Morrison Foerster partner Carrie H. Cohen, global co-chair of the Investigations + White Collar Defense Group and State + Local Government Enforcement team, spoke with Edward Imperatore, a partner in MoFo’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Group, for an episode of MoForecast, a podcast series discussing enforcement and policy trends we can expect from the upcoming administration. This episode continues our focus on state attorneys general (state AGs), which aims to provide valuable insights for in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and defense lawyers navigating the evolving landscape of state AG enforcement.
In this episode, Carrie and Ed discuss the evolving landscape of securities enforcement by state AGs, highlighting the broad mandate and sweeping authority that state AGs possess under state blue sky laws. They examine key areas of focus for state AGs, including digital assets, artificial intelligence (AI), and traditional securities fraud, where significant enforcement actions were seen in 2024. The conversation also explores the potential impact of the change in presidential administration on state AG priorities. They conclude this episode by sharing their enforcement predictions for 2025, noting their expectation of robust securities enforcement continuing, with an uptick in state enforcement.