$76 Million Distributed in Full Tilt Poker Restitution

We have previously reported on the arrangements being made by the Garden City Group for remittance of money to the former customers of Full Tilt Poker.  Since that time, there has been a lengthy process for the submission of claims to the group for administration. It appears that players’ waiting has not been all for…

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Omnicare Decision Limits the Reach of False Claims Act

A recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit limiting the reach of the False Claims Act demonstrates how relators who pursue cases in which the government declines to intervene can end up making law that is unfavorable to the government’s enforcement of that statute. United States ex rel. Rostholder v. Omnicare,…

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Jeff Ifrah Presents on the Future of Online Gaming at J.P. Morgan Global High Yield & Leveraged Finance Conference

Yesterday, at the annual J. P. Morgan Global High Yield & Leveraged Finance Conference in Miami Beach, Florida, Ifrah Law Founding Member Jeff Ifrah shared his predictions for the growing online gaming industry in the U.S. and in Europe.  Susan Berliner, an analyst with J.P. Morgan who covers gaming and lodging, moderated the panel, which…

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Banks Shy Away From Processing Marijuana Transactions in Colorado – Will Anyone Step Up?

Last Friday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen), both published new guidance in connection with the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado. Because marijuana use remains illegal under federal law, the banking industry is prohibited from servicing any marijuana-related bank accounts. This forces the recreational marijuana…

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Recent Ruling May Put Dent In Ability of Government to Seize Domain Names

A November 2013 ruling from the United States District Court in a bankruptcy case may create an obstacle for a tactic increasingly popular among federal prosecutors – the seizure of a defendant company’s domain name. The statutes permitting civil and criminal forfeiture in U.S. District Courts – Title 18, United States Code Sections 981 and…

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Healthcare Fraud Recoveries at All-Time High Since 2009

Fiscal year 2013 marked the fourth consecutive year in which the Department of Justice has recovered at least $2 billion from cases involving charges of healthcare fraud.  Make no mistake: these record-setting yields were no accident.  The Obama Administration has prioritized busting healthcare fraudsters since it took office, and for good reason.  A 2009 analysis…

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Charges Against Former Virginia Governor McDonnell Brought on by Whistleblower

The media coverage of this week’s announcement that federal prosecutors have charged former Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, with illegally accepting gifts from a wealthy Richmond area businessman have largely focused on what the Commonwealth’s first family may have given in return.  To be sure, the question of whether and how…

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Bitcoin Goes Mainstream

As followers of trends in e-commerce, our firm takes a keen interest in new e-payment methods. Last year, we predicted the Bitcoin would emerge as an innovative mode of currency for online transactions.  When Bitcoin – an alternative virtual currency – first appeared in the mainstream media, it was largely portrayed as a wonky, nerdy…

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