Patterson Belknap
Microsoft has discontinued support for Internet Explorer. To access the Patterson Belknap website, please install a modern browser like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
We use cookies to enhance your experience of our website and provide us with information on how you use our website. For more information about the way our site uses cookies, please read our Privacy Policy. Click "Accept Cookies" to enable cookies and third-party content or “Decline” to decline the use of cookies.
Accept CookiesDecline
mobile logo
High Contrast Mode
  • Search
  • People
  • Practices
  • Values
    Inclusion and Engagement
    Pro Bono
    Core Values
  • Firm
    About Our Firm
    Careers : Attorneys
    Careers: Business Services
    Contact Us
    Blogs & Podcasts
    Firm News
    Publications
    Events
Skip Nav
Patterson Belknap Logo
Inclusion and Engagement
Pro Bono
Core Values
About Our Firm
Careers
AttorneysBusiness Services
Contact Us
News & Resources
Blogs & PodcastsFirm NewsPublicationsEvents

Find a Person


Search
  • A
    B
    C
    D
    E
    F
    G
    H
    I
    J
    K
    L
    M
  • N
    O
    P
    Q
    R
    S
    T
    U
    V
    W
    X
    Y
    Z
  • View All
  • A
    B
    C
    D
    E
    F
    G
    H
    I
    J
    K
    L
    M
    N
    O
    P
    Q
    R
    S
    T
    U
    V
    W
    X
    Y
    Z
    View All

Find a Practice

Search
  • Corporate & Transactions
  • Exempt Organizations & Private Clients
  • Litigation, Disputes & Investigations
  • All Practices
printable-logo

Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog

Categories / Search
Categories / Search

Search Blog

Search
Filter By Categories:
  • Acquittal
  • Appellate Procedure
  • Bail Proceedings
  • Conspiracy
  • Conviction Error
  • Cybercrimes/Technology
  • DOJ Policy
  • Due Process
  • Evidentiary Rulings
  • Expert Testimony
  • FCPA
  • Fifth Amendment
  • Forfeiture
  • Fourth Amendment
  • Grand Jury
  • Guidelines
  • Guilty Plea
  • Habeas Corpus
  • Hearsay
  • Honest Services Fraud
  • Immigration
  • Ineffective Assistance
  • Insider Trading
  • Internal Investigations
  • Jurisdiction and Procedure
  • Juror Misconduct
  • Mandatory Minimums
  • Maritime Law
  • New Trial
  • Newly Discovered Evidence
  • Obstruction of Justice
  • Plea
  • Plea Agreements
  • Politics
  • Procedural Reasonableness
  • Qualified Immunity
  • Reasonableness Review
  • Recusal
  • Restitution
  • Ripeness
  • Rule 11
  • Sarbanes-Oxley
  • Scienter
  • Second Amendment
  • Section 2255
  • Securities Fraud
  • Sentencing
  • Sentencing and Eighth Amendment
  • Sixth Amendment
  • Speedy Trial
  • Statutory Interpretation
  • Sufficiency
  • Supervised Release
  • Tax Violations
  • Trials and Evidentiary Rulings
  • Vagueness
  • Venue
  • White Collar Crime
  • Wire Fraud
Filter By Industries:
  • Financial Institution Fraud
  • Healthcare Fraud
  • Politics
  • Securities Fraud
  • Tax Fraud
Posts
Subscribe
Sentencing

Guidelines Commentary Leads To Affirmance in Sentencing Appeal

In a short per curiam opinion in United States v. Lobo (Parker, Hall, Lohier), the Second Circuit affirmed the imposition of a Guidelines enhancement based on the importation of a controlled substance into the United States.  Lobo, the son of a...
October 3, 2018
Guilty Plea

Second Circuit Rejects “Miscarriage of Justice” Challenge to Sentence Based on Vacated Underlying Conviction, but Declines to Establish Categorical Rule

In United States v. Hoskins, the Court (Hall, Jacobs, Raggi) rejected a collateral challenge to a sentence where an underlying predicate offense was vacated based on procedural error.  Background In the District of Vermont, Brian Hoskins pled guilty in 2012 to one...
October 3, 2018

Court Restrains Improper Application of “Physical Restraint” Enhancement

In United States v. Paul, the Second Circuit (Newman and Pooler Circuit Judges, and Cote, J., by designation) issued an opinion interpreting the meaning of the phrase “physically restrained” during a commission of a crime for the purpose of applying...
September 24, 2018
Sentencing

Second Circuit: In Truth, A Polygraph Test Supervised Release Condition Can’t Be Added After Sentencing

