Columbia Law School
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justice department
In Criminal Justice, Companies Get a Roadmap, While People Get a Maze
The strangest thing about federal criminal justice today may be that companies are offered a clearer path to redemption than people are.
When a corporation commits a crime, the U.S. Justice Department increasingly offers something close to a path to …
Sidley Discusses the First Prediction Market Insider Trading Case
On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced parallel criminal and civil enforcement actions against an active-duty U.S. Army servicemember, alleging that he used …
John C. Coffee, Jr. – Indicting One’s Political Enemies: The Southern Poverty Law Center Story
Much commentary has focused on the Trump Administration’s use of criminal prosecutions to gain political vengeance and enforce conformity with Trumpian policy preferences. The clearest examples of such political retaliation involve New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve …
Davis Polk Discusses DOJ Self-Disclosure Policy for Criminal Cases
On March 10, 2026, the Department of Justice announced its first ever Department-wide corporate enforcement policy for all criminal cases. Under the new policy, companies that self-report misconduct could be eligible for a declination and avoid fines or monitors.
The …
How Antitrust Law Is Taking on Big Oil
For the last decade, the legal effort to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for its climate denialism has been advanced through tort and consumer protection law. Plaintiffs asserted claims of public nuisance and consumer fraud, alleging that “Big Oil” …
How Reverse Breakup Fees Can Affect Antitrust Approval
In late 2025, when Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) was actively considering sale of the company, Netflix and Paramount emerged as likely purchasers. Knowing that a merger with either itself or Netflix would raise antitrust concerns, Paramount included in its offer …
Cleary Gottlieb Discusses Significant Developments in DOJ Enforcement Priorities
The past year brought significant changes to the Department of Justice (DOJ) following the changeover to the new administration in late January. New DOJ leadership shifted priorities toward areas more aligned with the broader goals of the administration, including investigations …
Paul Weiss Reviews DOJ Corporate Enforcement in 2025
In 2025, U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ” or the “Department”) leaders announced significant recalibrations of the Department’s corporate enforcement priorities. For example, in a May 12, 2025 memorandum from then-Acting Assistant Attorney General of DOJ’s Criminal Division, Matthew R. Galeotti, …
Debevoise Discusses DOJ’s Crypto Fraud Strike Force
On November 12, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the launch of a cross-agency strike force targeting the type of cryptocurrency-related scam known as pig butchering.[1] For companies involved in digital asset transactions, this enforcement initiative carries …
How States Can Restore Public Accountability for Corporate Misconduct
The traditional mechanisms for ensuring corporate accountability – civil, regulatory, and federal criminal – are failing. At the same time, industries that generate great economic value are inflicting a great deal of harm. This moment calls for effective reforms that …
Cleary Discusses First Resolution of Criminal FCPA Case Since Enforcement Pause
On November 10, 2025, Comunicaciones Celulares S.A. (“Comcel” d/b/a “TIGO Guatemala (“TIGO”)”), a subsidiary of Millicom International Cellular (“Millicom”), a Luxembourg company, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (“DPA”) with the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to resolve a criminal investigation …
Arnold & Porter Discusses Algorithmic Pricing Bans
Over the past three years, courts across the country have evaluated the use of pricing algorithms under the antitrust laws. In 2022, private plaintiffs filed the first of many civil cases involving algorithmic pricing against software provider RealPage and its …
Arnold & Porter Discusses States’ More Active Role in Merger Settlements
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 …
Will New FCPA Guidelines Make U.S. Businesses More Competitive?
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 …
Wachtell Lipton Offers Antitrust Insights from the Administration’s First Six Months
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 …
Skadden Discusses New HHS and DOJ Working Group on FCA Enforcement
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 …
Cleary Gottlieb Discusses First DOJ Declination Under Merger-Related Safe Harbor Provisions
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 …
Paul Weiss Discusses New DOJ Guidance on Crediting Penalties in Coordinated Resolutions
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 …
Wachtell Lipton Discusses the New Administration and Antitrust Merger Remedies
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 …