Episode 34 A Conversation With Jesse Eisinger, Author of 'The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives' In a single decade, the prosecutions of those accused of white-collar crime underwent a radical transformation. This thought-provoking episode will take you back in time to explore the DOJ approach in the early 2000s Enron era and walk you forward into the Great Recession and the collapse of the financial markets. Jesse Eisinger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, joins host Matt Adams to discuss his book, "The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives." The pair discusses how the pendulum swung drastically from a time of nightly executive perp walks on the evening news, to today, where settlements reign supreme and accountability for inflicting widespread economic harm via white-collar crimes is absent. You’ll discover the historical context for the Department of Justice's current Principles of Corporate Prosecution and find out how politics — sometimes counterintuitively — plays into the Department of Justice’s actions.

Episode 33 Framing the Narrative: Journalism's Influence on the Presumption of Innocence In this insightful episode, Pulitzer-nominated journalist Mark Di Ionno talks candidly about how the media can affect the court of public opinion for defendants facing criminal accusations. Throughout Mark’s 40+ years of reporting, he has maintained and demonstrated empathy for the people who are at the heart of any story he’s written. He and host Matt Adams explore how changes in journalism, including the way reporters approach a story and the impact left by a digital footprint, may have eroded the presumption of innocence to which every defendant is entitled. This episode also offers insight into how defense attorneys can flex the media narrative to benefit and protect their clients.

Living with a manipulative parent who exercises coercive control can be a silent struggle for children. Dr. Christine Cocchiola, DSW, LCSW, a clinician and social work professor, joins Sandra Fava to highlight the profound consequences of parent-on-parent abusive relationships on a family. They detail the often unexpected and counterintuitive responses that can manifest for children as coping mechanisms when a parent is abusive. They also discuss the best ways to support a child who is experiencing this in their family life. With laws already changing in some states, Christine and Sandra speculate on how the court and legal systems could better respond to families and individuals victimized by coercive control abuse.

Episode 32 Celebrating Women’s History Month With WWCDA’s Global Chair and Co-Founder The Women’s White Collar Defense Association is an integral force in the world of white-collar law. It personifies the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month: “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” Global chair and co-founder of WWCDA, Karen Popp, and Marissa Koblitz Kingman, our partner and a leader in WWCDA’s New Jersey chapter, join host Matt Adams in this special episode in recognition of Women’s History Month. The trio examines the major strides made by WWCDA since its founding in 1999 and highlights its impact today on the practice of white-collar criminal defense law for both men and women. Marissa also shares how her involvement and leadership in WWCDA have benefited her career and practice.

Reshaping Your Legacy: Estate Planning After Your Divorce If something happens to you, would you want your ex or soon-to-be-ex to have the right to make decisions on your behalf? If your answer is no, then stop everything you’re doing and listen to this episode. Melissa Terranova of our Taxation & Wealth Planning Practice joins host Sandra Fava to dig into the estate planning considerations that arise during the divorce process. They discuss the documents that are critical to review and update — or create — as you close one chapter and begin a new one, including health care directives, powers of attorney, wills, beneficiary designations and more.

Episode 31 An Introspective Look at Bridgegate: Bill Baroni’s Journey Bill is the former Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who was indicted and served prison time in connection with the infamous Bridgegate scandal before his conviction was unanimously overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. In this candid conversation with host Matt Adams, Bill reflects on his journey as a target of a federal government investigation. This intriguing episode sheds new light into one of New Jersey’s biggest political scandals. Bill offers an inside look at his personal experiences as the criminal investigation and charges unfolded, including the intense pressure to plead guilty. Bill also shares how the experience shaped his current professional life. Hear how his insights impact Matt in real time, changing how he’ll now advise his clients who are under investigation.

Parallel Proceedings: The Intersection of Criminal Law and Family Law Allegations of domestic violence can complicate an already complex family law matter. It’s important to understand how criminal proceedings involving accusations of violence can impact your civil case. Marissa Koblitz Kingman of our White-Collar Criminal Defense & Regulatory Compliance Practice joins host Sandra Fava to provide clarity on how family law civil cases can intertwine with criminal prosecutions. Their discussion details what behavior qualifies as abuse in New Jersey and help listeners make informed decisions about who they want – and need – on their legal team.

Episode 30 Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of a White Collar Criminal – A Discussion With Author Eugene Soltes What drives an individual to commit white-collar crimes? Eugene Soltes, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and author of Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of a White Collar Criminal, joins host Matt Adams to dig into this topic from a social science and historical perspective. The episode takes a look at how white-collar crime has been perceived over the last century in the United States – from an inherent element of capitalism to today’s highly regulated environment. Eugene and Matt also discuss why individuals become involved in such schemes and what role technology plays in giving the illusion that it’s a victimless crime. You’ll learn more about Eugene’s research for his book as well as his latest studies into how businesses can use data analytics to detect, prevent and respond to reputational and regulatory threats.

Episode 29 A Global Perspective on the Economic Responses to COVID-19 While COVID-19 stimulus aid enforcement continues to make headlines in the United States, a very different situation is unfolding in Europe. Jim Power, a prominent economic analyst, joins host Matt Adams for an eye-opening episode into the different fiscal responses to the pandemic by the United States and Europe. Jim takes listeners through a journey of global financial crises over the past 100 years. He and Matt then explore why the U.S. and Europe are experiencing contrary fallouts from COVID-19 policies and predict how global politics could impact future economic responses.

Splitting Costs: Forensic Accounting in Divorce Your attorney is your advocate. A forensic accountant is your financial fact-finder. In this episode, Sandra Fava and guest Megan Sartor (Partner, SAX), a forensic accountant, explore the symbiotic relationship between lawyers and accountants in divorce proceedings, including the pros and cons of using a joint forensic expert versus separate experts and the value of clear communication among all parties. As you look to disentangle finances, make sure you know the right questions to ask and what to expect of your attorney and experts involved in your case.

Third-Party Risk Management and Legal Perspective Assessing generative AI risks now – especially those involving third parties – can protect businesses from compliance problems down the road. Juliana Neelbauer, a member of our Artificial Intelligence Practice, is joined by cybersecurity consultant Matt Mettenheimer (Associate Director, S-RM) for this practical conversation. Together, their shared points of view provide a detailed look at what business should consider when using generative AI and related cyber risks when working with third-party vendors.