News & Thought

Elliott Kwok Levine Jaroslaw Neils LLP opened its new office July 1, 2024.

Partner Matthew Levine addressed the annual conference of the Association of International Bank Audit & Compliance Professionals Inc. (AIBACP) with co-panelists Elizabeth Kay and Brett Manwaring of Kroll. “AIBACP, a leading organization in compliance and auditing for financial institutions, has many members employed by entities regulated by New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS),” …

Partner Benjamin Qiu wrote in Nikkei Asia about the recent stabbing of four American college professors in North China. In “Attack on Americans highlights China’s coverup culture,” Qiu discusses how such incidents are handled by the PRC government and its judiciary, and analyzes the geopolitical ramifications. “Glossing over the incident could cause a public relations …

EKLJN partners Ilene Jaroslaw and Lynn Neils have been ranked by Chambers and Partners for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, USA. Chambers rankings are known for their extensive research and accuracy, providing decision-makers with impartial intelligence to choose the most qualified legal talent in the country. Both Ilene and Lynn are known to their …

EKLJN partner Benjamin Qiu has been named co-chair of the Asian Affairs Committee of the New York City Bar Association, effective September 1, 2024. The City Bar speaks out on important issues through reports, policy statements, and events, and organizes CLEs and career development programs. The success of its mission depends on the activities of …

Lynn A. Neils has joined the firm as a name partner, expanding our nationally recognized white-collar defense and government investigations, and dispute resolution practices. The firm will now be known as Elliott Kwok Levine Jaroslaw Neils LLP, or EKLJN. The move reunites Neils with Mark Elliott, Ilene Jaroslaw, and Matt Levine, all of whom worked …

EKLJ will sponsor A Conversation with Inspiring Women From the Federal Bench at the New York City Bar Association on April 25 at 6 pm. Hear from an illustrious panel of women in the federal judiciary, as they share their paths to the federal bench. Join us for the opportunity to meet, mingle, and hear …

New New York cybersecurity rules requiring financial services firms to report reasons for noncompliance go into effect April 15, spurring a discussion in “New York Law Journal” on how DFS will approach enforcement. According to EKLJ partner Matthew Levine, a former head staffer of enforcement with DFS, “cybersecurity professionals should be interfacing with their firm’s …

“The predicament of TikTok and ByteDance, with potential repercussions that could mean a divestment, or even more likely, a failure, are additional reminders reinforcing the idea that today’s China is ‘uninvestable,’” said Benjamin Qiu on Law. com. Read the full article.

It was yet another sold-out Women in White Collar event. Among those attending was U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, pictured here with committee co-chairs Ilene Jaroslaw, Jessica Nall, and Jennifer Belveal, keynote speaker Annie Morgan, and Lindi Jarvis of sponsor FTI Consulting.

The Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA) Global Social Media Committee convened in San Francisco at the ABA National Institute on White Collar Crime. The group mapped out its communications strategy for the 25th anniversary year of the WWCDA’s founding. As social media coordinator for the New York chapter of WWCDA, Ilene Jaroslaw has been …

In a case argued by EKLJ partner Mark Elliott involving fiduciary duties, dividend policies, and executive compensation, the Appellate Division, Second Department, affirmed the Surrogate’s Court ruling in favor of EKLJ’s clients. Specifically, the Second Department affirmed the lower court’s ruling that a trustee controlling a corporation breached his duties by failing to cause the …

Dennis Kwok and Benjamin Qiu attended the GSP Leadership Dinner at the Harvard Faculty Club, which was organized by The Global Success Partnership. They also participated on a panel by the Harvard Asia Law Society at the Harvard Law School discussing the implications of the shift in geopolitics on China-related legal practice. “It was a …

Ilene Jaroslaw joined the board of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organization Rewire News Group. “I’m honored to join the board of this important media organization,” Jaroslaw says. “Rewire News Group is the only national publication exclusively dedicated to reporting on reproductive and sexual health, rights, and justice. RWG is the source for repro news based …

For the second year in a row, Elliott Kwok Levine & Jaroslaw LLP was a proud Women’s White Collar Defense Association Awards Gala Supporting Sponsor. WWCDA’s mission is to promote the common business and professional interests of women attorneys and other professionals who specialize in white collar and criminal and defense. “This is always the …

The New York Times asked EKLJ partner Ilene Jaroslaw about her 2015 abortion rights trial in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, in which her adversaries were U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and now-U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals S. Kyle Duncan. (Ilene won the case at …

Chambers and Partners announced Nov. 13, 2023, that it ranked Elliott Kwok Levine & Jaroslaw LLP as a Regional Spotlight firm in New York for 2024. EKLJ is ranked in the practice areas of White Collar Crime & Government Investigations, and Dispute Resolution. “EKLJ was founded less than 18 months ago with four partners,” Mark …

Benjamin Qiu joined thought leaders on the MIT Mobility Initiative Vision Day lunch panel Nov. 3, 2023, to discuss “Geopolitical Shifts: The Pivotal Role of China in Global Mobility.” Moderated by the MIT Mobility Initiative executive director, the panelists discussed how Chinese companies have come to dominate the global EV and EV batteries market, especially …

