Program Details
2026-10-08 12:00:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-10-08 12:00:00
2h CLE Credits
Intermediate
2
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ESTThis segment introduces the legal and regulatory architecture underlying customs and trade fraud cases under the FCA. Topics include core international trade concepts such as importer of record status, entry and entry summary, valuation and assists, classification under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, and antidumping and countervailing duties; the FCA’s reverse false claims and conspiracy theories as applied to unpaid customs duties; the respective roles of the Department of Justice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Commerce in investigating and resolving these cases; and the statutory and regulatory authorities that govern them, including the Tariff Act of 1930. The segment will draw on the Perfectus settlement and other recent settlements and litigation to illustrate how these legal concepts operate in practice, and false statements concerning import requirements imposed by other federal agencies.
John McKnight
Russell Kornblith
Zach Williams 1:10 pm - 2:10 pm ESTBuilding on the Foundations segment, this segment turns to the practical work of representing clients in customs and trade fraud matters. The majority of the discussion addresses investigation, from both sides of the docket: for relators’ counsel, evaluating a prospective whistleblower, building a fraud theory, gathering evidence, and preparing a complaint that satisfies the heightened pleading standard of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b); for defense counsel and in-house teams, recognizing the signs of a government investigation, managing a client’s response once allegations and the scope of a Department of Justice inquiry come to light, and weighing voluntary disclosure. The remainder of the segment addresses litigation strategy for both relators and defendants once a case proceeds, including the government’s intervention or declination decision, litigating a declined case, settlement dynamics, damages under the reverse false claims theory, the interplay between civil FCA settlements and parallel criminal proceedings, and how relator share percentages are determined and negotiated.
John McKnightRussell KornblithZach WilliamsJohn McKnight is a Partner in the Washington, DC office of Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and a Co-Chair of the firm’s Whistleblower and Qui Tam Practice Group. His practice centers on representing corporate whistleblowers who have exposed securities fraud, banking misconduct, government contract procurement fraud, customs fraud, and other corporate malfeasance, and he has also represented executives in sensitive wrongful discharge and discrimination matters.
Russell Kornblith is a Partner at Wigdor LLP in New York. His practice focuses on employment discrimination, sexual assault, and whistleblower cases, and he represents both individuals and classes.
Zach Williams is a Counsel in White & Case’s Litigation Practice Group. Based in the firm’s Washington, DC office, he represents companies in complex commercial litigation and governmental enforcement matters, with specialty experience in False Claims Act investigations and litigation.
John McKnight is a Partner in the Washington, DC office of Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and a Co-Chair of the firm’s Whistleblower and Qui Tam Practice Group. His practice centers on representing corporate whistleblowers who have exposed securities fraud, banking misconduct, government contract procurement fraud, customs fraud, and other corporate malfeasance, and he has also represented executives in sensitive wrongful discharge and discrimination matters.
Russell Kornblith is a Partner at Wigdor LLP in New York. His practice focuses on employment discrimination, sexual assault, and whistleblower cases, and he represents both individuals and classes.
Zach Williams is a Counsel in White & Case’s Litigation Practice Group. Based in the firm’s Washington, DC office, he represents companies in complex commercial litigation and governmental enforcement matters, with specialty experience in False Claims Act investigations and litigation.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
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