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UAE Enforcement Update: The FSRA and the DFSA Issue New AML-Related Fines

The UAE’s two financial free zones, established in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, possess their own civil and commercial legal frameworks, inclusive of court systems modeled closely on international standards and principles of common law and, importantly, autonomous financial services regulation.  In the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”), which was established by UAE … Continue Reading

Global Focus on Anti-Corruption Increases

While the United States has announced a pause on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, the rest of the world is increasing its focus on prosecuting corrupt activities. This is a reminder to companies with a global footprint, including those headquartered in the U.S. that may not have physical operations overseas, that foreign activities likely fall … Continue Reading

EU CSDDD under US pressure: Some Insights on the PROTECT USA Act

The European Commission’s (EC) recent announcement of the Omnibus Simplification Proposals signals that it has heard the challenges and objections raised by companies affected by the new requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). But in the US, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate … Continue Reading

UK Sanctions Update: OFSI Releases Financial Services Threat Assessment – Part 2

Last month, the UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation’s (“OFSI”) published a Threat Assessment analyzing sanctions compliance involving UK financial services firms since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. In the first of our two-part article (available here), we summarized the six key areas of risk that OFSI identified in its Threat Assessment. In this … Continue Reading

UK Sanctions Update: OFSI Releases Financial Services Threat Assessment – Part 1

In February 2025, the UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (“OFSI”) issued a report outlining its assessment of the sanctions-related threats posed to the UK by firms operating in the UK’s financial services sector.  As to be expected, the report focuses on the risks associated with transactions since February 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine … Continue Reading

DOJ’S False Claims Act Based Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative in 2024

The start of a new year presents an opportune time to reflect on the past.  We have been tracking and reporting on the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”)’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative (“CCF Initiative”), which former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced in October 2021. The CCF Initiative employs the powerful False Claims Act (“FCA”) in … Continue Reading

Trump Pauses FCPA Enforcement and Resets Priorities

On February 10, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled, “Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security” (“FCPA EO”) that directs the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 78dd-1 et seq.) (“FCPA”) for 180 days until new Attorney … Continue Reading

UK Sanctions Update: New OFSI Reporting Requirements for High Value Dealers and Art Market Participants

Late in 2024, the UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (“OFSI”), the agency within His Majesty’s Treasury that is charged with the implementation of financial sanctions in the UK, introduced new sanction measures aimed generally at augmenting the operation and enforcement of UK financial sanctions and targeted specifically at High Value Dealers (“HVDs”) and Art … Continue Reading

To Disclose or Not to Disclose (and how much) – That is the Question

The decision-making process involved in disclosing a cyber incident is a nuanced and delicate dance.  Companies need to consider a myriad of factors, including when to disclose and how much detail to disclose to employees, customers, or regulators, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  A New York bank was recently forced to pay … Continue Reading

Time is of the Essence to Implement New ADGM Whistleblower Protection Regulations

In 2024, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”) further enhanced transparency, accountability, and market integrity within the financial freezone by introducing the Whistleblower Protection Regulations 2024 (the “Regulations”).  In brief, those Regulations require certain entities registered or licensed to operate or conduct any activity within the ADGM to implement arrangements for handling whistleblowing, including having … Continue Reading

Promising Results from Groundbreaking FinCrime Data Sharing Project Between Seven UK Banks and the National Crime Agency

In 2024, the National Crime Agency (the “NCA”), which is the UK’s lead agency against organized crime; human, weapon and drug trafficking; cybercrime; and economic crime, announced its “groundbreaking” data sharing partnership with seven UK banks, namely Barclays, Lloyds, Metro Bank, NatWest, Santander, Starling Bank, and TSB.[1] This new public-private partnership (“PPP”) was the largest … Continue Reading

OFAC Issues Additional Sanctions Guidance for the Maritime Shipping Industry

Failure to comply with the complex web of US sanctions laws and regulations carries significant risks both in terms of exposure to civil fines and penalties and reputational harm. To help maritime sector stakeholders navigate these regulations, the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has published scenario-based sanctions compliance guidance on … Continue Reading

