Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
Regulators Reaching Deep In Their Toolbox to Prosecute Users of Encrypted Messages
If you use Whatsapp or similar platforms for work-related communications, then you've probably heard that regulators are putting an end to that practice. Ephemeral and encrypted messaging, they have noted, evades monitoring and prevents retention. If companies can't turn over incriminating communications to law enforcement, then prosecutions against individuals will suffer — an unacceptable outcome to prosecutors bent on making cases against individuals for white collar offenses. And while that's true of felony prosecutions, a seldom used doctrine allows prosecutors to charge executives with misdemeanor offenses just for being in the position of power when others commit the misconduct. Rather than take a wait-and-see approach, companies and their leaders would do well to prepare for prosecutors to reach deep into their toolbox.
|All Your Communications Belong to Us
Few people doubt that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is serious about going after white-collar employees. Kenneth Polite, the Chief of the Criminal Division of the DOJ, for example, ominously has observed that "the deterrence we get from a potential conviction of an individual, particularly a senior executive — there's nothing like it." And there has been nothing like it.
Any prosecutor who has built successful cases against white-collar professionals knows that the best evidence lies in communications — emails, text messages, and chats that people often (mistakenly) think will remain private. Knowledge and intent are almost always the most difficult elements to establish beyond a reasonable doubt, especially when fraud is alleged. Sure, victims lost money, but did the defendant really mean to defraud them? This is when prosecutors like to waive around conversations that defendants had around the time of the crime.
This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only
ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN ENTERTAINMENT LAW.
- Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
- Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
- Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts
Already a have an account? Sign In Now Log In Now
For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473
'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers
In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
CoStar Wins Injunction for Breach-of-Contract Damages In CRE Database Access Lawsuit
Latham & Watkins helped the largest U.S. commercial real estate research company prevail in a breach-of-contract dispute in District of Columbia federal court.
The Power of Your Inner Circle: Turning Friends and Social Contacts Into Business Allies
Practical strategies to explore doing business with friends and social contacts in a way that respects relationships and maximizes opportunities.