In United States v. Washington, the Second Circuit (Cabranes and Pooler Circuit Judges, and Oetken, J., by designation) examined a discrepancy between the terms of sentence that the District Court pronounced at the sentencing hearing and the terms of the...
September 21, 2018
Sentencing

Circuit Determines that Attempted Robbery Under New York Law Constitutes a “Crime of Violence” Pursuant to 2014 Federal Sentencing Guidelines

In United States v. Pereira-Gomez, a panel of the Second Circuit (Cabranes, Carney, Caproni, D.J.) issued an opinion analyzing whether attempted robbery under New York law qualifies as a “crime of violence” for enhancement purposes under Section 2L1.2 of the...
September 11, 2018
White Collar Crime

Second Circuit Limits Reach of FCPA to Persons Present in the United States

In an important decision issued on August 24, the Second Circuit limited the reach of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) by holding that theories of conspiracy or complicity cannot be used to charge non-U.S. citizens who do not work for...
August 31, 2018

Circuit Affirms Conviction under Biological Weapons Act

In United States v. Le, No. 16-819, the Second Circuit considered the constitutionality of the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989 and whether it can reach “purely local” conduct.  The panel (Sack, Raggi, Gardephe, D.J.), affirmed the conviction of Cheng...
August 30, 2018
Jurisdiction and Procedure

Courts Reinstates Embezzlement Charges Dismissed as Untimely, Holding that Dismissal was Based on a Premature Assessment of the Government’s Evidence

In United States v. Sampson, decided August 6, 2018, the Court (Cabranes, Livingston, Carney, C.J.J.) reversed the district court’s dismissal of embezzlement charges levied against former New York State Senator John Sampson.  In a companion decision issued the same day, which...
August 16, 2018
Statutory Interpretation

The Circuit Affirms Public Corruption Conviction, Rejecting A Slew Of Arguments And Narrowing The Reach Of Its Prior Decisions On Witness Tampering

In a lengthy opinion in United States v. Sampson on August 6, 2018, the Second Circuit (Cabranes, Livingston, Carney) affirmed the conviction of former New York State Senator John Sampson for obstruction of justice and false statements.  Sampson challenged his...
August 16, 2018
New Trial

Court Affirms Drug Conviction Notwithstanding Post-Trial E-mail from Juror Raising “Several Concerns”

In United States v. Baker, the Court (Livingston, Chin, C.J.J., Koeltl, D.J.) affirmed the conviction of Raymond Baker, who after a jury trial in the Northern District of New York was convicted of participating in a conspiracy to distribute and...
August 13, 2018
Fourth Amendment

Second Circuit’s Lambus Decision Analyzes the Admissibility of Wiretap and GPS Evidence

On July 25, 2018, in United States v. Lambus, No. 16-4296 (Kearse, Livingston, Jeffrey Meyer, D.J.), the Second Circuit issued a lengthy decision analyzing two questions related to the suppression of  GPS data from an ankle bracelet and evidence obtained...
August 2, 2018
Fourth Amendment

Appeal “Tanks” After Circuit Holds That Defendant Gave Implied Consent to Have K-9 Unit Present in His Apartment After Calling 911 to Report Prowler

On July 31, the Second Circuit issued a decision in United States v. Iverson (Kearse, Calabresi, Livingston) and affirmed the conviction of a defendant who had challenged the district court’s denial of his suppression motion and the district court’s mid-trial...
August 2, 2018

Circuit Rules That Embezzlement of Government Property Does Not Constitute “Continuing Offense,” Generating Split with Fourth Circuit

In a brief decision issued on Tuesday, July 31, in United States v. Green, the Second Circuit (Cabranes, Carney, Goldberg by designation) vacated in part a judgment ordering the defendant to pay restitution for the theft of government property that...
August 1, 2018
Sentencing

Second Circuit Affirms $10 million Fine in Tax Evasion Case

In a per curiam decision issued on July 27, 2018, the Second Circuit affirmed a $10 million fine imposed on Morris Zukerman as part of a sentence for tax evasion in United States v. Zukerman, No. 17-948 (Katzmann, Kearse, Pooler). ...
July 31, 2018
Fifth Amendment

Second Circuit Reverses Immigration Proceeding Based on Constitutional Violation, Criticizes Immigration Enforcement Based on Ethnic Generalizations As "Teeter[ing] On The Verge of The Ugly Abyss of Racism"

In the context of an appeal from a decision of the Board of Immigration appeals, Zuniga-Perez v. Sessions, the Second Circuit (Pooley, Wesley, Chin, C.JJ) ruled that a search conducted by law enforcement personnel violated the Fourth Amendment.  The Court...
July 27, 2018
Sentencing

When Is a Controlled Substance Not a Controlled Substance?