On Oct. 29, Ilene Jaroslaw recounted to The Wall Street Journal the June 2015 trial she conducted with opposing counsel Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who fought to shut down abortion access in Louisiana. In June Medical Services v. Russo, Ilene represented health-care providers seeking an injunction against Louisiana’s …

EKLJ partner Ilene Jaroslaw was quoted by Reuters on Oct. 25 about Sam Bankman-Fried testifying at his own trial. Jaroslaw shares additional thoughts on Bankman-Fried’s testimony: “The decision of whether to testify in one’s defense is fraught, and the client’s situation must be carefully analyzed in the context of the evidence that has been presented …

Partner Ilene Jaroslaw was a panelist at the annual London Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA) Fall Luncheon in October, courtesy of the London WWCDA Chapter. The event was graciously hosted by Brown Rudnick LLP, London, in the firm’s beautiful offices. The panel, which was moderated by Alison Geary, discussed what “white collar” means in …

Partner Ilene Jaroslaw moderated a panel Oct. 9 at the ABA London White Collar Crime Institute titled, “The Extradition Waiver Credit: Myth or Reality?” The panel featured extradition experts Rebecca Niblock of London, UK; Sören Schomburg of Berlin, Germany; Jaime Campaner of Madrid, Spain; and Lisa Cahill and Florian Miedel of New York, USA. Whether …

EKLJ partner Matt Levine was published on “Compliance & Enforcement,” the blog of NYU Law School’s Program for Corporate Compliance and Enforcement. Levine’s post, “Reading the Fine Print: The NYDFS Assessment of Comments on its Proposed Cybersecurity Amendments,” discusses the New York State Department of Financial Services’ (“DFS”) long-awaited proposed revision to “Part 500,” the …

EKLJ welcomes Sara Probber as counsel. Sara’s diverse litigation practice includes complex commercial litigation, white collar defense, and international arbitration. She has an impressive breadth of experience serving clients in a variety of sectors, including media and telecommunications. Sara counsels individual and business clients navigating internal and government investigations and defends them in enforcement actions …

Partner Benjamin Qiu wrote an op-ed titled, “China Prepares to Crack Down on ‘Hurt Feelings,’” about a new law that is causing outrage among the Chinese people. “If passed, the legislation — amendments to an existing law — could result in fines up to $680 or detention for 15 days in police custody for wearing …

Elliott Kwok Levine & Jaroslaw LLP Expands China Corporate Advisory Practice  Benjamin Qiu Joins as Partner New York – Elliott Kwok Levine & Jaroslaw LLP will expand its China Corporate Advisory Practice with the addition of Benjamin Qiu, who joined the firm as partner on September 5, 2023. Qiu will co-lead the practice with founding …

Partner Ilene Jaroslaw moderated a stellar presentation on professional responsibility at the 2023 ABA Annual Meeting in Denver earlier this month. Gabrielle Friedman, Andrea Moseley, Andrea Surratt, Jana Volante Walshak, and Jaroslaw presented an ethics CLE on a topic that was ripped from the headlines: “The Ethics of Simultaneous Representation: Navigating Pool Counsel Waters.” If …

EKL&J Partner Ilene Jaroslaw was interviewed by Law360 on what’s next for the as-yet unindicted co-conspirators in the January 6 insurrection and why attorney-conspirators’ communications with the former president are admissible at trial: “While attorney-client privilege broadly works to keep communications between lawyers and their clients private, the crime-fraud exception to that privilege ensures that …

After a bench trial spanning three months, EKLJ partner Mark Elliott secured a significant victory for trust beneficiaries in Nassau County Surrogate’s Court in a case pertaining to fiduciary duty and executive compensation. The court ordered that the trustee be removed and pay significant damages to the trust at issue. The trust’s assets primarily consist …

In a stunning reduction from a federal Sentencing Guidelines range of 70 to 87 months’ imprisonment, Elliott Kwok Levine & Jaroslaw LLP partner Ilene Jaroslaw secured a sentence of six months for her client, the former owner and president of a New York construction company. Dónal O’Sullivan, who immigrated to the U.S. from Kerry, Ireland, …

While speaking at the Parliament Hill in Ottawa to celebrate the launch of Hong Kong Watch Canada, Dennis Kwok emphasized the need to respect and honor human-rights defenders in the global fight against authoritarianism, and to cherish the deep bonds between Hong Kongers and the Canadian society.

Dennis Kwok recently spoke at the U.S. Capitol, inside the Mike Mansfield Room, as part of a bipartisan conference organized in defense of democracies and the rule of law around the world. As the international rule-based order is under threat by the rise of authoritarianism, Kwok drew on his Hong Kong experience and called on …

Mark Elliott and Rachel Rodriguez secured the dismissal from an SDNY lawsuit of our client Diana Kearse, chief counsel to the New York State Grievance Committee for multiple judicial districts. The suit was brought to mandate that New York State make public grievance complaint proceedings against prosecutors. The case also claimed Kearse and others violated …

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco this morning announced new corporate crime policies at the ABA National Institute on White Collar Crime. The Department of Justice is expanding its 2021 Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies beyond Main Justice to all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, increasing predictability in enforcement and outcomes. Particularly striking is the DAG’s announcement …