In a May 19, 2025 memorandum, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which aims to use the False Claims Act (FCA) to investigate and “pursue claims against any recipient of federal funds that knowingly violates federal civil rights laws” via “racist preferences, mandates, … and activities” — including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. (more…)
On May 12, 2025, the Head of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division, Matthew Galeotti, provided the Trump administration’s first comprehensive articulation of white-collar priorities and revised corporate enforcement policies in remarks delivered at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Conference. (more…)
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or Department) has announced a significant shift in enforcement priorities concerning digital assets. On April 7, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum (Memorandum) announcing that the Department is not a “digital assets regulator” and will no longer pursue litigation or enforcement actions that “have the effect of superimposing regulatory frameworks on digital assets.” Instead, the Memorandum directs DOJ to focus on the prosecution of conduct that victimizes investors or uses digital assets in furtherance of crimes such as terrorism, narcotics trafficking, hacking, and human trafficking.
Sidley is pleased to announce that Ian McGinley has joined the firm as a Securities Enforcement and Regulatory partner in the Regulatory and Enforcement practice group in New York. Mr. McGinley was most recently the Director of Enforcement for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). At Sidley, he will focus on regulatory enforcement and white-collar criminal defense, with a particular emphasis on commodities and securities laws. He will also advise clients in civil and criminal matters involving digital assets.
http://whitecollarwatch.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00White Collar Watchhttp://whitecollarwatch.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngWhite Collar Watch2025-03-31 14:21:192026-04-15 13:07:59Ian McGinley, Former Director of Enforcement for the CFTC, Joins Sidley’s Regulatory and Enforcement Practice
Some predicted a drop in False Claims Act (”FCA”) enforcement during the first Trump administration, but setting aside a likely pandemic-related slowdown during 2020–2022, FCA cases — both DOJ-initiated and qui tam — during the early part of the first Trump administration were consistent with the volume in the later part of the Biden administration.
http://whitecollarwatch.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00Jaime L.M. Joneshttp://whitecollarwatch.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngJaime L.M. Jones2025-03-18 14:15:132026-04-15 13:12:00DOJ Enforcement Outlook in Health Care Compliance for 2025
On Friday, February 21, a federal district judge in Maryland issued a nationwide preliminary injunction prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and defendant federal agencies from enforcing portions of two presidential executive orders (EOs) targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at companies that do business with the federal government, including provisions tethering allegedly unlawful DEI programs to potential False Claims Act (FCA) liability.
Through a series of presidential executive orders (EOs) and Attorney General (AG) memos, the new Trump administration has signaled dramatic changes in how the Department of Justice (DOJ) will enforce white collar crime and specifically the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). This alert analyzes the significant takeaways for corporations that operate in the United States and across borders.
http://whitecollarwatch.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00White Collar Watchhttp://whitecollarwatch.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngWhite Collar Watch2025-02-12 18:17:572026-04-15 13:13:45U.S. DOJ Hits the Brakes on FCPA Enforcement and Announces Other Key Policies at the Beginning of Attorney General Bondi’s Tenure
On February 4, 2025, in the first official statement (the Statement) from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) newly established Crypto Task Force (Task Force), SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce provided a glimpse into the priorities and guidelines concerning “the crypto road trip” ahead for all industry participants in the crypto/digital assets space. (more…)
http://whitecollarwatch.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00Lilya Tesslerhttp://whitecollarwatch.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngLilya Tessler2025-02-06 14:03:492026-04-15 13:14:18A Roadmap to Engagement With the U.S. SEC’s New Crypto Task Force
U.S. DOJ Launches Initiative Leveraging False Claims Act to Target Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs
In a May 19, 2025 memorandum, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which aims to use the False Claims Act (FCA) to investigate and “pursue claims against any recipient of federal funds that knowingly violates federal civil rights laws” via “racist preferences, mandates, … and activities” — including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. (more…)
Kristin Graham Koehler
Washington, D.C.
kkoehler@sidley.com
Jaime L.M. Jones
Chicago
jaime.jones@sidley.com
Lisa H. Miller
Washington, D.C.
lisa.miller@sidley.com
Gordon D. Todd
Washington, D.C.
gtodd@sidley.com
Thomas G. Ward
Washington, D.C.
tgward@sidley.com
Joseph R. LoCascio
Chicago
joseph.locascio@sidley.com
U.S. DOJ Unveils White-Collar Enforcement Priorities and Corporate Enforcement Policy Revisions
On May 12, 2025, the Head of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division, Matthew Galeotti, provided the Trump administration’s first comprehensive articulation of white-collar priorities and revised corporate enforcement policies in remarks delivered at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Conference. (more…)
White Collar Watch
U.S. DOJ Shifts Focus in Digital Asset Enforcement
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or Department) has announced a significant shift in enforcement priorities concerning digital assets. On April 7, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum (Memorandum) announcing that the Department is not a “digital assets regulator” and will no longer pursue litigation or enforcement actions that “have the effect of superimposing regulatory frameworks on digital assets.” Instead, the Memorandum directs DOJ to focus on the prosecution of conduct that victimizes investors or uses digital assets in furtherance of crimes such as terrorism, narcotics trafficking, hacking, and human trafficking.
