Just days after Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, a seasoned enforcement attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission picked up the phone. “I’m ready to leave,” she told me, her voice edged with frustration. For years, she had taken pride in holding Wall Street accountable. But now she felt like a lifeguard at a pool with…
A cryptocurrency lawyer is suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in an attempt to uncover the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive and pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, Crypto In America has learned. The lawsuit, filed in a D.C. District Court by James Murphy, better known by his followers as ‘MetaLawMan’ on X, is the latest in a series…
What a powerful and insightful point, too often lost by practitioners and commentators alike. I have taught this notion for the past 25 years at Georgetown and Duke law schools. I would begin each lecture by asking the class, “What branch of government does the SEC fall under?” The class would usually pause for a moment, digging into their memory…
Last week: For those who have read stories about DOGE going into the SEC and may be concerned that the regulatory agency is being “dismantled” and will be left without resources to fight fraud, I witnessed quite the opposite in real time. Last week, I participated in a “meet and confer” call with SEC staff on behalf of one of…
I write to ask the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Inspector General (SEC OIG) to determine whether any White House officials or other affiliates of President Trump, his family, or his business partners have had undue influence over recent SEC decisions on crypto-related policies, enforcement actions, and regulations and, if so, whether those individuals have made or stand…
President Trump’s war with Big Law shows firms that depend on rainmaker partners for lucrative corporate deals face greater pressure to settle than those that focus on litigation. Paul Weiss, Skadden, Willkie, and Milbank built their premiere transactional practices by hiring star lawyers that rivals would likely to poach if the firms entered a protracted battle with the president, said…
Though the German fine was just assessed this past week, in many ways the German proceedings feel like a throwback to an earlier time. The allegations against DWS are a reminder that just a short time ago, firms felt compelled to try to demonstrate their green credentials. The prosecution against DWS is a reminder that some firms, as part of…