Since the outset of President Trump’s efforts to conduct trade policy through an active use of tariffs, I have been concerned about the possibility of tariff-related corporate and securities litigation. Inevitably, I have been concerned, investors will say that companies tried to soft-pedal the likely impact of tariffs on the companies’ financial results. But while
Every year after Labor Day, I take a step back to survey the most important current trends and developments in the world of Directors’ and Officers’ liability and insurance. This year’s review is set out below. As the following discussion shows, this is a particularly interesting time in the world of D&O.Continue Reading What to Watch Now in the World of D&O
In the following guest post, Sarah Abrams, Head of Claims Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty, takes a look at President Trump’s recent Executive Order designed to expand the investment options available in 401(k) and other defined-contribution retirement plans, and considers the Order’s potential implications for ERISA liability and insurance. I would like to thank Sarah for allowing me to publish her article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post contributions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this site’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Sarah’s article.Continue Reading Guest Post: Will I Ever Retire?
Regular readers undoubtedly have noticed that I have been writing a lot lately about the False Claims Act (FCA). That is because the Trump Administration has decided to deploy the FCA as one of its principal legal tools to enforce and advance its policy objectives. Insurers wondering what the administration’s enforcement approach may mean for their claims portfolios may want to take a look at the securities class action lawsuit recently filed against online insurance broker SelectQuote. The company, whom the DOJ sued in May in a False Claims Act suit alleging the company received “illegal kickbacks” from insurers, has now been hit with a follow-on securities suit relating to the FCA allegations. As discussed below, the new follow-on lawsuit suggests that D&O insurers will want to consider the implications of the administration’s active deployment of the FCA as an enforcement tool. A copy of the August 11, 2025, lawsuit against SelectQuote can be found here.Continue Reading False Claims Act Defendant Hit with Follow-On Securities Suit
One of the signature features of the Dodd-Frank Act was its creation of the SEC whistleblower program, which includes the possibility for whistleblowers to receive generous bounties. The program has grown substantially since its inception. However, there are signs that the program may be undergoing a significant change in direction, as the SEC is “denying a record percentage of whistleblower claims,” according to a July 22, 2025, Bloomberg article, here. According to the article, the recent number of denials suggests that “the agency is enforcing rules and scrutinizing claims more strictly than in past years.”Continue Reading SEC Rejects Record Percentage of Whistleblower Award Claims
In the latest development in the long and continuing saga about college athletes’ compensation, on July 25, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order attempting to address many of the relevant issues. In the following guest post, Sarah Abrams, Head of Claims Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty, takes a look at the Executive Order and puts it in the context of the other pending initiatives and related developments. I would like to thank Sarah for allowing me to publish her article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this site’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Sarah’s article. Continue Reading Guest Post: Saving College Sports or Burning Down the House?
In prior posts (most recently here), I have noted the risk to companies in the current global trade environment of governmental enforcement actions relating to the collection and payment of tariffs. Indeed, in a May 12, 2025, memo, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti identified “trade and customs fraud, including tariff evasion” as the Department of Justice’s number two corporate criminal enforcement priority.
In the latest sign that the Trump administration is ready to aggressively deploy its enforcement tools to ensure compliance with tariffs and other trade goals, the U.S. government has filed a complaint in intervention in a pending qui tam action against a South Carolina furniture company, alleging that the company used false documentation to underreport the price of furniture the company imported from China, resulting in tariff underpayment. The new case underscores the fact that as the current Trump rolls out and enforces its sweeping tariff program, companies will face significant scrutiny and potential claims risk.Continue Reading Trump Administration Brings Tariff Evasion Claim
In numerous public statements, Trump Administration officials have said the Administration intends to use the False Claims Act (FCA) to enforce certain policy priorities. For example, in connection with statements concerning the Administration’s intent to combat “illegal DEI,” officials have declared that corporate DEI policies or practices violating anti-discrimination laws could trigger FCA liability. There are a number of levels on which potential FCA liability represents a serious corporate liability risk, not least because of the possibility of whistleblowers (including company employees or competitors) launching FCA whistleblower claims. In addition, as discussed below, a recent Southern District of New York ruling highlights how potentially massive FCA liability can be.Continue Reading More About the Trump Administration and Potential False Claims Act Liability
The Trump administration has made it clear that combatting “illegal DEI” is a priority. Indeed, on the first full day after his inauguration, President Trump issued an executive order targeting “Illegal DEI” in the private sector. In early February, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo directing the U.S. Department of Justice’s positions with respect to DEI. Now, the newly appointed head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division has issued a separate memo identifying the division’s priorities, with DEI topics given precedence, clearly marking DEI as a DOJ Civil Division enforcement authority, with important implications for companies. Continue Reading Department of Justice Civil Division Targets “Illegal DEI”
As I have noted in previous post on this site (most recently here), the Trump Administration’s tariff and trade policies not only pose potential operating and financial challenges to many businesses, but they may also present companies with corporate liability exposures as well. In the following guest post, Sarah Abrams, Head of Claims Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty, considers the liability risks that companies may face under the current tariff regime. I would like to thank Sarah for allowing me to publish her article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this site’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Sarah’s article.Continue Reading Guest Post: Whiplash