Are you ready to navigate the risky waters of third-party pirates? Most sanctions violations do not happen because companies intentionally want to evade and violate sanctions. They happen because companies trust the wrong third party. The epsilon and elf enforcement matters, which I frequently speak about, demonstrate that companies get in trouble when they have weak distributor oversight, poor intermediary screening, inadequate beneficial ownership review,...

The Department of Justice has announced a new West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force, signaling an expansion of federal enforcement efforts targeting health care fraud, telemedicine schemes, kickback arrangements, and technology-enabled billing misconduct. In this episode, Michael Volkov examines DOJ’s evolving enforcement strategy, including the growing use of data analytics and AI-driven investigations, increased scrutiny of private equity-backed health care entities, and heightened expectations...

Recent insider trading charges connected to Polymarket highlight the Department of Justice and Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s evolving enforcement strategy toward prediction markets and digital trading platforms. In this episode, Michael Volkov analyzes how regulators are applying traditional insider trading, fraud, and market manipulation theories to emerging event-based trading ecosystems. Michael also explores the growing compliance expectations for prediction market operators, including surveillance systems, AML...

The European Union has formally approved its landmark Anti-Corruption Directive, creating the first comprehensive EU-wide anti-corruption framework. In this episode, Michael Volkov examines the Directive’s major provisions, including harmonized corruption offenses, expanded corporate liability, turnover-based penalties, whistleblower protections, and increased compliance expectations for multinational companies. Michael also discusses practical implications for compliance programs, third-party risk management, investigations procedures, and cross-border enforcement coordination as organizations prepare...

Venezuela is a tempting new business arena. Many companies assume that Venezuela remained completely off limits. That is no longer accurate, the compliance risks are actually increasing. OFAC has issued new Venezuela related general licenses in 2026 involving oil and gas, petrochemicals, mining, critical minerals, financial services, and contingent investment negotiations. US companies are cautiously re-entering portions of the Venezuelan market under these specific licensing...

In this episode of Volkov Law TV, Michael Volkov examines OFAC’s massive $275 million settlement with Adani Enterprises Limited arising from alleged imports of Iranian-origin LPG disguised as Omani and Iraqi product. The episode explores OFAC’s aggressive focus on maritime sanctions evasion, the risks created by U.S. dollar clearing transactions, the growing importance of intelligence-driven sanctions compliance, and the lessons multinational companies must learn regarding...

What if you worked at a company where whistleblowers were rewarded? An internal investigation is often the result of a whistleblower concern. And this is the most important test of a company’s ethics and compliance program because employees watch exactly how leadership responds when misconduct surfaces. Poor internal investigations destroy trust through delays, inconsistent discipline, retaliation, and lack of transparency. Effective investigations require independence, speed,...

The Justice Department unsealed a historic superseding indictment charging four of the world’s largest shipping container manufacturers — CIMC, Singamas, Dong Fang, and CXIC — and seven senior executives for conspiring to restrict global container output and fix prices from November 2019 through at least January 2024, covering an estimated $35 billion in commerce and generating near-hundredfold profit increases during the COVID pandemic. In this...

The Department of Justice’s $549.5 million False Claims Act settlement with Perfectus Aluminum marks one of the largest customs fraud recoveries in recent years and signals an aggressive new era of tariff enforcement. In this episode, Michael Volkov examines DOJ’s expanding use of the False Claims Act to pursue alleged tariff circumvention schemes, the growing role of whistleblowers in customs enforcement, and the increasing overlap...

Your company has uncovered a massive criminal scheme. You want to get out of it – you serve up the mastermind on a silver platter for the Justice Department prosecutors. You’re working with the Justice Department and you have to deliver to them one key aspect – individuals who were responsible must be held accountable. You conduct a thorough internal investigation and you collect, analyze...