group. The announcement …
On June 16, 2025, the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (“NSD”) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced a landmark declination to prosecute private equity firm White Deer Management LLC following its voluntary self-disclosure …
On June 5, 2025, the Head of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Matthew R. Galeotti, issued a memorandum providing guidance to Criminal Division prosecutors on corporate resolutions involving parallel criminal, civil, regulatory, and administrative proceedings by …
The Federal Trade Commission and the DOJ’s Antitrust Division recently announced two settlement agreements, signaling that this Administration is willing to resolve merger competition concerns — in appropriate cases — through negotiated divestiture remedies. These actions herald a return to …
The FTC and DOJ recently announced the first settlements of merger enforcement actions reached under the second Trump administration. These actions follow comments from leadership at the antitrust agencies expressing an openness to structural merger remedies, an important contrast to …
On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Deputy Attorney General issued a memorandum (the “Memo”) announcing a Civil Rights Fraud Initiative (the “Initiative”) and instructing the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to pursue False Claims Act (“FCA”) enforcement against “any recipient …
In a notable decision issued on May 22, 2025, Kousisis v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a defendant may be convicted of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 even when the scheme does not result in …
On May 12, 2025, the Head of the Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) Criminal Division, Matthew R. Galeotti, announced significant changes to the Criminal Division’s corporate and white-collar enforcement policies and priorities.[1] Speaking at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets …
Key Points
On May 9, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order that purports to reduce regulatory burdens and ensure that “no American is transformed into a criminal for violating a regulation they have no reason to know exists.” The Executive Order …
On April 30, 2025, the Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) National Security Division (“NSD”), alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, announced a declination to prosecute Universities Space Research Association (“USRA”) for criminal export control violations committed …
On April 25, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a new policy, rescinding the prior administration’s policies that restricted prosecutors from seeking records or compelling testimony from news organizations in leak probes.[1] This policy substantially lowers internal hurdles for …
I argue in a forthcoming article[1] that when corporate misconduct results in someone’s death, resolving the ensuing criminal charges with a “C” plea bargain can be antithetical to the pursuit of justice. To support my argument, I examine one …
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or Department) has announced a significant shift in enforcement priorities concerning digitalassets. On April 7, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum (Memorandum) announcing that the Department is not a “digital assets …
On April 11, 2025, the National Security Division (NSD) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release and multiple guidance documents on its final rule on “Preventing Access to U.S. Sensitive Personal Data and Government-Related Data by Countries …