On July 21, 2022, the Department of Justice announced charges against a former Coinbase employee in connection with the first ever cryptocurrency insider trading tipping scheme. According to the DOJ, the employee, his brother, and a friend were part of “a scheme to...
On Thursday, the Department of Justice announced a revision to its longstanding charging policy for cyber-based crimes under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The DOJ explained that, under the newly-revised policy, “good-faith security research should not be charged.”...
Beginning in March 2020, the Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit have decided several significant fraud cases clarifying the contours and applicability of the federal fraud statutes. First, the Ninth Circuit decided United States v. Miller, holding that wire fraud...
Introduction Between Reddit’s populist uprising (and eventual win) against Wall Street execs, Spike Lee’s starring role in a Coin Cloud commercial, and Dogecoin co-founder’s announcement that crypto is a scam, cryptocurrency is a hot topic. Among the many...
Background When Arthur Lange zipped past police – windows down, music blaring, horn honking – police got suspicious, and their suspicions only grew when Mr. Lange, ignoring the lights and loud commands to pull over, drove on. He pulled into his driveway and stumbled...
Super Lawyers
The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Van Buren v. United States significantly narrows the reach of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act’s prohibition against exceeding authorization to access information. Before Van Buren, courts were split on the reach of the Act; the...
When California Penal Code 1001.83 went into effect in January 2020, it was met with little fanfare. In some ways, this was surprising - the passage of 1001.83, or Primary Caregiver Diversion, was - and continues to be - transformative piece of legislation. Why?...
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a new presidential administration, and shifting attitudes towards law enforcement have reshaped the way the legal system approaches mass incarceration, the War on Drugs, and gun violence. Both California and the federal government...