Episode 64 Cages We Built: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America The U.S. imprisons a larger percentage of its population than any other country in the world. How did we get here? Rachel Barkow, Charles Seligson Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at New York University School of Law, returns to the podcast for an in-depth discussion on that very topic with host Matt Adams. Rachel’s second book, Justice Abandoned: How the Suprem...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr
Episode 63 Enforcement Priorities of the Second Trump Administration: The False Claims Act The Deputy Attorney General of the United States has made it clear that the Department of Justice intends to enforce the False Claims Act (FCA) in a way it never has before: in the pursuit of civil rights fraud. Listen as host Matt Adams is joined by his Fox colleagues Jana Volante Walshak and Kevin Raphael to break down the DOJ's internal memo, titled “Civil Rights Fraud Initiative,” and explain how this ...
Jun 10, 2025•38 min
Episode 62 The Tragic Toll of Conspiracy Theories: The Seth Rich Story A violent, unsolved murder of an up-and-coming young professional in our nation’s capital. A grieving family in the Midwest. And conspiracy theories both ignited and inflamed by politics. Listen in as investigative journalist Andy Kroll returns to the podcast to dive into his book, “A Death on W Street: The Murder of Seth Rich and the Age of Conspiracy.” Andy and host Matt Adams take us back to the 2016 election year to exami...
May 27, 2025•49 min
Episode 61 A Call to Service: From Public Duty to Spiritual Advocacy Father Joseph Ciccone's mission to serve the public has been an unwavering and guiding force throughout his life. He’s held many titles over the years: Police Officer. Teacher. Detective. Bergen County Sheriff. Priest. But the title that brings him to the podcast today is that of convicted felon. Father Joe joins host Matt Adams to detail his life of public service, from his early days as a beat cop in the 1980s to his foray in...
May 13, 2025•46 min
The Trump administration has issued approximately 130 executive orders so far, and many deal with environmental and energy matters. Listen as David Colvin and Karen Davis, Co-Chairs of our ESG Practice, dive into the emerging themes of these executive orders. They specifically dig into the details of EO 14260, “Protecting American Energy From State Overreach" — which calls for federal action against localized energy laws — and speculate whether the Trump administration will join litigation chall...
May 01, 2025•10 min
Episode 60 Enforcement Priorities of the Second Trump Administration: Employee Retention Tax Credit Five years and two presidential administrations later, tensions remain — with the IRS and tax credit applicants — over the pandemic-era Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC). While the IRS has been continuing a Biden-era restrictive policy, a new mandate may be coming when a new IRS Commissioner is confirmed. Fox attorneys Brian Bernhardt and Jonathan Wasser join host Matt Adams for a comprehensive ...
Apr 29, 2025•36 min
Episode 59 Enforcement Priorities of the Second Trump Administration: DOJ Focus While President Trump’s first administration focused on reshaping the judiciary, he’s indicated a priority of his second administration will be reshaping the federal justice system. In this episode, reporter Andy Kroll and host Matt Adams explore the commonalities among recent U.S. Attorney appointments and how these newly named individuals may impact the overall enforcement priorities of the Department of Justice. T...
Apr 15, 2025•55 min
Episode 58 Enforcement Priorities of the Second Trump Administration: IRS Investigations What’s on the Trump administration’s agenda when it comes to federal investigations? Listen to the first in a series of episodes aimed at answering that question. Former IRS Special Agent Jonathan Schnatz joins host Matt Adams to discuss his experience as world events and changing presidential administrations shifted IRS priorities during his 25-year tenure in the Criminal Investigations division. Now a Prin...
Apr 01, 2025•49 min
Episode 57 Wired for Truth: The Art & Science of Polygraphs The polygraph test: We’ve all seen it used in popular movies, but what is it the truth behind how it’s used in the criminal justice system? Jerry Lewis, a retired New Jersey State Police lieutenant who’s been administering polygraphs since 1981, joins host Matt Adams to peer inside the mechanics of the test. They explore the science at work in a polygraph machine and the art of questioning a subject — and how to identify when someon...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 10 min
From executive orders to state laws, elements of ESG are being transformed. Podcast hosts David Colvin and Karen Davis, who also co-chair the firm’s ESG Practice Group, explore the impact of the New York Climate Change Superfund Act and consider how it may serve as a springboard toward a potential uptick in state climate change actions. They also turn to the Trump administration’s executive orders regarding DEI. This episode explains what the actions mean for government contractors as well as pr...
