Category: Articles

CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam

CFTC Chair Behnam to Resign as President Trump Prepares Pro-Crypto Agenda

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair, Rostin Benham, announced that he plans on stepping down from his position as President-elect Trump takes office on January 20th.  Benham served as the CFTC’s chairman for close to three years. He took the position in 2022 after his predecessor resigned when President Biden took Read More

fines against banks declined in 2021

Fifth Circuit Halts Corporate Transparency Act Amid Constitutional Challenge

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) is once again being put on hold as the court assesses its constitutional validity. The CTA is a law that is purposed for requiring businesses to disclose the identities of their beneficial owners. Read More

Bank of America Settles OCC Cease-and-Desist Order Over Compliance Deficiencies

Bank of America announced that it has settled with the Office of Comptroller of the Currency regarding a cease-and-desist order against the bank for deficiencies related to the Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions compliance programs. The settlement does not require that Bank of America pay a fine but rather take Read More

CFPB Sues Major Banks and Zelle Operator for Alleged Fraud

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that it has sued Bank of America, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and the operator of Zelle, Early Warning Services, for failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud.  Zelle is America’s most widely available payment network. According to the lawsuit, customers of the three banks have Read More

Court Invalidates Nasdaq Board Diversity Requirements

A U.S. Court of Appeals court ruled that Nasdaq can no longer enforce its board diversity rules, vacating the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of a rule that requires disclosure of each board member’s racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ identification. The court found that the SEC went beyond the scope of Read More

Looking for hidden Junk Fees

FTC Finalizes Rule that Aims to End Hidden ‘Junk Fees’

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has finalized a Junk Fees Rule which essentially prohibits businesses in the live-event ticketing and short-term lodging industries from using bait-and-switch pricing and other tactics used to hide total prices and bury “junk fees.” The rule will ensure that pricing information is provided Read More

McKinsey fined for role in opioid crisis

McKinsey To Pay $650 Million to DoJ for Advising Client in Criminal Conduct

G lobal consulting firm McKinsey & Co. has agreed to pay $650 million to settle a Department of Justice investigation into the firm’s consulting work with opioids manufacturer Purdue Pharma. The DoJ had accused McKinsey of fueling the opioid epidemic with its aggressive sales and marketing advice to Purdue, including Read More

SEC Sets Record Year in Enforcement with $8.2 Billion in Fines

T he Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it filed 583 total enforcement actions in fiscal year 2024, while obtaining orders for $8.2 billion in financial remedies, the highest amount in SEC history. That record amount consisted of $6.1 billion in disgorgement and prejudgment interest, also the highest amount on Read More

Compliance challenges of work from home

Managing Compliance in a Remote Work Environment

W e all know about the great migration to “work from home” that occurred during COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020 and lasting into 2021 and 2022. While many organizations have moved employees back to the office for some or part of the work week, the remote work movement has remained Read More

Person putting money in their pocket

McKinsey Unit to Pay $122 Million to Settle Bribery Charges

M cKinsey and Company Africa, which operates in South Africa as a subsidiary of international consulting firm McKinsey & Co., will pay over $122 million to resolve an investigation by the Justice Department into a scheme to pay bribes to government officials in South Africa between 2012 and 2016. A Read More