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a hormone produced during pregnancy that is prescribed as part of some fertility treatments and, less legitimately, sold as a dieting aid.  In New York, it is considered a controlled substance, but it’s not listed on...
July 25, 2018
Fourth Amendment

Second Circuit Reverses Trial Court Rulings Suppressing Wiretap and GPS Evidence

On July 25, 2018, in United States v. Lambus, No. 16-4296 (Kearse, Livingston, Jeffrey Meyer, D.J.), the Second Circuit issued a lengthy decision reversing pretrial rulings suppressing evidence obtained from wiretaps and GPS monitoring. The appeal arises out of the indictment...
July 25, 2018
Sentencing

United States v. Smith

The Second Circuit issued an amended opinion in United States v. Smith (Cabranes, Winter, Restani by designation).  Both the original decision, which we covered on the blog earlier this year and the amended decision held that the defendant was subject to...
July 24, 2018
Sentencing

Court Rejects MS-13 Gang Member’s Challenge to Conviction and Sentence

In United States v. Hernandez, 16-2765, the Second Circuit (Kearse, Cabranes, Lohier) affirmed the conviction of a member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a street gang that operates in certain parts of the country, arising out of an initiation shooting...
July 19, 2018
Sentencing

In Split Decision, Court Again Applies Castleman To Interpret the “Force Clause” of the Armed Career Criminal Act

In Villanueva v. United States, the Second Circuit held by a 2-1 vote (Newman and Leval, with Pooler dissenting) that a conviction for first degree assault under Connecticut law qualifies as a violent felony under the Armed Career Criminal Act...
July 18, 2018
Second Amendment

In Narrow Decision, Court Holds Dishonorably Discharged Veterans May be Denied Gun (and Bullet) Ownership

In United States v. Jimenez, the Second Circuit (Pooler, Raggi, Droney) rejected an as-applied Second Amendment challenge to a provision of the Gun Control Act of 1968 that makes it illegal for a person who has been dishonorably discharged from...
July 17, 2018
Sentencing

Court Regrets Allowing Successive 2255 Petition in Massey v. United States

On July 11, 2018, the Court of Appeals issued a short per curiam opinion (Wesley, Chin, Furman D.J. by designation) in Massey v. United States, affirming the sentence imposed on an individual who was convicted of possession of a firearm...
July 16, 2018
Cybercrimes/Technology

Court Rejects Evidentiary and CFAA Vagueness Challenges to Conviction for Botnet Hacking Scheme

In United States v. Gasperini, the Court (Cabranes, Lynch, Carney) resolved various challenges by Fabio Gasperini, an Italian citizen, to his conviction under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 (“CFAA”).  Gasperini was convicted following an elaborate hacking scheme...
July 9, 2018
Sentencing

Circuit Holds That Pending State Counts Qualify as “Anticipated” Sentence for Purposes of Sentencing Guidelines on Concurrent Sentencing

Is a term of imprisonment “anticipated” if charges are pending but the defendant has not yet pled or been found guilty?  In a per curiam decision, United States v. Olmeda, No. 15-3449 (Katzmann, Leval, and District Judge Carter by designation)...
June 27, 2018
White Collar Crime

What Was Decided Before Has Been Decided Again:  The Amended Opinion in Martoma Cuts Back On The Initial Decision, But Still Affirms

On Monday a divided Second Circuit panel (Katzmann, Pooler, Chin) issued an amended decision upholding the conviction of former SAC Capital portfolio manager Mathew Martoma on one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and two substantive counts of securities...
June 26, 2018
Fourth Amendment

Be Careful Where You Park: Circuit Finds No Legitimate Expectation of Privacy in Common Residential Lot

Earlier this year, in Collins v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the “automobile exception” to the warrant requirement does not authorize “a police officer, uninvited and without a warrant, to enter the curtilage of a home in order...
June 22, 2018
Sentencing

Circuit Vacates Child Pornography Sentence For Second Time, Citing District Court’s Failure to Follow Circuit’s Mandate

On June 19, 2018, in a split decision in United States v. Sawyer, No. 15-2276 (Jacobs, Pooler, Crawford) the Circuit issued a firm rebuke of a District Court judge who – per the Circuit’s mandate – reduced the defendant’s sentence...
June 21, 2018
Sentencing