Mar 17, 2025•19 min
Episode 56 A Strategic Gamble: The Risks, Costs and Rewards of Going to Trial Statistics weigh heavily against defendants in the criminal justice system. Only 0.4% were acquitted after trial in federal cases during fiscal year 2022. In this latest podcast episode, host Matt Adams is joined by firm colleague Patrick Egan, whom Matt describes as “the type of trial lawyer you go to when your only option is to roll the dice and go to trial taking a shot against all odds.” Patrick, a Fox Partner and ...
Mar 04, 2025•44 min
Episode 55 The Power of the Presidential Pardon: Traditions and Turning Points Recent presidential pardons by both sides of the political aisle are unprecedented in their purposes, which were wielded both to reward and protect. That’s according to Rachel Barkow, Charles Seligson Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at New York University School of Law. A prolific author who is recognized as one of the country’s leading experts on crimi...
Feb 18, 2025•54 min
In the second part of his conversation with host Matt Baum, Jeff Nash, CEO and Co-Founder of Bridgemark Strategies, shares the due diligence all advisors should undertake to ensure their clients will be supported both during and after a sale. He also counsels on the value of hiring top legal counsel for corporate transactions – and why they are more than worth the price. He additionally reveals his trademarked “three Fs” that advisors should assess before moving to a new firm, as well as offers ...
Feb 06, 2025•17 min
Episode 54 The Flaws of FARA: Feeble Oversight of Billions in Foreign Influence Journey back in time as we explore the origins of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) — and trace its impact on reshaping the public image of some of the most corrupt foreign entities over the past 50 years. Author Casey Michel returns to the podcast to join host Matt Adams to discuss Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World. Casey’s book highlights the failures ...
Feb 04, 2025•50 min
Episode 53 Diagnosis: Innocent – A Doctor’s Journey to Acquittal For six and a half years, Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai, a physician from Easton, Pa., lived in fear and anxiety that life as he knew it was over. A leader in telehealth psychiatric services since the early 2000s, Dr. Rifai was charged with fraudulently billing more than $1 million to Medicare, stemming from his practice treating elderly patients in a rural area. In this episode, Dr. Rifai describes his harrowing experience to host Matt Ad...
Jan 21, 2025•56 min
Cybersecurity Insurance: Coverage Challenges and Changes In the second part of their conversation, Ralph Pasquariello, a Senior Partner and cyber liability specialist at The Tech Collective, joins host Juliana Neelbauer to discuss the various reasons for the rapid changes in cyber insurance coverages. They explore the AI elements that are incorporated into social engineering, the importance of two-factor authentication and more. Ralph also details his newly launched initiative that is helping ex...
Jan 08, 2025•17 min
Episode 52 Engineered for Injustice: How Coerced Pleas Trap the Innocent Rodney Roberts was given a total of 25 minutes to make a life-altering decision. In custody, isolated from family and advised by a public defender to plead guilty to lesser charges in a crime he did not commit, Rodney succumbed to fear and pressure, and agreed to the terms. In this wrenching episode, Rodney joins host Matt Adams and defense attorney Tim Gumkowski of the Innocence Project to share his personal story of coerc...
Jan 07, 2025•48 min
The advisory industry has been trending towards high valuations. Are those likely to stick around? Jeff Nash, CEO and Co-Founder of Bridgemark Strategies, answers that and more during this conversation, the first in a two-part series with host Matt Baum. Jeff shares an in-depth look at the factors that go into valuing an advisory practice, how EBITDA plays into the equation, and why private equity is so interested in the advisory space. Jeff also breaks down the components that go into his PRICE...
Dec 18, 2024•19 min
Episode 51 A Higher Duty of Care: Representing Clients Living With Mental Illness The defense of clients experiencing mental health issues is one of the most challenging and nuanced aspects of criminal law. An estimated one-third to one-half of incarcerated individuals live with some form of mental illness and often find themselves at the mercy of a criminal justice system that offers little relief or recourse. Elizabeth Kelley, a New York City criminal defense lawyer, joins host Matt Adams to e...
Dec 17, 2024•53 min
Cybersecurity Insurance: The New Frontier of Risk Management Is your cyber insurance policy sufficient to protect your company? As criminals leverage AI and other emerging technologies to exploit vulnerabilities in cybersecurity defenses, it’s critical to assess your company’s capacity to withstand a breach. Ralph Pasquariello, a Senior Partner and Cyber Liability Specialist at The Tech Collective with more than 15 years of experience in the field, joins host Juliana Neelbauer for the first half...
