DiscoverCorruption Crime & ComplianceCadence Systems Pays $140 Million for Trade Violations and Pleads Guilty to Criminal Export Control Conspiracy
Cadence Systems Pays $140 Million for Trade Violations and Pleads Guilty to Criminal Export Control Conspiracy

Cadence Systems Pays $140 Million for Trade Violations and Pleads Guilty to Criminal Export Control Conspiracy

Update: 2025-08-11
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What happens when a company tries to outsmart the system - and gets caught red-handed by the DOJ in a $140 million export control scheme tied to Chinese military supercomputers?


In this episode, Michael dives into the DOJ’s criminal enforcement action against Cadence Design Systems - a case that marks yet another major step in the DOJ’s rapidly unfolding trade enforcement strategy. We’re no longer in the FCPA era. This is a whole new ballgame, where national security and trade compliance have collided, and companies that haven’t adjusted are already behind.


You’ll hear him discuss:


  • Why Cadence’s plea deal - not a DPA or NPA - is such a big deal
  • How the DOJ and BIS coordinated to secure over $140 million in criminal and civil penalties
  • The simple, sloppy scheme that involved fake names, hidden aliases, and blatant attempts to skirt export controls
  • Why partial cooperation didn’t earn Cadence a full credit reduction - and what they failed to do
  • The shocking compliance gap: only one export control officer handling global risk
  • What this case signals about the DOJ’s growing focus on national security and semiconductor enforcement
  • Why ethics, due diligence, and transaction monitoring are still your best defense
  • How companies can avoid getting blindsided by embracing the new trade enforcement landscape


Resources


Michael Volkov on LinkedIn | Twitter


The Volkov Law Group

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Cadence Systems Pays $140 Million for Trade Violations and Pleads Guilty to Criminal Export Control Conspiracy

Cadence Systems Pays $140 Million for Trade Violations and Pleads Guilty to Criminal Export Control Conspiracy

Michael Volkov