The following post was originally included as part of our recently published memorandum “Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2021”.

The tumultuous events of 2020, including the ongoing pandemic and the election of a new U.S. President, will have direct and lasting impacts on white-collar and regulatory enforcement in the years to come. As we enter 2021, we anticipate that white-collar and regulatory enforcement will be more active under the Biden administration, as policy priorities shift toward financial and corporate fraud, as well as ESG issues, environmental and social justice, more generally. At the same time, we expect the already-visible pandemic and recession-related enforcement trends to continue, with a sustained focus on financial statement and accounting fraud. Finally, we expect that the increased reliance on whistleblowers will continue (and potentially grow) in 2021.