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The DOJ Steps Up for Military Families
Jun 29, 2026
The DOJ Steps Up for Military Families
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 U.S.C. § 4025a, grants military spouses portability of their professional licenses. That means when a military spouse moves with his or her servicemember to the servicemember’s assigned duty station in a new state, the spouse’s professional license essentially moves with them.[1] In order to take advantage of this…
How Much is Too Much? – Second Circuit Establishes Guardrails for Sentencing Hearings
Jun 22, 2026
How Much is Too Much? – Second Circuit Establishes Guardrails for Sentencing Hearings
As any federal criminal practitioner can attest, judges holding a sentencing hearing are privy to an intentionally wider universe of information about the defendant than a jury would have heard about at trial. We want judges to consider all sorts of things about the offender and the offense, beyond just the facts establishing the crime – social background, employment history, criminal record,…
This Wall Won’t Hold: Preventing Foreign Claims on Asbestos Trusts
Aug 25, 2025
This Wall Won’t Hold: Preventing Foreign Claims on Asbestos Trusts
Bankruptcy continues as a favored vehicle for the resolution of mass-tort claims, particularly asbestos-based claims. In two recent cases in Delaware, an often-overlooked issue has raised a red flag concerning the fairness of the trusts proposed in many of these cases. The plan proponents in those cases proposed asbestos trusts that provided that foreign claimants…
Trouble in Paradise: White Lotus Character’s Legal Woes Illustrate Civil Forfeiture’s Overreach
Apr 14, 2025
Trouble in Paradise: White Lotus Character’s Legal Woes Illustrate Civil Forfeiture’s Overreach
Last Sunday, millions of viewers tuned in to watch the season finale of White Lotus – a widely popular show that centers around the week-long vacation of several ultra-wealthy patrons of the fictional “White Lotus” resort in Thailand.[1] The show follows a dynamic cast of quirky characters as they navigate their opulent getaway. One of…
Playing with House Money
May 15, 2023
Playing with House Money
Just as the walls seemed to be closing in on young entrepreneur Charlie Javice, a bit of offense has left her opponent, JPMorgan, in an entirely uncomfortable position largely of its own making. Javice founded a college loan planning entity called Frank, that appeared to be doing so well that JP Morgan bought it in…
Good News: The Feds Can’t Freeze Your Assets to Stop You from Hiring a Lawyer
Apr 15, 2016
Good News: The Feds Can’t Freeze Your Assets to Stop You from Hiring a Lawyer
Republished with permission from FEE.org, originally published April 12, 2016 There are limits to what the government can take from you. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the Constitution forbids the government from freezing a defendant’s “untainted” assets in advance of prosecution. The ruling is a significant victory for those caught in the government’s crosshairs. It…
More Money, More Problems – Another Billion Dollar Settlement for the DOJ
Sep 10, 2014
More Money, More Problems – Another Billion Dollar Settlement for the DOJ
This summer BNP Paribas, one of the five largest banks in the world, agreed to a $9 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The settlement figure may seem nothing short of economic shock and awe; indeed it was the largest criminal penalty in U.S. history. What could justify such a staggering fine and…
The Taxman Cometh for US Holders of Foreign Bank Accounts
May 22, 2014
The Taxman Cometh for US Holders of Foreign Bank Accounts
U.S. citizens and residents with unreported assets abroad may be feeling a steady increase of pressure these days. The July 1, 2014 effective date of the Foreign Assets Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is looming. The number of countries that have agreed to enforce FATCA is growing (almost daily). That means the banks in those countries…