No Shortcuts: District Court Must Calculate Guidelines Range Before Ruling on Sentencing Reduction Motion

In United States v. Brooks, the Court (Leval, Pooler, Hall) reiterated that district courts are required to calculate the applicable Sentencing Guidelines range when faced with a § 3582(c)(2) motion for a sentence reduction, and suggested that the failure to do...
June 20, 2018
Guilty Plea

Court Holds Hobbs Act Extends to Robberies Involving Forced ATM Withdrawals

In United States v. Rose, the Court (Katzmann, Walker, and Bolden, sitting by designation) rejected a jurisdictional challenge to a guilty plea to violating the Hobbs Act, potentially giving rise to a Circuit split.  The defendant, Floyd Rose, was charged...
June 12, 2018
White Collar Crime

Second Circuit Rejects Coin Dealer’s Coram Nobis Petition

Robert du Purton was convicted of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in 2001 for participating in an “elaborate scheme of fraudulent representations” in his rare coin business.  According to trial evidence, du Purton lied to...
June 5, 2018

In Amended Decision, Circuit Leaves In Place that “Hobbs Act” Robbery is a Categorical “Crime of Violence” Based on “Force Clause” but Eliminates Constitutional Blessing of “Risk-of-Force” Clause

Over a year and a half after issuing its initial decision in United States v. Hill, 14-3872-cr (August 3, 2016), the Court amended its decision on May 9, 2018.  The amended decision maintains the Court’s holding that a Hobbs Act...
June 4, 2018
Sentencing

Sentencing Court Must Provide Sufficient Reasons for Sentence Imposed to Determine if Factual Error Influenced Sentence

In United States v. Derek Armstrong, 18-368, the Second Circuit (Sack and Raggi, with Kaplan by designation) issued a summary order vacating a three-month prison sentence imposed on the defendant by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New...
May 22, 2018
Jurisdiction and Procedure

Second Circuit Affirms Constitutionality of Arms Export Control Act

In United States v. Mark Henry, the Second Circuit (Jacobs, Cabranes, and Wesley, Js.) affirmed that the Arms Export Control Act (“AECA”), 22 U.S.C. § 2751 et seq., does not constitute an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority to the executive...
May 8, 2018
Sentencing

Second Circuit Holds Life Term of Supervised Release for Non-Violent Drug Offender is Unreasonable

On May 2, 2018, the Second Circuit held in United States v. Jamaal Brooks (Parker, Lynch, Chin) (per curium) that the district court erred in imposing a sentence of lifetime supervised release on a defendant who had violated prior terms of...
May 7, 2018
Trials and Evidentiary Rulings

Takeaways From 2nd Circ. Reversal Of Litvak Conviction

In United States v. Litvak, the Second Circuit (Winter, Chin, Korman D.J.) reversed the conviction of Jesse Litvak, a securities trader at investment bank Jefferies & Co., for securities fraud premised on Litvak’s misrepresentations to trading counterparties about Jefferies’ profits...
May 7, 2018
Fourth Amendment

Second Circuit Reverses Conviction Due to Unlawful Curtilage Search

On May 1, 2018, the Second Circuit (Lynch, Carney, Hellerstein D.J. (concurring)) reversed the district court’s denial of Defendant Robert Alexander’s motion to suppress guns found after a search of a bag in front of a shed in Alexander’s backyard. ...
May 3, 2018
Statutory Interpretation

Hyde & Seeking Attorney’s Fees in Cases of Prosecutorial Misconduct

In 2014, a federal jury acquitted Gerald E. Bove of one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy and one count of Attempted Hobbs Act extortion.  Following his acquittal, Bove applied for reimbursement of the attorney’s fees and expenses he incurred in...
May 2, 2018
Forfeiture

Second Circuit Addresses Victims’ Rights, Restitution, and Asset Forfeiture in Insurance Context

In a case arising out of the CityTime scandal, the Second Circuit issued a thoughtful opinion addressing the operation of restitution and asset forfeiture on victims of white-collar crime.  The decision, Federal Insurance Company v. United States of America, Nos....
April 23, 2018
Conviction Error

Sneaking Isn’t Laundering: Second Circuit Reverses Money Laundering Conviction for Insufficient Evidence of Intent to Disguise

In United States v. Rodriguez, a panel of the Second Circuit (Judges Katzmann, Walker, and Bolden (D. Conn., sitting by designation)) reversed the conviction of a defendant for money laundering.  It concluded that the Government had established only that the...
April 20, 2018
Sentencing

