DOJ Signals shift to more aggressive trade enforcement as new Trade Fraud Task Force seizes over US$1 billion

By Squire Patton Boggs on Posted in General

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that their joint Trade Fraud Task Force (TFTF) has generated more than US$1 billion in recoveries, penalties and forfeitures since its creation in August 2025. Federal authorities also unveiled a new DOJ litigation section focused on trade-related violations and issued a resource guide describing the government’s enforcement framework in this area. Taken together, these actions reflect an increasingly coordinated federal effort to address customs fraud and other import-related violations through not only administrative, but also criminal and civil enforcement, underscoring the importance of effective trade compliance programs for businesses engaged in international commerce.

SPB’s D. Michael Kaye, Tom Firestone, Chris Duncan and Mirrah Papovsky recently published an update examining these developments. Read the full insight here.

From the World Cup to the Courtroom: Wayne Barnes on Sport and the Law

By Squire Patton Boggs on Posted in Podcast

On the latest episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, Tom Firestone, head of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice, welcomes Wayne Barnes, a Squire Patton Boggs partner, one of the most accomplished rugby referees in the history of the sport and author of Throwing the Book: The Strife and Crimes of a Rugby Referee.

Wayne discusses his journey from community rugby in rural England to the international stage as referee for the Rugby World Cup 2023 final. Along the way, he built a distinguished legal career, giving him a unique perspective on the parallels between sport and legal practice.

Tom and Wayne examine the common challenges faced by referees and lawyers, what lawyers can learn from sport, what sport can learn from the law and how both fields confront questions of fairness, trust and integrity. They also discuss the impact of technology on modern sport and the ongoing challenge of combating corruption and maintaining public confidence in sport.

Listen now

Giancarlo Pellegrini on Do’s and Don’ts of Congressional Investigations

By Squire Patton Boggs on Posted in Bad News, Good Lawyers, Podcast

In this episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, Tom Firestone, head of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice sits down with Giancarlo Pellegrini, former senior counsel to the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to discuss his experience leading some of the nation’s most high-profile congressional investigations, including Congress’ investigation of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.

Drawing on his time on Capitol Hill, Giancarlo provides an insider’s perspective on questioning some of the most prominent witnesses to appear before congressional committees, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The conversation examines the unique dynamics of congressional investigations and the challenges they present for both witnesses and counsel. Giancarlo also discusses why congressional investigations differ from traditional legal proceedings, why companies may face heightened scrutiny after the US midterm elections and what companies should be doing now to prepare for a potential increase in oversight activity.

Listen now

OFAC and OFSI Publish Joint Guidance on US and UK Sanctions

By Richard Gibbon, Hannah Laming, Adam Klauder, Katy Fisher and Elgun Ganizade on Posted in General, OFAC, OFSI

On June 23, 2026, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and His Majesty’s Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) published joint guidance (Guidance) setting out important similarities and differences between the two sanctions regimes. The Guidance is published under OFAC-OFSI Enhanced Partnership, which is now into its fifth year, and aims to help private sector actors understand their multijurisdictional sanctions compliance obligations.

Continue Reading

Navigating Chaos, Corruption and Murder in Post-Soviet Russia

By Squire Patton Boggs on Posted in General, Podcast

On the latest episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone welcomes Jamison Firestone (no relation), founder of the first independent foreign law firm in post-Soviet Russia.

Drawing on stories from his new book, Rule of Lies: My Wild Ride Through Chaos, Corruption, and Murder in Putin’s Russia, Jamison describes his experiences in early post-Soviet Russia, including the murder of his law partner who died trying to defend Russian democracy, how his father (a convicted felon) tried to have his law partner seriously injured, his work with Sergei Magnitsky and his role in getting the Magnitsky Act passed by Congress. Tom and Jamison also discuss Jamison’s ongoing efforts to support Ukraine through the use of frozen Russian state assets and the legal and policy questions surrounding those efforts.

Listen now

Michael Missal on Leading Oversight at the Department of Veterans Affairs

By Squire Patton Boggs on Posted in General, Inspector General, Podcast

In the latest episode of The Inspector General, host Clark Ervin of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice sits down with Michael Missal, former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to discuss the challenges and opportunities of overseeing one of the federal government’s largest and most complex agencies.

Although often overlooked in discussions of the federal bureaucracy, the VA manages a vast enterprise, with a budget exceeding $350 billion, a workforce of roughly 500,000 employees and the nation’s largest integrated healthcare system.

During his nine years as Inspector General, Missal led a multidisciplinary team of auditors, investigators and healthcare professionals and issued approximately 2,500 reports, made more than 10,000 recommendations and generated an estimated $4.5 billion in monetary impact. In this episode, Missal reflects on some of the audits and investigations that drew national attention, explaining how oversight efforts helped strengthen agency operations and improve services for veterans across the country.

The conversation also explores the importance of Inspector General independence, the tools available to oversight offices and the balance required to maintain productive relationships with agency leadership and Congress.

Listen now

Flipping the Real-Life Sopranos: How the FBI Dismantled a Notorious Crime Family

By Squire Patton Boggs on Posted in General, Podcast

In this episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone, head of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice, speaks with Séamus McElearney, a retired FBI Special Agent and author of Flipping Capo: How the FBI Dismantled the Real Sopranos, about the investigation that helped dismantle the DeCavalcante organized crime family (the model for the Sopranos).

McElearney explains how he and his colleagues secured the cooperation of Anthony Capo, a member of the DeCavalcante organized crime family, paving the way for additional members and associates to come forward and helping investigators solve 11 murders and secure convictions against 71 defendants.

The conversation explores the challenges of developing cooperating witnesses within organized crime organizations and the broader impact the investigation had on the FBI’s efforts against La Cosa Nostra. McElearney also discusses the connection between the DeCavalcante family and HBO’s The Sopranos, sharing how real-life figures reacted to the series and which storylines were inspired by actual events.

This episode offers a rare insider’s perspective on organized crime investigations, witness cooperation and the real-world history behind one of television’s most iconic crime dramas.

Listen now

UAE Central Bank Fines Foreign Bank and Compliance Officer for Money Laundering Violations

By Richard Gibbon and Katy Fisher on Posted in General

Yesterday, the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) announced a financial penalty of AED 20 million (c. USD 5.45 million) against the UAE branch of a foreign bank following an investigation that revealed significant and repeated failures in the branch’s Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) and sanctions compliance programs.

Continue Reading

FinCEN and Banking Agencies Propose Customer Identification Program Rule for Stablecoin Issuers

By Adam Klauder and Delia Antemie on Posted in General

Introduction

On June 18, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), together with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the “Agencies”) issued a joint notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) to implement certain customer identification program (“CIP”) requirements under the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (“GENIUS Act”).[1]

Continue Reading

Australia’s Social Media Age Restrictions: Unpacking the New Legal Landscape with Tanvi Mehta Krensel

By Squire Patton Boggs on Posted in Australia, General, Podcast

Australia has taken a bold step in regulating youth access to social media, adopting legislation that places new obligations on digital platforms to restrict underage users. The measure has sparked significant debate, particularly among industry leaders and free speech advocates. Now that UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer has announced that the UK will adopt similar regulations, Australia’s experience takes on even greater significance.

In the latest episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone, who leads our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice, is joined by Tanvi Mehta Krensel, head of our Data Privacy, Cybersecurity & Digital Assets Practice in Australia. Together, they explore how the new rules are likely to function in practice and consider the broader implications for platforms and users.

Listen to the full episode here.

LexBlog