Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC

Benchmark Litigation has ranked Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello in Tier 1 Nationwide in the White Collar Crime category and Highly Recommended in Dispute Resolution. The publication noted that the firm “has built a premier white-collar crime and investigations practice recognized nationwide as the “go-to” for both domestic and international clients. Its esteemed white-collar practice is complemented by capability in commercial and securities litigation, largely involving executives and cutting-edge issues, as well as employment-related litigation and high-profile and sensitive investigations.” Recognized as “Litigation Stars” are Elkan Abramowitz, Richard F. Albert, Robert J. Anello, Kate Cassidy, Benjamin Fischer, Catherine Foti, Christopher Harwood, Lawrence Iason, Brian Jacobs, Telemachus Kasulis, Karen R King, Robert Radick, Jonathan Sack, Edward Spiro, Jeremy Temkin and Richard D. Weinberg. Elkan Abramowitz, Richard F. Albert, Robert J. Anello, Benjamin S. Fischer, Lawrence Iason, and Richard D. Weinberg have also been designated “National Practice Area Stars.” Robert J. Anello, Catherine M. Foti and Christopher B. Harwood were named as "Labor and Employment Stars." Thomas McKay has been named a “Top 40 and Under Litigator” for the second consecutive year. To read the full editorial, please click here: https://lnkd.in/eAtv_QDZ

Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello partner Kate Cassidy will serve as an associate supreme court justice at the Office of the Appellate Defender's 31st Annual First Monday in October Gala and Mock Supreme Court argument taking place October 7th at the NYC Bar Association. OAD’s mission is to ensure that underserved individuals convicted of felonies receive equal access to justice by providing exceptional representation, improving the quality of defense through education training, and advocating for systemic reform of New York City’s criminal justice system. “The First Monday Court will hear argument in Kousisis v. United States: Can deception to induce a commercial transaction constitute federal mail or wire fraud, even if the defendant does not intend to cause economic harm and the alleged victim receives the goods or services for which it paid?” For more information about this program, click here: https://lnkd.in/eQFze755.

On October 15th, Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello partner Catherine Foti will participate as a panelist in the White-Collar Crime Hypothetical Exercise at the American Bar Association's 12th Annual London White-Collar Crime Institute. For more information about this program, please click here: https://lnkd.in/e2v-e37M

Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello partner Richard F. Albert and an expert panel will explore current issues and recent developments relating to ethical duties and responsibilities of attorneys in internal investigations involving corporations and other entities. These issues will be discussed from the point of view of company or entity counsel, counsel for current and former employees and counsel for government agencies. This year’s program will devote special attention to issues surrounding in-house lawyers as whistleblowers, the ethics of witness preparation, client confidentiality and posting to listservs, lawyers as witnesses, and obligations of lawyers upon learning that a client has provided false information in proceedings. For more information regarding this program or to register, click here: https://lnkd.in/e8dAh-f7

The firm is devastated by the tragic passing of our friend and former partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda. Chris was the oldest son of Bob Morvillo, one of the firm’s founders. He joined the firm as counsel in 2005, after spending six years as an AUSA in the Southern District of New York. Chris was a partner of the firm until 2011, when he left to join Clifford Chance with two of his friends from the SDNY. Chris and Neda were dear friends to many at the firm and our hearts go out to their two daughters, Sabrina and Sophia, his mother Cathie, his brothers Greg, Scott and Rob, and the rest of the Morvillo family. Chris was not just an exceptional lawyer, he was a kind, caring, and special person. He will be sorely missed.  

Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello partner Karen R King was honored by Sanctuary for Families with the prestigious Abely Pro Bono Leadership Award, which recognizes the contributions of the extraordinarily dedicated attorneys who have consistently demonstrated professional commitments to improving the lives of Sanctuary’s clients. Her work providing trauma-informed assistance to survivors of gender-based violence includes the representation of one such survivor, Narkis Golan, for four years in a widely followed case involving the Hague Convention and the grave risk of harm to children who witness domestic violence. In 2022, she argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Saada v. Golan, obtaining a unanimous decision for her client. Karen has been appointed Chair of The Narkis Golan International Child Abduction Initiative (the “NGI”), a groundbreaking new Sanctuary for Families’ Pro Bono Project dedicated to increasing access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence who cross international borders with their children to flee abuse and search for safety.

If you are doing business with foreign governments, companies, or individuals, be warned. The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), once considered a “complete joke,” is now center stage. Following the lead of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and other high-ranking DOJ officials, federal prosecutors have intensified their focus on this once-obscure statute, treating it as their new weapon in the war against foreign influence in the Information Age. As Robert J. Anello examines in his latest blog post, the ramped-up enforcement means companies, their lawyers, and compliance leaders must pay close attention to FARA and the anticipated regulatory changes to avoid being ensnared in FARA’s broad net. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/e9Ttcxcr

Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello partner Thomas McKay was named to Benchmark Litigation’s "Under 40 Hot List" for the second consecutive year. This honor is awarded to the Nation’s most accomplished legal practitioners, 40 or younger, who have been deemed the most promising emerging talent in their respective litigation communities by peers and clients. Benchmark Litigation is the Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys. Published by Euromoney Legal Media Group, Benchmark Litigation’s guide is derived from a process of extensive research and interviews with litigators and their clients. Please click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/euG3xuBi

Although the Supreme Court’s recently concluded term will be best remembered for its decision in Trump v. United States, the Court also addressed issues of significance to taxpayers and practitioners alike. In Moore v. United States, the Court issued a much-anticipated decision upholding a provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that taxed shareholders for their share of undistributed income generated by controlled foreign corporations.  Connelly v. United States was a less controversial decision addressing the valuation of closely held corporations for estate tax purposes. While not a tax case, the Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises et al. v. Raimondo, which overruled the Chevron deference doctrine, could turn out to have the most significant impact on tax controversies for years to come by offering new avenues for tax practitioners to challenge the IRS’s interpretation of the Internal Revenue Code. In his latest article for the NYLJ, “Supreme Court Round-Up,” Morvillo Abramowitz partner Jeremy Temkin discusses the Court’s decisions in Moore, Connelly, and Loper Bright.   https://lnkd.in/ern2yv64

Congress has a penchant for expanding statutes of limitations, perhaps giving government officials too much time to investigate cases and pursue enforcement actions in various contexts. Sanctions are now the new flavor of the month. In his latest blog post, Robert J. Anello explores the recently passed 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act, which effectively has doubled the time U.S. authorities have to investigative civil or criminal sanctions violations imposed under the IEEPA and the TWEA. This change in U.S. sanctions law may result in a less timely resolution of cases. Nevertheless, international actors need to be aware of the Biden Administration’s hunger to use sanctions aggressively. Read the blog post here: https://lnkd.in/e5-5MsPx