Missing Texts, Unfair Trial: Second Circuit Remands Case for Possible Brady Violations and Sentencing Irregularities

In United States v. Djibo, the Second Circuit vacated and remanded a judgment of conviction entered in the Eastern District of New York (Johnson, J.) following the defendant’s trial on charges arising from an international heroin-smuggling conspiracy.  In a summary...
April 19, 2018
Ineffective Assistance

Second Circuit Remands Ineffective Assistance Claim for Lawyer’s Failure to Apprise Naturalized U.S. Citizen of Denaturalization Risk Before Guilty Plea

In Rodriguez v. United States, the Second Circuit remanded the case to the district court to hear evidence on a defendant’s application to vacate her guilty plea, on the grounds that she would not have entered into the plea if...
April 19, 2018
Habeas Corpus

Court Declines to Allow Defendants in Fraud Scheme to Utilize 28 U.S.C. § 2255 or Writ of Coram Nobis to Challenge Order of Restitution

In United States v. Rutigliano, No. 16-3754 et al., the Second Circuit (Jacobs, Raggi, Droney) refused to endorse the reduction of a restitution order against defendants who had conspired to submit fraudulent disability pension applications, either via a motion under...
April 6, 2018
Fifth Amendment

Promises, Promises: Second Circuit Reverses District Court’s Ruling That Suppressed Post-Arrest Statements Based On Allegedly Coercive Promises By Law Enforcement

In United States v. Haak, 16-3876-cr, the Second Circuit (Raggi, Hall, Carney) reversed a suppression order, finding that local law enforcement authorities did not falsely promise the defendant immunity from prosecution and his statements therefore were not coerced in violation...
April 5, 2018
Sentencing

The Second Circuit Counts to Three: How One Defendant Became a Career Criminal Over the Course of an Hour

In United States v. Bordeaux, 17-486-cr (Cabranes, Raggi, Vilardo[1]), the Second Circuit held that the defendant’s three prior Connecticut state convictions for first-degree robbery—all of which took place during a single night—satisfied the requirements for conviction under the Armed Career...
April 2, 2018
Sentencing

The Price of a Drug Conspiracy Conviction: Second Circuit Remands $5 Million Forfeiture Order in Light of Recent Supreme Court Precedent

In United States v. Papas (17-cr-1591-cr), the Second Circuit remanded by summary order a $5 million forfeiture order entered in the Southern District of New York (Daniels, J.) after the defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana.  Judges Cabranes,...
March 23, 2018
Trials and Evidentiary Rulings

Conviction reversed by summary order for improper rebuttal summation

In United States v. Ballard, 17-427-cr, the Second Circuit reversed a sex trafficking conviction by summary order (JAC, RR, Villardo, J. by designation) due to improper argument by the government during rebuttal summation. The Court rejected the defendant’s arguments that some...
March 22, 2018
Fifth Amendment

In Divided Decision, Court Rejects Challenge to Conspiracy Conviction Based on Grand Jury Clause

In United States v. Dove, 14-1150-cr, the Second Circuit (Walker, Pooler, Chin) upheld a drug conspiracy conviction against claims that the government improperly shifted its case away from the broader conspiracy charge in the indictment.  The defendant alleged that this...
March 21, 2018
Venue

Second Circuit Holds Government Can Establish Venue By Directing Cooperator to Place Calls to Co-Conspirators From That District

In United States v. Tank Yuk, et al., 15-131 (March 15, 2018), the Second Circuit (Chin (dissenting), Carney, Forrest, sitting by designation) affirmed the convictions of three defendants in a drug trafficking conspiracy who were prosecuted and convicted by a...
March 19, 2018

Page 4 of 8

About Our Blog

The Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog is your place to follow the criminal law decisions rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. With a rich 225-year history of legendary judges like Learned Hand and Henry Friendly, the Second Circuit has long been known for writing important and thoughtful opinions on many subjects, including the criminal law. We review every published criminal law opinion handed down by the Second Circuit in order to provide you with a summary of the holding, an assessment of the key legal issues, and practice pointers based on the Court’s ruling. Our focus is on white-collar criminal cases and matters relating to internal investigations. Our blog is written by a team of experienced attorneys, including many former law clerks for the Second Circuit and other federal courts. The blog’s editor in chief is a former Deputy Chief Appellate Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York who has appeared in more than 100 Second Circuit criminal appeals.

Read More

Editor in Chief

  • Contact Harry Sandick.

    Harry Sandick

    212.336.2723

    Email

Blog Contributors

  • Contact Anna Cox.

