Revised Federal Sentencing Rules Offer a White Collar Respite

Litigation attorneys William Shepherd and Henry Moreno published an article in Bloomberg Law reviewing amendments to federal sentencing guidelines for economic crimes, poised to take effect November 1, 2026, unless Congress disapproves or revises them. The changes proposed by the U.S. Sentencing Commission consist of inflation adjustments, a reduction for post-offense rehabilitation, expansion of sentencing Zones B and C, and eligibility updates for alternative sentencing structures. Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Moreno begin their article by describing the current point-based formula before going on to explain how the amendments would affect the current system, utilizing a hypothetical healthcare fraud conspiracy defendant to illustrate how much of a difference the proposals could make for clients and counsel. They conclude that, assuming the changes become effective, white collar representation will entail sentencing science and data-driven analysis, not merely trial skills.

READ: Revised Federal Sentencing Rules Offer a White Collar Respite