Category: Case Insights
UK Supreme Court Considers Privacy Rights of Executives Under Investigation
Two recent cases in the UK courts highlight the tension between an individual’s right to privacy during a criminal investigation and the freedom of the press to report on the investigation as a matter of public interest. Historically, the UK courts and authorities have largely protected the identities of individuals […]
US Supreme Court Narrows Scope of Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in Van Buren, Remands LinkedIn
On June 3, 2021, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in Van Buren v. United States in the Court’s first-ever interpretation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the federal anti-hacking statute. Van Buren presented the question of whether someone “exceeds authorized access” under the CFAA, see 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2), by accessing a computer […]
SEC Brings Rare Charges in Alleged Regulation Fair Disclosure Violation
What happened The SEC recently brought charges against AT&T and three mid-level executives for selectively providing information to Wall Street analysts in alleged violation of Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). According to the complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, AT&T learned in March 2016 that a “steeper-than-expected” […]
DOJ Announces First Civil Settlement for PPP Fraud
After bringing dozens of criminal charges against Paycheck Protection Program loan recipients in recent months, on January 12, the US Department of Justice announced its first civil settlement resolving allegations of PPP loan fraud. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, SlideBelts, an internet retail company and debtor in bankruptcy, and its […]
Skansen Interiors Limited: The UK’s first contested prosecution under S7 of the Bribery Act
The recent conviction of UK company Skansen Interiors Limited (SIL), for the corporate offence of failure to prevent bribery has caused controversy. This is the first conviction under S7 of the Bribery Act after a contested trial where the company self-reported but was still brought to trial. Commentators are asking […]
High Court supports SFO bid to obtain documents claimed as privileged
In a landmark ruling on 8 May 2017, the High Court ordered that the Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (“ENRC”) should hand over to the SFO documents prepared during an internal investigation, despite the fact that the documents had been generated by lawyers (including external solicitors). In 2011, ENRC began an […]
Court clarifies jurisdiction to exempt bank from potential criminal liability for making payments before NCA approval received
What happens when a company’s bank accounts are frozen and, as a result, faces imminent collapse, but the bank opposes a court application to process key transactions on the basis that if the bank is made to do so by the court, the bank may be guilty of a criminal […]
Tesco announces Deferred Prosecution Agreement
It was announced last week that Tesco PLC’s subsidiary, Tesco Stores Ltd, has finalised the terms of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the SFO (subject to court ratification on 10 April 2017). The DPA concludes the SFO’s two-year investigation into accounting practices in 2014 that left a £326 million […]