The New Cold War: Risk, Sanctions, Compliance Episode 24: “Elephants and the Mafia: Combatting Criminal Wildlife Trafficking”
Why is this case important? The case challenged a decision by the National Crime Agency (“NCA”) not to carry out investigations into whether consignments of cotton goods were the product of alleged forced labour and/or other...more
State attorneys general from across the country met in Colorado for the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) Annual Meeting last week, along with AG staff and the legal and business communities. In opening the conference, Nevada...more
In the rapidly evolving financial landscape, governments worldwide are intensifying their focus on compliance in Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) efforts for financial institutions. Trade-Based Money...more
Organized retail crime is an escalating threat that demands a coordinated response from retailers, consumers, and lawmakers. Its tentacles reach far beyond lost profits, jeopardizing community safety, employment...more
As we approach year-end, we wanted to remind you about the upcoming implementation of the Corporate Transparency Act ("CTA"), which is set to take effect on January 1, 2024. The CTA will impose significant new reporting...more
In the world of international finance and crime, criminals and terrorists have always sought innovative ways to launder money and avoid sanctions. One relatively recent method that has gained prominence is known as...more
Organized retail crime (ORC) is an all-too-common headline, with major retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and transportation providers across the United States being targeted. Retail crime not only has financial costs,...more
From October 3rd to 5th in Boston, the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) held a series of working group meetings focused on topics uppermost in the minds of state AGs: cybersecurity, organized retail crime (ORC) and cannabis....more
Arkansas AG Tim Griffin announced he is joining the Organized Retail Crime Alliance, a new collaboration between U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and law enforcement, prosecutors, and private sector partners from...more
The Attorney General Alliance (AGA) held its Annual Meeting last week in California, which brought AGs and AG staff from 32 states and territories together with the legal and business communities to discuss a wide range of...more
California AG Rob Bonta, along with brick-and-mortar retailers and online marketplaces, adopted an agreement aimed at combatting organized retail crime (ORC). The agreement explains that ORC has increased in California in...more
Recent developments in the European Union (EU) as well as political demands indicate that the criminal prosecution of sanctions violations in the EU will be further intensified and possibly even centralized:...more
Jüngere Entwicklungen in der Europäischen Union („EU“) sowie politische Forderungen deuten darauf hin, dass die strafrechtliche Verfolgung von Sanktionsverstößen in der EU weiter intensiviert und gegebenenfalls sogar...more
On January 13, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an alert advising financial institutions on how to detect and report suspicious financial activity that may be related to human smuggling along the...more
Just days after securing its first Section 2 conviction in over 40 years in United States v. Zito on October 31, 2022,1 the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) again wielded its once-neglected ability to criminally enforce...more
El Pleno de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) de México, el 24 de noviembre de 2022, resolvió la Acción de Inconstitucionalidad 130/2019 y su acumulada 136/2019 en la que se determinó mantener la prisión...more
At the recent Leaders Week London conference, our team had the opportunity to meet with key professionals in the Sports industry and discuss some of the business challenges they are facing. Unsurprisingly, many of these...more
Executive Summary - The North Korean threat to the crypto ecosystem is the highest form of immediate risk to the crypto-economy driven by a regime that seeks to profit from its misuse to reinforce its regime and fuel all its...more
Last week, the Southern District of California partially unsealed a superseding indictment (the “Indictment”) revealing allegations against 29 alleged members of an international money laundering organization (“MLO”) tied to...more
Infrastructure Summer. Congress remains out this week but is expected to be very busy for the remainder of July. Democrats will seek to gain traction on two major legislative priorities: an infrastructure deal backed by 11...more
In United States v. Vinokurov, the Second Circuit (Wesley, Carney, Nardini) issued a summary order directing the district court to resentence Defendant Avtandil Khurtsidze in connection with his conviction on charges of...more
The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (AML Act) serves as the starting point for financial institutions and companies looking to understand what to expect from the Biden administration with respect to anti-money...more
A new report concludes that employees and organisations in the financial services industry do not see the crimes and human rights breaches described in the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 as something they can prevent. The report...more
Human trafficking has become one of the most profitable forms of international crime. At an estimated $150 billion worldwide per year, it ranks third to drug trafficking and counterfeit goods....more
The Council of the European Union has called on Member States and the European Commission to do more to tackle serious and organised crime and make financial investigations a top priority in the fight against it....more