(more…)
White Collar Watch
Ian McGinley, Former Director of Enforcement for the CFTC, Joins Sidley’s Regulatory and Enforcement Practice
Sidley is pleased to announce that Ian McGinley has joined the firm as a Securities Enforcement and Regulatory partner in the Regulatory and Enforcement practice group in New York. Mr. McGinley was most recently the Director of Enforcement for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). At Sidley, he will focus on regulatory enforcement and white-collar criminal defense, with a particular emphasis on commodities and securities laws. He will also advise clients in civil and criminal matters involving digital assets.
(more…)
White Collar Watch
DOJ Enforcement Outlook in Health Care Compliance for 2025
Some predicted a drop in False Claims Act (”FCA”) enforcement during the first Trump administration, but setting aside a likely pandemic-related slowdown during 2020–2022, FCA cases — both DOJ-initiated and qui tam — during the early part of the first Trump administration were consistent with the volume in the later part of the Biden administration.
(more…)
Jaime L.M. Jones
Chicago
jaime.jones@sidley.com
Federal Judge Pauses Enforcement of DEI Executive Order; FCA Risks Remain
On Friday, February 21, a federal district judge in Maryland issued a nationwide preliminary injunction prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and defendant federal agencies from enforcing portions of two presidential executive orders (EOs) targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at companies that do business with the federal government, including provisions tethering allegedly unlawful DEI programs to potential False Claims Act (FCA) liability.
(more…)
Jaime L.M. Jones
Chicago
jaime.jones@sidley.com
Katherine A. Roberts
Los Angeles, San Francisco
kroberts@sidley.com
Cody M. Akins
Washington, D.C.
cakins@sidley.com
U.S. DOJ Hits the Brakes on FCPA Enforcement and Announces Other Key Policies at the Beginning of Attorney General Bondi’s Tenure
Through a series of presidential executive orders (EOs) and Attorney General (AG) memos, the new Trump administration has signaled dramatic changes in how the Department of Justice (DOJ) will enforce white collar crime and specifically the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). This alert analyzes the significant takeaways for corporations that operate in the United States and across borders.
(more…)
White Collar Watch
A Roadmap to Engagement With the U.S. SEC’s New Crypto Task Force
On February 4, 2025, in the first official statement (the Statement) from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) newly established Crypto Task Force (Task Force), SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce provided a glimpse into the priorities and guidelines concerning “the crypto road trip” ahead for all industry participants in the crypto/digital assets space. (more…)
Lilya Tessler
Dallas, Miami
ltessler@sidley.com
Andrew J. Sioson
Washington, D.C.
asioson@sidley.com
Categories
Archives
Meet the Team
Douglas A. Axel
daxel@sidley.com
David H. Hoffman
david.hoffman@sidley.com
Joan M. Loughnane
jloughnane@sidley.com
Kenneth A. Polite Jr.
kpolite@sidley.com
Daniel D. Rubinstein
drubinstein@sidley.com
Yuet Ming Tham
ytham@sidley.com
Dave Anderson
dlanderson@sidley.com
Sheila A.G. Armbrust
sarmbrust@sidley.com
Ellyce R. Cooper
ecooper@sidley.com
Daniel C. Craig
dcraig@sidley.com
Alexandria Daugherty
adaugherty@sidley.com
Craig Francis Dukin
cdukin@sidley.com
Sara George
sara.george@sidley.com
Shu Min Ho
shumin.ho@sidley.com
Naomi A. Igra
naomi.igra@sidley.com
Kristin Graham Koehler
kkoehler@sidley.com
Scott R. Lassar
slassar@sidley.com
Michael A. Levy
mlevy@sidley.com
Geeta Malhotra
gmalhotra@sidley.com
Michael D. Mann
mdmann@sidley.com
Ian McGinley
ian.mcginley@sidley.com
Lisa H. Miller
lisa.miller@sidley.com
Paige Holden Montgomery
pmontgomery@sidley.com
Julia G. Mirabella
jmirabella@sidley.com
Takayuki Ono
tono@sidley.com
Matthew Podolsky
matthew.podolsky@sidley.com
Alexa Poletto
apoletto@sidley.com
Karen A. Popp
kpopp@sidley.com
Jacqueline Pruitt
jpruitt@sidley.com
Doreen M. Rachal
drachal@sidley.com
Kevin Rubino
krubino@sidley.com
Leslie A. Shubert
lshubert@sidley.com
David A. Silva
david.silva@sidley.com
Michele Tagliaferri
mtagliaferri@sidley.com
Frank R. Volpe
fvolpe@sidley.com
Marisa S. West
marisa.west@sidley.com
Angela M. Xenakis
axenakis@sidley.com
Kenneth G. Coffin
kenneth.coffin@sidley.com