Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Compliance: Our experienced team includes an attorney who helped the federal government implement the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, the most significant update to the government’s AML framework since 2001. We know the types of problems that lead to government investigations and can help you avoid them – or help defend or remediate enforcement cases or issues.
Cannabis Compliance: Succeeding in New York state’s rapidly developing cannabis market requires full-service solutions. As one of the first law firms to offer a comprehensive portfolio of legal services to cannabis clients in New York state, Harris Beach has built a multi-disciplinary Cannabis Industry Team, integrating knowledge and thought leadership from multiple areas of law. Our cross-functional approach to client matters allows us to advise on new laws and regulations as well as developments with the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, the Office of Cannabis Management, the Cannabis Control Board and other legislative entities.
Controversy and Crisis Communication Management: Harris Beach is unique in offering a team of communications and public relations professionals who work with our attorneys in supporting clients through controversy and crisis situations, such as regulatory violations and investigations, personnel issues, financial-related issues and criminal charges. This combined team works with clients to respond to key stakeholders and manage reputation with clear and concise communications within the context of minimizing risk and liability exposure. We provide communications plans, as well as media relations training and social media monitoring.
Corporate and Internal Investigations: We regularly conduct high profile national and international internal investigations for an array of clients, including not-for-profits and any organization without in-house compliance officers. Our team consists of highly credentialed attorneys, including a former United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, a former New York State First Deputy Attorney General and former federal and New York state prosecutors and counsel recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®.
Data Forensics and e-Discovery: Harris Beach’s certified computer examiner professionals will conduct a forensic examination with industry-leading technology to recover and preserve potentially crucial evidence, such as hidden or deleted files. Our branded e-discovery practice, the Harris Beach e-infoSM team, is comprised of litigators and certified IT professionals. This team guides clients through the demanding requirements of e-discovery and helps them understand risks and costs to make more informed decisions regarding case strategy.
Environmental Compliance: The Environmental Protection Agency collects billions of dollars in fines and penalties each year. Our team includes former environmental regulators and enforcers. That experience is a benefit to businesses operating in a densely environmentally regulated business environment, such as green and traditional energy.
First Response Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Team: Our First Response Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Team was established recognizing that, in the event of a catastrophe, response time is critical to manage liability exposure. This team helps clients prepare detailed emergency plans that mitigate risk before a crisis occurs. Our team is also available as needed to help with evidence preservation all the way through the post-disaster investigation. Our on-the-scene legal guidance provides the insight, perspective, experience and required coordination to manage critical legal issues, as well as media coverage that could expose your organization to significant liability and damage your reputation.
Government Contracting: The red tape of contracting with the government can be overwhelming. We advise on submitting proposals and annual due-diligence questionnaires, as well as help when disputes arise.
Health Care Institutions, Including Health and Human Services and Long-Term Care: The mountain of regulations pertaining to health care alone can be mind-spinning. Mistakes are costly and can seriously damage the reputation of a health care facility. Our team has wide and deep experience in health care, including experience as regulators and facility operators. We help with compliance, interpreting Medicaid and Medicare regulations, audits and investigations, fraud waste and abuse prevention, Controlled Substances Act diversion control, risk management, patient privacy laws, cybersecurity, medical staff credentialing, professional disciplinary matters, medical ethics, telemedicine, institutional review boards, contracting, operations, clinical trials and protection of human research subjects. Long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, faced unprecedented scrutiny during the COVID-19 crisis, and must be proactive in their approach to anticipate major and wide-spread health care crises. Our attorneys help clients establish best practices to help mitigate risk. In the area of patient and disability access, our attorneys represent health care providers in federal, state and municipal investigations alleging patients were denied access because of race, gender or disability.
Immigration Compliance: We represent multi-national companies seeking to transfer employees to the United States and clients navigating the visa process, including H-1B and other nonimmigrant visas aiding foreign nationals in entering the United States to engage in specialized employment. We advise H-1B and H-2 employers subject to Wage and Hour Division enforcement actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. We also assist corporate clients with I-9 compliance and represent employers in connection with I-9 audits and investigations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As part of our H-2 seasonal visa practice, we defend seasonal and agricultural employers in state and federal DOL and DHS compliance investigations.
International Trade/Export Controls Compliance: We represent domestic and foreign-based financial institutions and commercial clients on regulatory and international trade compliance, as well as proceedings involving civil enforcement. We also provide counsel on complying with anti-money laundering laws, the Bank Secrecy Act, the Patriot Act, and issues involving imports and exports. Our team also defends clients in cases involving sanctions implemented by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. We assist clients on obtaining export control licenses when foreign nationals have access to Controlled Data.
Labor Compliance: Our experienced team helps with a wide range of labor and employment issues, including compliance with the National Labor Relations Act, Civil Service Law, Family and Medical Leave Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, New York State Human Rights Law and other federal, state and local laws. We provide counsel on wage and hour issues, claims of discrimination, workplace harassment and retaliation, and various anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation provisions of the New York State Labor Law and New York State Human Rights Law. We also help with collective bargaining negotiations, labor arbitrations and development of policies and employee handbooks.
Litigation and Compliance for Financial Institutions: Harris Beach provides a full complement of services to financial institutions of all sizes, from the largest national and international banks to local banks and credit unions. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling virtually every type of litigation a banking institution encounters, on an individual and class basis. Our attorneys also handle matters before state and federal agencies including the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), National Credit Union Association (NCUA), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Lobbying Compliance: It is critical to understand rules governing lobbying regulation and compliance. Our team has full grasp of state, county, city and local lobbying laws and provides counsel on interpreting and complying, as well as offer filing services, to help ensure easy and accurate reporting. Our team also handles periodic audits and advises on compliance with New York state and New York City lobbyist gift bans.
New York State Attorney General Investigations: Having an experienced legal team that understands the powers and limitations of the New York State Attorney General has never been more important. The Harris Beach Government Compliance and Investigations Practice Group has that team.
OSHA Compliance: Harris Beach attorneys counsel employers from multiple industries on compliance with workplace safety and health regulations, defend cases of alleged violations and engage our First Response Emergency, Crisis and Disaster team to preserve evidence and manage crisis communications.
Title IX Compliance: Harris Beach attorneys know the challenges with Title IX compliance in K-12 public and private schools, as well as higher education, and help with policies and procedures, standards and protocols for preventing issues. When challenges arise, we provide independent investigation and handle the defense of claims. Within education, the risk of non-compliance with Title IX guidelines not only includes federal investigation, but reputation damage, decreased donations and diminished faculty and student recruitment.
White-Collar Crime Defense: Our thorough knowledge of the New York state and federal criminal process helps clients facing potential prison terms and hefty financial penalties. From the investigative and pretrial phases through trial and appeal, our attorneys handle all stages of the defense in criminal prosecutions in both administrative and civil proceedings.
