The annual False Claims Act (FCA) recovery statistics issued by the U.S. Department of Justice for Fiscal Year 2024, coupled with the Trump administration’s focus on the elimination of waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending and apparent intentions to rely on the FCA to pursue other administration priorities, signal a likely increase in FCA investigations and actions throughout 2025 and beyond.

In Cunningham v. Cornell University, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected efforts by plan fiduciary defendants, previously endorsed by several courts of appeals, to require plaintiffs to allege more than the mere existence of a contract with a service provider to withstand early motions to dismiss prohibited transaction claims in excessive fee lawsuits. The decision appears likely to lead to increased litigation, and plan fiduciaries should review their processes and procedures to ensure plans are only paying reasonable fees for necessary services.

President Trump has issued a series of executive orders targeting the private sector’s initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and/or Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. As DEI-related disclosures will likely be scrutinized more closely, it is critical for companies to evaluate the risks of their DEI programs and proactively mitigate the risk of investor claims that may arise from their pursuit of—or withdrawal from—DEI initiatives and their associated public statements.President Trump has issued a series of executive orders targeting the private sector’s initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and/or Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. As DEI-related disclosures will likely be scrutinized more closely, it is critical for companies to evaluate the risks of their DEI programs and proactively mitigate the risk of investor claims that may arise from their pursuit of—or withdrawal from—DEI initiatives and their associated public statements.