We are in the business of catching liars. Or at least, helping the government catch them. It is a tricky business for sure. Liars have a way of improving with age and practice. It is even more difficult with corporate fraud, as many perpetrators do not believe they are doing [...]
This week’s Department of Justice (DOJ) Catch of the Week goes to Freepoint Commodities. Last Thursday (December 14), the Connecticut-based commodities trading company agreed to pay roughly $98 million to settle government charges it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying bribes to Brazilian government officials. The company [...]
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Governor Hochul Signs Four New Laws to Protect Consumers from Price Gouging, Medical Debt and Unfair Business Practices New York State Press Release – December 13, 2023 Governor Hochul today signed legislation . . . that will curb predatory subscription services, and confusion over the [...]
Whistleblowers come in all shapes and sizes. Some they write movies about, gaining fame (and sometimes fortune) in the process. Others go in the opposite direction, victimized for their temerity; for daring to sound the alarm when something rubs against their moral compass. Still others speak their truth quietly, just [...]
Better Markets — a nonpartisan nonprofit promoting the public interest in financial reform and the economy — just released (on December 7) a report on the SEC Whistleblower Program, touting it as a $6 billion success story. In announcing its findings, Better Markets did not spare its high praise for [...]
Gao Yaojie, a Chinese doctor who relentlessly fought to expose an AIDS epidemic in rural China in the 1990s died on Sunday at her home in New York City. Gao was a pioneer, studying medicine at a local university in her home province of Henan, China. She graduated in [...]
Here are some of the developments in antitrust news this past week that we found interesting and are following. Smaller Airlines Seek Mergers to Compete With Industry Giants. Smaller airlines that operate in the shadow of the nation’s four dominant air carriers are increasingly feeling pressure to merge with [...]
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Lower Credit Card Transaction Fees Coming to Small Business as Canadian Agreement Reached Daily Hive – December 5, 2023 Canada has reached an agreement with Visa and Mastercard to lower credit card transaction fees for small businesses. This comes after businesses were allowed to pass the [...]
Dr. Joan Donovan, a leading expert on social media disinformation previously employed at Harvard, has accused the university of shuttering her research to protect its relationship with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. This comes from a press release and related materials Donovan’s lawyers issued this week (December 4) detailing the full extent [...]
Whistleblowers are courageous people of strong moral conviction who often must contend with the very real psychological and physical ramifications of taking a stand for what is ethically right. Here, we explore coping techniques for whistleblowers and offer insights that can benefit everyone in managing stress. Physical Exercise: Engaging in [...]
