Recent remarks from leadership within the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division point to a sustained and increasing focus on antitrust enforcement in the government procurement space. In particular, the DOJ continues to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of bid rigging and other forms of collusive conduct that undermine the competitive bidding process.
In this episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone speaks with Anna Morris, former acting assistant secretary for terrorist financing at the US Treasury and a principal in our Public Policy Practice, about the evolution of US counterterrorism and sanctions policy.
Morris shares her perspective on how the US approach to terrorist financing has changed over time, along with her views on the successes and limitations of the war on terror. She also examines the role sanctions continue to play in advancing US foreign policy objectives.
Geopolitical volatility is now a defining driver of corporate risk, with shifting alliances, trade tensions and national security priorities reshaping how organisations operate across borders. As major powers recalibrate their economic and strategic positions, global supply chains, energy markets and technology ecosystems are becoming more exposed to political pressure.
As part of London International Disputes Week 2026 (LIDW), we are hosting a diverse panel of experts spanning disputes, investigatory, global affairs and political worlds who will discuss the current geopolitical landscape, how it is shaping the global disputes and investigations market, as well as the steps practitioners and businesses can take when legal, commercial and geopolitical issues overlap. The panel will offer a broad perspective on this highly topical subject.
This is an in person event at our London office on 4 June 2026 from 2 – 3:30 p.m. BST, registration can be made on the LIDW26 website.
Additional events we are running as part of LIDW are:
On May 1, 2026, the US issued a new Executive Order that significantly expands the reach of Cuba-related sanctions. Foreign companies and financial institutions may now face exposure based solely on their commercial dealings with certain sectors of the Cuban economy or with Cuban state-linked entities — even without a US nexus.
The new framework closely resembles the sanctions models used against Iran and Russia, raising immediate compliance questions for a wide swath of foreign persons engaging in economic activities involving Cuba. Longstanding assumptions about the scope of Cuba sanctions may no longer apply.
We recently published an update examining what has changed, which sectors are most at risk and what companies should be watching as enforcement begins to take shape.
Read the full insight here.
In our latest episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone, head of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice, speaks with David Kostelancik, a longtime U.S. State Department diplomat and former chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, about the political shakeup following Hungary’s 2026 national elections.
In the latest episode of The Inspector General, host Clark Ervin sits down with Andrew Cannarsa, Executive Director of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), to reflect on a remarkable year for the US Inspector General (IG) community. Their discussion centers on CIGIE’s newly released Annual Report to the President and Congress – Fiscal Year 2025, which highlights the extraordinary achievements of US Inspectors General last year.
Cannarsa outlines how the IG community delivered measurable, high‑value results throughout the year. Their oversight efforts identified nearly US$66 billion in potential savings to federal programs and operations and produced close to 2,000 audits and inspections. In addition, IG investigations supported almost 4,000 prosecutions and approximately 1,300 civil actions, underscoring the central role IGs play in deterring misconduct and protecting public resources.
At a time when the nation faces growing fiscal pressures—from expanding deficits to increasing long‑term obligations—the need to curb waste, fraud, and mismanagement has never been more critical.
In this episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone sits down with Keith Bradley, former Supreme Court clerk and co-chair of SPB’s Appellate & Supreme Court Practice, for an in-depth look at the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, widely known as the IEEPA decision. Bradley walks listeners through the key legal issues at play, beginning with the unusual alignment of three conservative justices and three liberal justices—a configuration that raises questions about whether the Court may be entering a period of shifting coalitions.
Bradley also explains why, under the Court’s reasoning, the statutory authority to impose an embargo does not include the authority to impose tariffs, a distinction that carries important implications for executive power. He discusses how the ruling affects the government’s approach to secondary tariffs, such as those previously directed at India over purchases of Russian oil, and clarifies the role the Major Questions doctrine played in shaping the Court’s decision.
The conversation further explores the feasibility of the administration’s plan to rely on the Trade Act of 1974 to reinstate tariffs, and offers insight into what the decision may mean for companies seeking refunds of tariffs now deemed unlawful, highlighting the practical consequences.
Join host Tom Firestone, head of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice, for a compelling discussion with Jeffrey Toobin—New York Times contributing opinion writer and best‑selling author—on the complex, controversial and often misunderstood world of presidential pardons.
In this episode, Toobin delves into the research behind his latest book, The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy, offering fresh insights into how the pardon power has been exercised, stretched and debated from the Nixon era to today.
Drawing on decades of legal and political analysis, Toobin explores how the modern presidency has shaped, and been shaped by, the constitutionally granted authority to forgive federal offenses.
Together, Toobin and Firestone unpack the tension between the pardon power’s noble purpose, the political controversies that continually surround its use and why Toobin ultimately believes the pardon power should remain intact despite its misuse.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (“S.D.N.Y”) announced a revised corporate self-disclosure policy designed to incentivize companies to cooperate in criminal investigations. The updated policy, which the S.D.N.Y. expects to publish soon, will offer carrots to corporations that disclose criminal conduct and agree to cooperate and remediate: (1) a swift, conditional agreement not to charge the company with a crime and (2) rapid resolution of any investigation. By forecasting early on to disclosing companies whether they stand to escape criminal charges, the new S.D.N.Y. Policy may offer companies and their shareholders more certainty. Regardless of whether corporations choose to self-disclose, they should adopt effective compliance programs with clear reporting channels so that employees can report potential misconduct.
Why Companies Operating in Italy Need a Solid Antitrust Compliance Programme Ahead of the New AGCM Legality Rating Regime
From 16 March 2026, Italy’s Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) will apply its newly updated Legality Rating Regulation, which seeks to promote ethical corporate conduct by rating companies based on their adherence to certain compliance standards. The updated Regulation strengthens requirements and revises procedures for companies seeking or renewing a legality rating. The new framework—set out in AGCM Decision No. 31812 of 27 January 2026 and published in the Italian Official Gazette—extends the rating’s validity to three years, updates eligibility conditions and imposes stricter consequences for incomplete or incorrect information. Of note, it now requires companies to demonstrate a credible, functioning and continuously updated antitrust compliance program in order to meet AGCM’s standards. Companies operating in Italy should prioritize implementing any compliance changes necessary to meet the heightened standards, including adopting an effective antitrust compliance program.