    Anna Cox

    212.336.2027

    Email

  • Contact Daniel Feder.

    Daniel Feder

    212.336.2236

    Email

  • Contact Joshua Kipnees.

    Joshua Kipnees

    212.336.2838

    Email

  • Contact Ryan J. Kurtz.

    Ryan J. Kurtz

    212.336.2405

    Email

  • Contact Jane Metcalf.

    Jane Metcalf

    212.336.2152

    Email

  • Contact Hilarie Meyers.

    Hilarie Meyers

    212.336.2324

    Email

  • Contact Madeline More Lane.

    Madeline More Lane

    212.336.2292

    Email

  • Contact Clinton W. Morrison.

    Clinton W. Morrison

    212.336.2546

    Email

  • Contact Maggie O'Neil.

    Maggie O'Neil

    212.336.2227

    Email

  • Contact Faust Petkovich.

    Faust Petkovich

    212.336.2306

    Email

  • Contact Anna Petrocelli.

    Anna Petrocelli

    212.336.2285

    Email

  • Contact Harry Sandick.

    Harry Sandick

    212.336.2723

    Email

  • Contact Nicole Scully.

    Nicole Scully

    212.336.2666

    Email

  • Contact Jason Vitullo.

    Jason Vitullo

    212.336.2189

    Email

  • Contact Caitlyn Wigler.

