President Trump Signs “Fair Banking” Executive Order Directing Financial Regulators to Remedy Past and Present Debanking Practices

On August 7, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans,” directing federal agencies to combat “debanking” — the denial or termination of financial services based on political views, religious beliefs, or industry affiliation. The executive order expands on numerous recent federal and state initiatives targeting debanking — including the joint U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)/Commonwealth of Virginia Equal Access to Banking Task Force, two recent bills introduced in the U.S. Senate, and actions by the federal financial regulators to remove “reputation risk” as a supervisory consideration.

(more…)

U.S. DOJ Issues Guidance on “Unlawful Discrimination” Related to DEI Programs for Recipients of Federal Funding

On July 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued guidance on “unlawful discrimination” for recipients of federal funding and other entities subject to federal antidiscrimination laws, further underscoring Trump administration officials’ commitment to pursuing investigations and enforcement activity in this area.

(more…)

Tariff Evasion Is Within DOJ’s Crosshairs: Potential Criminal and Civil Consequences for Noncompliance With Increased U.S. Tariffs

The first six months of the current Trump administration have made it clear that tariffs are here to stay and that noncompliance — intentional or otherwise — will be subject to potentially significant criminal and civil liability. Indeed, the administration has committed to an August 1, 2025, deadline for new country-specific tariffs to begin. The scale, speed, and complexity of the changes in the U.S. tariff landscape over the previous six months (which will likely continue) has created an environment ripe for noncompliance. (more…)

FinCEN Postpones Effective Date of Anti-Money-Laundering Rule for Investment Advisers and Exempt Reporting Advisers

On July 21, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced that it intends to postpone the effective date of the final rule requiring anti-money-laundering (AML) programs for certain investment advisers (the IA AML Rule). The rule, previously scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, will now be delayed until January 1, 2028.

(more…)

Whistleblower Rewards Continue to Grow: U.S. DOJ’s Antitrust Division Joins the Fray

On July 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Antitrust Division announced its partnership with the Postal Service to offer financial rewards to individuals who report violations of antitrust laws and related offenses affecting the Postal Service, its revenues, or its property.

(more…)

U.S. DOJ Announces Renewal of FCA Working Group

On July 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the renewal of the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group (Working Group), a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that aims to strengthen use of the False Claims Act (FCA) to combat healthcare fraud. (more…)

U.S. DOJ Civil Division to Investigate Possible Violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by Pharmaceutical Firms Manufacturing Drugs Used in Gender Transition Care

On June 11, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division issued a memorandum outlining five Trump administration policy objectives and “direct[ing] Civil Division attorneys to prioritize investigations and enforcement actions advancing these priorities.”1 The memorandum is signed by Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, who was confirmed by the Senate two days earlier, on June 9, 2025.2 One of the five policy objectives, entitled “Protecting Women and Children,” has potentially significant enforcement implications for pharmaceutical companies whose drugs may be used in gender transition care — even if they are used off-label.

(more…)

The Freeze Has Thawed: DOJ Issues New Directive to Pursue FCPA Cases that Vindicate U.S. National Interests

On June 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, unveiled DOJ’s new “Guidelines for Investigations and Enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)” (FCPA Guidelines). The FCPA Guidelines, directed to the head of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, Matthew R. Galeotti, follows President Donald Trump’s February 10, 2025 executive order (EO) generally pausing FCPA enforcement for 180 days and directing the Attorney General to develop new criteria for new FCPA investigations in that same time period. (The prior EO was analyzed in a Sidley alert available here.)

(more…)

Categories

Archives

Meet the Team

<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/a/axel-douglas-a">Douglas A. Axel</a>

Douglas A. Axel

Los Angeles
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/l/loughnane-joan-m">Joan M. Loughnane</a>

Joan M. Loughnane

New York
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/p/polite-jr-kenneth-a">Kenneth A. Polite Jr.</a>

Kenneth A. Polite Jr.

Washington, D.C., New York
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/t/tham-yuet-ming">Yuet Ming Tham</a>

Yuet Ming Tham

Singapore, Hong Kong
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/a/anderson-dave">Dave Anderson</a>

Dave Anderson

San Francisco
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/a/armbrust-sheila-a-g">Sheila A.G. Armbrust</a>

Sheila A.G. Armbrust

San Francisco
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/c/cooper-ellyce-r">Ellyce R. Cooper</a>

Ellyce R. Cooper

Century City
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/c/craig-daniel-c">Daniel C. Craig</a>

Daniel C. Craig

Chicago
<a target=‘_blank’ href="">Alexandria Daugherty</a>

Alexandria Daugherty

Los Angeles
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/d/dukin-craig-francis">Craig Francis Dukin</a>

Craig Francis Dukin

Washington, D.C.
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/g/george-sara">Sara George</a>

Sara George

London
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/h/ho-shu-min">Shu Min Ho</a>

Shu Min Ho

Singapore
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/i/igra-naomi-a">Naomi A. Igra</a>

Naomi A. Igra

San Francisco
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/k/koehler-kristin-graham">Kristin Graham Koehler</a>

Kristin Graham Koehler

Washington, D.C.
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/l/lassar-scott-r">Scott R. Lassar</a>

Scott R. Lassar

Chicago
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/l/levy-michael-a">Michael A. Levy</a>

Michael A. Levy

New York

<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/m/malhotra-geeta">Geeta Malhotra</a>

Geeta Malhotra

Chicago
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/m/mann-michael-d">Michael D. Mann</a>

Michael D. Mann

New York
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/m/mcginley-ian">Ian McGinley</a>

Ian McGinley

New York
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/m/miller-lisa-h">Lisa H. Miller</a>

Lisa H. Miller

Washington, D.C.
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/m/mirabella-julia-g">Julia G. Mirabella</a>

Julia G. Mirabella

Washington, D.C.
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/o/ono-takayuki">Takayuki Ono</a>

Takayuki Ono

Chicago, Tokyo
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/p/poletto-alexa">Alexa Poletto</a>

Alexa Poletto

New York
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/p/popp-karen-a">Karen A. Popp</a>

Karen A. Popp

Washington, D.C.
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/p/pruitt-jacqueline">Jacqueline Pruitt</a>

Jacqueline Pruitt

Chicago
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/r/rachal-doreen-m">Doreen M. Rachal</a>

Doreen M. Rachal

New York, Boston

<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/r/rubino-kevin-r">Kevin Rubino</a>

Kevin Rubino

San Francisco
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/s/shubert-leslie-a">Leslie A. Shubert</a>

Leslie A. Shubert

Washington, D.C.
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/s/silva-david-a">David A. Silva</a>

David A. Silva

Singapore
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/t/tagliaferri-michele">Michele Tagliaferri</a>

Michele Tagliaferri

Brussels
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/v/volpe-frank-r">Frank R. Volpe</a>

Frank R. Volpe

Washington, D.C.
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/w/west-marisa-s">Marisa S. West</a>

Marisa S. West

Washington, D.C.
<a target=‘_blank’ href="https://www.sidley.com/en/people/x/xenakis-angela-m">Angela M. Xenakis</a>

Angela M. Xenakis

Washington, D.C.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

SUBSCRIBE

To receive email alerts when we post a blog entry, please provide your name and email address.