What will you be doing in the coming year? We asked experts in a range of sectors to gaze into their crystal balls and highlight one legal development or compliance topic that will be critical for compliance teams in 2026. This is an edited version of what they told us.
Regulatory Enforcement
Tariff evasion enforcement: The new FCPA
Companies that import goods into the United States will face heightened enforcement scrutiny for attempted acts of customs fraud, including tariff evasion, under the Trump administration. Thus, chief compliance officers and in-house counsel face a new kind of pressure to ensure they are mitigating risk in this area.
Former COO of plastics importer faces up to five years for customs falsifications
The chief operating officer of a plastic resin importer has pleaded guilty to intentionally falsifying documents to avoid paying tariffs on goods from China, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
FBI hit takes down site used by cybercriminals in bank and account holder fraud
Federal investigators have announced progress in dismantling an online criminal operation that steals bank account information by mimicking legitimate bank websites.
Former CEO of online health company ordered to pay $452M for nearly $2B in fraud
The former founder and chief executive of a health internet company will spend 15 years in prison and pay $452 million after being found guilty of a sprawling scheme that sought about $1.9 billion in false payments from Medicare, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
FTC suit against Uber gains traction with 21 states and DC joining in
The Federal Trade Commission allegations against Uber, alleging deceptive billing and subscription cancellations, have snowballed, with 21 states and the District of Columbia joining the lawsuit.
Top Ethics and Compliance Failures of 2025
The 2025 year has been so rich with compliance stinkers, and rife with poor judgment, compliance missteps, outright malfeasance and greed, greed, greed, that it was almost impossible to choose just six epic compliance failures from this year’s massive poop pile.
SEC exam priorities for 2026 signal heightened focus on firmwide compliance
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Examinations released its 2026 examination priorities, which give companies a roadmap of areas of heightened risk and regulatory focus for next year.
San Francisco firm pays $11.4M for alleged Russia-related sanctions violations
A San Francisco-based private equity firm has agreed to pay $11.4 million to settle allegations it violated U.S. sanctions rules by handling investments for a sanctioned Russian oligarch.
Company agrees to report to FTC for 10 years after breach of 10 million student records
A tech company that stores student information for schools has agreed to implement a data security program and report to the Federal Trade Commission for 10 years, after security failures led to data for 10 million students being breached.