France Issues Further CSRD Guidance on Compliance Reporting

Our colleagues Marion Seranne and Saeid Abedi recently covered the French Anti-Corruption Agency’s (“AFA”) newly published guidance addressing Corporate Reporting Sustainability Directive (“CSRD”) reporting for companies that do not meet the French Sapin II law thresholds.  In short, the agency stated that CSRD reporting standards trigger an obligation to implement an antibribery and corruption compliance program – a … Continue Reading

Fast-Growing UK Challenger Bank Fined £29m for Insufficient Sanctions and Financial Crime Controls

On September 27, 2024, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which is a financial regulatory body in the UK that regulates firms providing financial services to consumers, fined a UK Challenger Bank (the “Bank”) £29 million due to significant failings in its financial sanctions compliance and anti-money laundering systems and controls. The FCA’s Summary of Reasons … Continue Reading

DOJ Updates Guidance on Corporate Compliance Programs

In a post published earlier this year, we highlighted the importance of proactively managing artificial intelligence (“AI”) risks as part of an effective compliance program. Specifically, we explored the key considerations for organizations to effectively navigate AI-related risks and enhance their compliance efforts.  We also referenced Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco’s announcement incorporating an … Continue Reading

Millions of Reasons to be a Whistleblower Means Increased Need for Internal Reporting Incentives

Summer may be coming to an end, but whistleblower awards are far from over.  On August 23, 2024, the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced payment of over $98 million total to two whistleblowers who provided the SEC with information that led to successful enforcement actions – the fifth largest since the program’s inception in 2011, … Continue Reading

ESG Due Diligence Update: First lessons from Recent Rulings in the EU

There has been a major shift in the European Union (“EU”) in recent years around Environment, Social and Governance (“ESG“), from voluntary corporate social responsibility initiatives to a much more regulated and legislation-driven ESG regime. A key component driving this shift is the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive of June 13, 2024 (“CS3D”),[1] which established … Continue Reading

Insider Dealing: Increasing Scope and Greater Focus from UK and US Enforcement – Are You up to Speed?

The UK and US enforcement agencies have been actively pursuing insider dealing (“insider trading”, in US parlance) since the COVID-19 pandemic ended. The UK and US have different securities enforcement regimes, but both have seen recent developments expanding the scope of conduct that can be prosecuted. For individuals and organizations trading across multiple jurisdictions, it … Continue Reading

OFAC Guidance on the Statute of Limitations Extension

The President’s signing of the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act (the “Act”)[1] on April 24, 2024 marked one of the most significant expansions of the sanctions enforcement authority of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). For many decades OFAC’s civil enforcement actions have been limited to five years … Continue Reading

Recent DFSA Enforcement Activity and Future Priorities

In this article, we summarize the trends that have emerged from enforcement actions published between 2022 and the present day by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (the “DFSA”).… Continue Reading

Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) Mitigation Specifically for Unclassified Contracts

In May 2024, the US Department of Defense (DoD) published the long-awaited DoD Instruction [1] (FOCI Instruction) expanding the FOCI review process from solely US government contractors that access classified information to all US government contractors performing on certain unclassified contracts with a value exceeding US$5 million. For the uninitiated, the US government mitigates FOCI … Continue Reading

WEBINAR- The 2024 Revolution in Administrative Law: Chevron and Beyond

Join #TeamSPB’s Ben Glassman, Keith Bradley and Patricia Doersch for a timely webinar on the major decisions recently issued by SCOTUS.  The panel will cover each of the recent decisions (Loper Bright v. Raimondo, SEC v. Jarkesy, Ohio v. EPA, and Corner Post v. the Fed) and discuss the consequences, as well as the opportunities … Continue Reading

End of the Chevron Era: The Future of Agency Enforcement Shifts to Courts

With its second of two landmark decisions impacting the future of federal agency enforcement, SCOTUS struck down the Chevron decision last week.  In a 6-3 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Court shifted enforcement power away from agencies and to the federal courts. The implications of the Chevron decision are both significant and … Continue Reading

SCOTUS Ruling in Jarkesy Foreshadows Big Changes in Federal Enforcement

SPB’s Keith Bradley authored an article for Bloomberg Law covering a recent SCOTUS decision with significant ramifications: SEC v. Jarkesy. We believe that Jarkesy will decidedly shift the landscape of agency adjudication and regulatory enforcement. For the background and possible implications of this decision, read the full article at Supreme Court’s Jarkesy Ruling Upends SEC … Continue Reading
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