White-Collar Criminal Law

On September 18, 2026, the Department of Justice announced revisions to the Justice Manual that strengthen the framework for dismissing qui tam actions filed under the False Claims Act that do not serve the interests of the United States. The revised Justice Manual now instructs government attorneys to evaluate whether the government should seek dismissal under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A) in every qui tam case and empowers attorneys to engage in an ongoing assessment as litigation progresses. This development—which is especially significant for defendants in FCA qui tam litigation—signals a more proactive government posture toward seeking dismissal of meritless or burdensome qui tam cases.

Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris LLP website.

August 3, 2026August 3, 2026 by Duane Morris

NJ Supreme Court Decision Raises Questions About Consumer Fraud Act Exposure for Insurance Professionals

By Brad D. Feldman, Gregory D. Herrold and James Hearon

In a unanimous opinion, Lowe v. Audet, __ N.J. ___ (2026) (slip op.), the New Jersey Supreme Court held that insurance brokers, producers, and agents are not exempt from the Consumer Fraud Act (CFA), N.J.S.A. 56:8-1, under the judicially created “learned professional” exemption, as semi-professionals or otherwise. The Court’s opinion will have an immediate impact on the insurance industry in New Jersey, subjecting insurance brokers, agents, and producers to potential liability under the CFA, one of the nation’s strongest consumer protection laws.

Read the full article published in The New Jersey Law Journal on the Duane Morris LLP website.

July 17, 2026July 17, 2026 by Duane Morris

Chicago Elite: John Cooke Recognized by The Legal 500

John D. Cooke, a partner in the Trial Practice Group, has been recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. in the 2026 Chicago Elite category.

June 4, 2026June 5, 2026 by Duane Morris

Chambers USA Recognizes Duane Morris White-Collar Criminal Defense Division and Attorneys

Chamber USA has recognized the White-Collar Criminal Defense, Corporate Investigations and Regulatory Compliance Division of the Trial Practice Group and its attorneys.

Here’s what clients are saying about our white-collar defense attorneys:

“The Duane Morris team has extensive experience working in-house with federal agencies, deep knowledge of procedural and substantive law and superb investigative and trial skills.”
“The white-collar litigators at Duane Morris are talented and they draw on a deep bench of civil and criminal attorneys with experience trying cases.”
“Duane Morris has good judgment, cares about its clients, and isn’t afraid to fight for justice, even when it’s hard. The firm has amazing trial lawyers who handle difficult subject matter beautifully.”

New Jersey

Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations

New York

Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations

Pennsylvania Attorneys

William McSwain: Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations

Mary Hansen: Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations

Christopher Casey: Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations

Michael Rinaldi: Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations

Leigh Skipper: Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations

Northern New Jersey Attorneys

Eric Breslin: Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations

April 17, 2026April 17, 2026 by Daniel R. Walworth

DOJ Announces First DEI-Related False Claims Act Settlement

On April 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced its first False Claims Act settlement arising from allegations that an organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs constituted illegal discrimination. The $17 million settlement, announced by DOJ’s Civil Division, resolved allegations of unlawful DEI practices in connection with federal funding. All recipients of federal funds should take note of this shift from policy pronouncements to tangible, concrete enforcement action.

Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris LLP website.

March 13, 2026March 16, 2026 by Duane Morris

Sentencing Strategies in Federal Fraud Cases: Key Takeaways for White Collar Practitioners From the ABA’s Annual White Collar Conference

Authors: Gregory Herrold and Eric Boden

Tackling complex and evolving issues surrounding sentencing in federal fraud cases, a panel of distinguished jurists and white collar practitioners shared their thoughts at this year’s ABA White Collar Conference in San Diego, California in a discussion titled: “Effective Sentencing Advocacy – Guidelines, Mitigation, and Data.” The panel, including U.S. District Court Judges Charles Breyer and Trina Thompson of the Northern District of California, explored mitigation strategies defense counsel should implement early in a client’s criminal justice process to most effectively advocate for an appropriate sentence.

February 26, 2026February 26, 2026 by Duane Morris

Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s Office Examines Laws on Prediction Markets

By William M. McSwain and Bryan Shapiro

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton recently signaled that federal prosecutors are actively evaluating how existing criminal statutes apply to prediction markets—and that enforcement actions may follow in appropriate cases. His remarks underscore law enforcement interest in prediction markets, financial products that may resemble traditional securities or derivatives, and related activity in the crypto ecosystem.

Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris LLP website.

December 16, 2025December 16, 2025 by Duane Morris

New DOJ Health and Safety Unit Formed to Protect Consumers

On December 2, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of a new unit within the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, called the Health & Safety Unit (HSU). The creation of this unit comes on the heels of the DOJ disbanding the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch in September of this year, a group that utilized both civil and criminal enforcement in the consumer protection area. The new unit coincides with the DOJ’s restructuring efforts in this space. According to the DOJ, the HSU will serve two main purposes: (i) protecting the food and drug supply for consumers and (ii) enforcing consumer product safety laws.

Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris LLP website.

October 24, 2025 by Duane Morris

13 State Attorneys Seek to Intervene in Review of DOJ’s Settlement Allowing $14 Billion Merger

On October 14, 2025, a coalition of 13 state attorneys general, including those from California, New York, Massachusetts and Illinois, filed a motion seeking to intervene in the Tunney Act review by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) settlement that allowed the $14 billion merger between Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Juniper Networks to proceed.

Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris website.

July 16, 2025July 16, 2025 by Duane Morris

False Claims Act Working Group Aims to Strengthen DOJ & HHS Collaboration

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on July 2, 2025, the creation of a DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group. The working group is intended to strengthen HHS and DOJ’s “ongoing collaboration to advance priority enforcement areas” of the Trump administration. Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris website.