    Caitlyn Wigler

    212.336.2308

    Email

Posts
Subscribe

Firm Highlights

Blog Post
Bankruptcy Court Decides Issue of First Impression Concerning Code Section 365(h)
When a debtor that is a landlord rejects a real property lease in bankruptcy, the tenant has a choice. Either the tenant can treat the lease as terminated or retain its rights under the lease. These rights include the use, possession, quiet enjoyment, subletting, and hypothecation of the property. In a recent case, the parties and the court grappled with this question: when does the tenant need to make that decision? When the lease is rejected, or by some other date? Interestingly, neither the court nor the parties found case law on this issue. It was one of first impression. In re All Star Props., LLC, No. 25-41314, 2026 Bankr. LEXIS 1461 (Bankr. N.D. Ga. June 15, 2026). The debtor owns...
Firm News
Patterson Belknap Recognized by Chambers in its 2026 High Net Worth Guide
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized by Chambers High Net Worth 2026 in the following practice areas: Art and Cultural Property Law – USA-Nationwide Private Wealth Law – New York Chambers is a leading independent professional legal research company, delivering detailed rankings and insights into the world’s top lawyers and law firms. Its research methodology includes detailed interviews with clients and peers and analysis of capabilities, achievement, and sector presence. The firm also received individual recognitions by Chambers in both practice areas: Anne-Laure Alléhaut is ranked in the Art and Cultural Property Law practice area in the USA. Michael Arlein is ranked in the Private Wealth Law practice area in New York. Comments regarding the firm in the Chambers High Net Worth...
Firm News
Firm Amicus Brief Plays Key Role in U.S. Supreme Court Dissent
Patterson Belknap submitted an amicus brief that played a significant role in Justice Sonia Sotomayor's June 29, 2026 dissent in Trump v. Slaughter. The brief was filed on behalf of legal historians Noah A. Rosenblum and Nathaniel Donahue, arguing that the concepts "quasi-legislative" and "quasi-judicial" as used in Humphrey's Executor had long histories in American law and provide workable definitions to guide the Court's review of congressional limitations.  In the dissent, Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown-Jackson, cited the brief extensively. Justice Sotomayor relied on the brief to explain that the concepts were well-established well before the Humphrey's decision, and were used by many political figures and by courts developing a “quasi-judicial” category for officers whose duties resembled a judge’s. To read the amicus brief, please...
Blog Post
Fees Recoverable by Oversecured Creditors in Bankruptcy: The Application of Code Sections 506(b) and 502(b)
Bankruptcy Code section 506(b) entitles an oversecured creditor to post-petition interest and reasonable fees and other charges. Are a creditor’s pre-petition charges also subject to a court’s view of what is reasonable? Courts are split on this issue. A judge in New York recently explained why, in his view, reasonableness is not the right standard for the pre-petition portion of a claim. Pre-petition charges should be determined by applicable state law and not a judge’s analysis of what is reasonable. In re 1300 Desert Willow Road, LLC, No. 25-11375, 2026 WL 2088511 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Jul. 20, 2026). The debtor is a single-asset real estate company. The creditor had loaned the debtor $20 million secured by a mortgage on real property. The debtor...
Blog Post
Regulation E-Delivery: SEC Proposes to Make Electronic Communication the Default
On July 16, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced a proposed rule to broaden many financial market participants’ use of electronic communications with investors and others who receive information pursuant to federal securities laws.[1]  Referred to as “Reg E-Delivery,” the new rule aims to help issuers and others who disseminate SEC-required information transition away from delivering paper documents, a communication method the Agency pointed out imposes “unnecessary costs and expenses” while “no longer reflect[ing] the preference of most investors.”[2] Commenting on the proposed rule, Chair Atkins stated: The world has changed dramatically since many of our rules were first adopted. But, all too often, our regulatory framework has remained static. … In an age of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, a...
Publication
Not Over Yet?: Drug Manufacturers Eye Potential Circuit Split on Federal Drug Pricing Program
The Inflation Reduction Act’s Drug Price Negotiation Program has been the subject of litigation since Congress passed it in 2022 in an effort to curb the cost to Medicare of brand-name pharmaceutical drugs. These challenges—initiated in federal court by major pharmaceutical manufacturers—have largely been unsuccessful, rejected in both federal district and appeals courts in the Second and Third Circuits, with writs of certiorari uniformly denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. But all hope is not yet lost for pharmaceutical manufacturers’ opposition to the DPNP. A few challenges remain pending in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia and Fifth Circuits, with the latter signaling potential receptiveness to the manufacturers’ positions at oral argument. To continue reading Amy Vegari and...
Firm News
Firm Tops The American Lawyer's 2026 Pro Bono Scorecard with Number 1 Ranking
Patterson Belknap has been recognized with a number 1 ranking in The American Lawyer's 2026 Pro Bono Scorecard. These rankings assess pro bono efforts among Am Law 200 firms and are based on the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers performing 20 or more pro bono hours in 2025. The Scorecard highlights the firm's “intense focus” on pro bono work, with an average of 185.7 hours per lawyer and 85.1% of firm lawyers doing more than 20 hours of pro bono. The article includes commentary from Pro Bono Chair, Michael F. Buchanan, on the firm’s commitment to both impact litigation and pro bono work that has an impact on people's lives, such as access to health care,...
Publication
SEC Proposes Regulation E-Delivery: Default Electronic Delivery for Federal Securities Law Communications
On July 16, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or “Commission”) proposed Regulation E-Delivery[i], a new regulatory framework that would permit covered entities to deliver required information to investors and other recipients electronically as the default method, without first obtaining affirmative consent. In an accompanying statement, SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins characterized the proposal as “an important step toward allowing the financial services industry to harness technology for the benefit of everyday American investors” and “another stride toward a regulatory framework suitable for the modern era.”[ii] Proposed Regulation E-Delivery would establish uniform conditions under which the federal securities laws’ information delivery requirements are satisfied by electronic delivery. The proposal would generally supersede the Commission’s 1995[iii] and 1996[iv] e-delivery...
Publication
SEC Proposes Regulation E-Delivery: How Will E-Delivery Work?