Dec 11, 2024•20 min
Episode 50 Hidden in Plain Sight: How Kleptocrats Exploit U.S. Financial Systems The shadowy finances that fueled the 9/11 terrorist attacks cut a somber scar into America. Despite the anti-money laundering initiatives woven in the Patriot Act, that wound continues to fester, according to Casey Michel, who suggests U.S. federal and state systems make America a cooperative collaborator in the money laundering schemes of kleptocrats. Casey, author of American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Created the ...
Dec 03, 2024•50 min
Episode 49 Perspectives From the Bench: Anatomy of a Criminal Trial With Retired Judge Margaret Foti The Honorable Margaret Foti, formerly the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County, joins host Matt Adams to examine the state’s criminal trial process from the view of the bench. From arrest to sentencing, the two discuss a wide range of topics in New Jersey criminal proceedings, including bail reform, Early Disposition Court and the role of a d...
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Episode 48 Digital Boundaries: Fourth Amendment Protections in a Connected World Modern technology is testing the limits of the Fourth Amendment and redefining the parameters of privacy. Michael Price, Litigation Director of the Fourth Amendment Center at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, joins host Matt Adams to dive into some of the most pressing issues at the intersection of criminal law and technology: geofencing, reverse warrants, facial recognition and forensic genealog...
Oct 29, 2024•49 min
Episode 47 Fireside Chat With Bill Baroni and Jesse Eisinger Recorded at our 2024 White-Collar Symposium held in Philadelphia last month, this special episode dives into the landscape of white-collar criminal prosecution from the perspectives of Bill Baroni and Jesse Eisinger. Both former podcast guests, Bill and Jesse provide Matt Adams with insight into their personal experiences with the presumption of innocence. They also share their views on how politics does — and does not — influence case...
Oct 15, 2024•52 min
In March 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced with great fanfare the creation of its Climate and ESG Task Force to proactively identify ESG-related misconduct. Three years later, the SEC quietly shuttered it. Why? Hosts David Colvin and Karen Davis consider the reasons the agency may have elected to disband its task force and how it may approach ESG enforcement in the future. The pair also explore the legal challenges to the proposed Climate Risk Disclosure Rules.
Oct 10, 2024•13 min
Episode 46 America’s Incarceration Industry: Exposing Private Prisons Peer into the world of prison profiteers with Shane Bauer. Shane’s name may sound familiar. In 2009, he and two friends were hiking near the Iraq-Iran border when they were arrested by Iranian authorities, accused of espionage and imprisoned for more than two years. Extensive international pressure and diplomatic efforts ultimately secured their release. An American journalist and author, Shane decided to dive deeper into the ...
Oct 01, 2024•38 min
Episode 45 The Grit, Grace and Gift of Second Chances What’s it like when the FBI knocks at your door? Justin Paperny shares his journey from that fateful day in April 2005 to his 18-month sentence in federal prison as a convicted felon and an encounter with a fellow incarcerated person that changed the trajectory of his life. Justin joins host Matt Adams for an episode detailing how that unexpected friendship gave him a chance to forge a new a career out of a mistake. Justin is the founder of W...
Sep 17, 2024•35 min
Is the IRS prepping a legal stew for business that filed for Employee Retention Credit (ERC) relief? Host Matt Adams invites Fox Rothschild partner Elizabeth Blickley into the proverbial kitchen for this episode. They discuss where the program currently stands and how, nearly a year to the day since the ERC moratorium was put in place by the IRS, some companies’ relief claims are being put on the backburner by IRS bureaucracy. Get a refresher on recent ERC developments, including court case outc...
Sep 05, 2024•38 min
From circuit courts to the Supreme Court, rulings from appellate courts have turned some tried-and-true principles of law on their head in 2024. How have the decisions affected the practice of white-collar criminal defense law? Morgan McCall Reece, a former state and federal prosecutor who recently joined Fox Rothschild, digs into these cases with host Matt Adams. Listen as Morgan offers a valuable insider perspective on how appellate courts are reshaping the law, including the implications for ...
Aug 20, 2024•50 min
Episode 42 AI in Criminal Justice: Opportunity or Opportunity for Misuse? Can artificial intelligence be a positive, productive tool in criminal justice or are its flaws and the opportunity for misuse too great? Host Matt Adams covers these issues and more with Pramod Kunju, a Data Analytics & AI entrepreneur with a master’s degree in criminal justice who wrote the book, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Criminal Justice: A Primer on Implications, Ethics, Policy.” The discussion ranges from t...
Aug 06, 2024•48 min
