An Expert on the “Monster of Wall Street”
Enron - Trial of the Century: Prelude to the Trial
Episode 26: Talking Tax Reform and Executive Comp
FCPA Compliance and Ethics Report-Episode 253-Loren Steffy reflects on the Enron, the trials of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling and corporate culture
For Jeff Skilling, 'Enron Was His Life,' Lawyer Says
Suzanne Rich Folsom and Bart M. Schwartz on Corporate Compliance in 2011
As seen in the previous article, whistleblowing cases regularly make the news headlines. And while some of the names of the reporters or the cases are well known, it’s worthwhile to take a closer look at the people behind the...more
The fall of Enron Texas is the second largest US state (after Alaska). It is an economic engine in the US, fuelled primarily by the oil and gas industry. When Houstonbased Enron Corporation filed its Chapter 11 case in the...more
Earlier this month, a federal judge vacated two convictions related to the Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) investigation into corruption in international soccer, widely known as the “FIFA Case.” Despite the jury’s findings...more
There’s a case that is ubiquitous within eDiscovery circles. Its presence is everywhere when you look at eDiscovery solutions. Many people think of it as an energy industry case, but it’s actually a financial services case –...more
The five-part series on the Enron Trial kicks off with Tom Fox and actual trial attendee, Loren Steffy. This first episode highlights the major events that led up to the beginning of the trial, many years ago. Enron in the...more
Over the last twenty year (yes, 20 years), the Justice Department’s civil and criminal enforcement record has come under greater scrutiny. Whether you call it “Too Big To Jail” or “Too Big to Fail,” questions continue to...more
Facebook agreed today to settle FTC charges that its privacy practices violated a 2012 Consent Order. Businesses should expect increased scrutiny of their own privacy practices as a result. ...more
With a high-level White House meeting on Friday, the US and China have extended trade talks, even as a “final deal remains elusive” (aka, nothing at all is in writing yet). It also appears that the purported progress is...more
On February 26, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed in a per curiam unpublished decision the dismissal of a putative securities class action against UBS AG and certain affiliated entities. ...more
As we’ve been expecting, the DOJ announced yesterday that it was suing to block AT&T’s $84.5 billion bid for Time Warner over antitrust concerns....more
Don’t let the episode title scare you away! Matt welcomes colleague Leanne Reagan to discuss how the House’s proposed tax reform bill impacts compensation arrangements and how, if passed into law, it could completely...more
I can’t help myself; when I read some of the troubling reports about Uber’s workplace culture, which has contributed to executive ousters and the need to hire one of the highest-profile lawyers in the country, I think, “If...more
Prepaid card company NetSpend has reached a $53 million settlement with the FTC to resolve claims that the company “deceived customers about when and whether they could access money they deposited on its reloadable debit...more
A federal appellate court has upheld a district court order enforcing an arbitration award by the ICC against the Republic of Nigeria in favor of Enron Nigeria Power Holdings, Ltd. (“ENPH”), a former subsidiary of Enron...more
8 years after returning as CEO, Starbucks’ Howard Schultz is again planning to step down, turning over the barista apron to current president and COO Kevin Johnson. Schultz will continue to work on Sbux social issues and the...more
In this episode, I visit with Loren Steffy who covered the Enron trial for the Houston Chronicle. He reflects on the lasting impact of the Enron scandal and how it continues to resonate today. ...more
Today we acknowledge (I cannot say celebrate) one of the seminal events which led to the explosion of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement actions from 2004 forward. On this day in 2001 the Houston based company...more
I continue my series on why I believe that compliance is at the ‘Tipping Point’ with a discussion of the Volkswagen (VW) emissions-testing scandal and its effect on the greater compliance world. Myself and many other...more
Ed. Note-The VW scandal is clearly much broader than simply corporate lying about environmental compliance. It is about an entire corporate culture that engaged in, tolerated or consciously disregarded the illegal behavior....more
This article addresses the liability of inside attorneys at asset management companies— mutual fund sponsors, investment advisers, broker-dealers, life insurance companies—as gatekeepers under rules of the US Securities and...more
Commentators still level the hue and cry that it is somehow the fault of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that companies continue to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act...more
As we come to the close of the Obama Administration, the Justice Department will certainly be able to point to its record of aggressive white-collar enforcement in a variety of areas. One glaring claim omission from that list...more
On this day in 1876 one of the greatest failures in risk management took place when Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and his entire 7th Cavalry were wiped out at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Custer had split...more
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”) was enacted following the accounting scandals of the early 2000s involving Enron, WorldCom and other public companies. Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and...more
In a decision of significance to the distressed claims trading community, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in In re KB Toys Inc. recently held that any risk or “cloud” of disallowance under the Bankruptcy Code...more