On July 16, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or “Commission”) proposed Regulation E-Delivery[i], a new regulatory framework that would permit covered entities to deliver required information to investors and other recipients electronically as the default method, without first obtaining affirmative consent. In Part 1 of this 3-Part series, we provided an overview of proposed Regulation E-Delivery and defined its key concepts, including covered entities, covered information, and covered recipients. In this Part 2, we provide a high-level overview of how electronic delivery as proposed under Regulation E-Delivery is expected to function. In Part 3, we will address the practical implications Regulation E-Delivery is expected to have on covered entities. How Electronic Delivery is Expected to Work Electronic Address and...
Blog Post
SEC Enforcement Launches New Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit
On August 5, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced its most recent step in its shift of enforcement priorities with the establishment of a new Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit.[1] According to the SEC’s press release, the Unit will operate within the Enforcement Division as a central resource for all SEC divisions pursuing financial reporting fraud as well as broader efforts.[2] This move is the latest in Chair Atkin’s efforts to “retur[n] the agency to its core mission of protecting investors; facilitating capital formation; and maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets.”[3] Commenting on the new unit’s launch, David Woodcock, Director of the Agency’s Enforcement Division, stated: Since my return to the Division, I have been assessing every aspect of our staffing to...
Blog Post
Bankruptcy Court Decides Issue of First Impression Concerning Code Section 365(h)
When a debtor that is a landlord rejects a real property lease in bankruptcy, the tenant has a choice. Either the tenant can treat the lease as terminated or retain its rights under the lease. These rights include the use, possession, quiet enjoyment, subletting, and hypothecation of the property. In a recent case, the parties and the court grappled with this question: when does the tenant need to make that decision? When the lease is rejected, or by some other date? Interestingly, neither the court nor the parties found case law on this issue. It was one of first impression. In re All Star Props., LLC, No. 25-41314, 2026 Bankr. LEXIS 1461 (Bankr. N.D. Ga. June 15, 2026). The debtor owns...
Firm News
Patterson Belknap Recognized by Chambers in its 2026 High Net Worth Guide
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized by Chambers High Net Worth 2026 in the following practice areas: Art and Cultural Property Law – USA-Nationwide Private Wealth Law – New York Chambers is a leading independent professional legal research company, delivering detailed rankings and insights into the world’s top lawyers and law firms. Its research methodology includes detailed interviews with clients and peers and analysis of capabilities, achievement, and sector presence. The firm also received individual recognitions by Chambers in both practice areas: Anne-Laure Alléhaut is ranked in the Art and Cultural Property Law practice area in the USA. Michael Arlein is ranked in the Private Wealth Law practice area in New York. Comments regarding the firm in the Chambers High Net Worth...
Firm News
Firm Amicus Brief Plays Key Role in U.S. Supreme Court Dissent
Patterson Belknap submitted an amicus brief that played a significant role in Justice Sonia Sotomayor's June 29, 2026 dissent in Trump v. Slaughter. The brief was filed on behalf of legal historians Noah A. Rosenblum and Nathaniel Donahue, arguing that the concepts "quasi-legislative" and "quasi-judicial" as used in Humphrey's Executor had long histories in American law and provide workable definitions to guide the Court's review of congressional limitations.  In the dissent, Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown-Jackson, cited the brief extensively. Justice Sotomayor relied on the brief to explain that the concepts were well-established well before the Humphrey's decision, and were used by many political figures and by courts developing a “quasi-judicial” category for officers whose duties resembled a judge’s. To read the amicus brief, please...
Blog Post
Fees Recoverable by Oversecured Creditors in Bankruptcy: The Application of Code Sections 506(b) and 502(b)
Bankruptcy Code section 506(b) entitles an oversecured creditor to post-petition interest and reasonable fees and other charges. Are a creditor’s pre-petition charges also subject to a court’s view of what is reasonable? Courts are split on this issue. A judge in New York recently explained why, in his view, reasonableness is not the right standard for the pre-petition portion of a claim. Pre-petition charges should be determined by applicable state law and not a judge’s analysis of what is reasonable. In re 1300 Desert Willow Road, LLC, No. 25-11375, 2026 WL 2088511 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Jul. 20, 2026). The debtor is a single-asset real estate company. The creditor had loaned the debtor $20 million secured by a mortgage on real property. The debtor...
Blog Post
Regulation E-Delivery: SEC Proposes to Make Electronic Communication the Default
On July 16, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced a proposed rule to broaden many financial market participants’ use of electronic communications with investors and others who receive information pursuant to federal securities laws.[1]  Referred to as “Reg E-Delivery,” the new rule aims to help issuers and others who disseminate SEC-required information transition away from delivering paper documents, a communication method the Agency pointed out imposes “unnecessary costs and expenses” while “no longer reflect[ing] the preference of most investors.”[2] Commenting on the proposed rule, Chair Atkins stated: The world has changed dramatically since many of our rules were first adopted. But, all too often, our regulatory framework has remained static. … In an age of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, a...
Publication
Not Over Yet?: Drug Manufacturers Eye Potential Circuit Split on Federal Drug Pricing Program
The Inflation Reduction Act’s Drug Price Negotiation Program has been the subject of litigation since Congress passed it in 2022 in an effort to curb the cost to Medicare of brand-name pharmaceutical drugs. These challenges—initiated in federal court by major pharmaceutical manufacturers—have largely been unsuccessful, rejected in both federal district and appeals courts in the Second and Third Circuits, with writs of certiorari uniformly denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. But all hope is not yet lost for pharmaceutical manufacturers’ opposition to the DPNP. A few challenges remain pending in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia and Fifth Circuits, with the latter signaling potential receptiveness to the manufacturers’ positions at oral argument. To continue reading Amy Vegari and...
Litigation, Disputes & Investigationsicon right
Exempt Organizations & Private Clientsicon right
Corporate & Transactionsicon right
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy

1133 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10036 | Tel: 212.336.2000
© 2026 Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. All rights reserved. Attorney Advertising. Website Credits