White Collar Support Group™
Newsletter November '25
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White Collar Support Group™
The World’s First Support Group
Devoted to Those Navigating the
White Collar Criminal Justice System
The solution is in community. Start Here™
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White Collar Support Group™
Tuesday Night Speaker Series
Restitution & Forfeiture Panel
Presented by the
Women's White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA)
Tues., Nov. 11, 2025, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
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A huge thank you to the WWCDA
for being one of our conference sponsors.
We are looking forward to a fruitful partnership
with WWCDA on additional programming and events.
White Collar Support Group™ Tuesday Speaker Series: A Panel on Restitution & Forfeiture presented by the Women's White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), On Zoom, Nov. 11, 2025, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT. Start Here™. Open to Family, Friends, Clients, Colleagues and Everybody!
To Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/SQvnoWDvT1ms4ckXFeWqGg
Caroline Ciraolo, Margaret Graham, and Jillian Berman, former Department of Justice prosecutors who represent individuals and entities in government investigations and criminal and regulatory matters, will share insights on forfeiture and restitution in federal criminal matters, including recent DOJ practices and strategic considerations on the defense side. Specific issues covered will include differences between forfeiture and restitution, the interplay between the two, valuation of assets and what assets are subject to forfeiture and restitution, unique issues related to restitution to the IRS and corresponding civil tax liabilities, and strategies to limit potential exposure.
Caroline D. Ciraolo, former Acting Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division, is a partner with Kostelanetz LLP and founder of its Washington, D.C. office. Her practice focuses on federal and state civil tax controversies and criminal tax defense. She also serves as an expert witness and an independent mediator in tax-related proceedings. Caroline is an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center (International Tax Controversies and Criminal Tax Law and Procedure).
Margaret Graham, a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, is a former federal prosecutor who represents clients in high stakes investigations and enforcement actions, including matters involving artificial intelligence, complex financial crime, and civil rights and equity-related issues. Her clients include financial institutions, technology companies, and educational institutions. Before joining Latham, Margaret served for almost 11 years in the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), where she worked on forfeiture matters, among other things.
Jillian B. Berman, a partner at Lankler Siffert & Wohl,represents individuals and companies in white collar criminal and regulatory matters, government and internal investigations, and in complex commercial litigation. She is a former federal prosecutor with extensive trial, appellate, and investigative experience, and she has litigated, written and spoken about complex restitution and forfeiture issues. Jillian is active in a number of bar organizations, including Women’s White Collar Defense Association, New York Council of Defense Lawyers, and the Federal Bar Council.
Women's White Collar Defense Association is a Conference Sponsor
of the White Collar Support Group
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White Collar Support Group™
488th Meeting Online on Zoom
Mon., Oct. 27, 2025
| | 7 pm ET, 6 pm CT, 5 pm MT, 4 pm PT | |
We meet every Monday. Referrals Welcome!
Featured in the New Yorker.
We are a community of individuals, families and groups with white collar justice issues who have a desire to take responsibility for our actions and the wreckage we caused, make amends, and move forward in new way of life centered on hope, care, compassion, tolerance and empathy. Our experience shows us that many of us are suffering in silence with shame, remorse, and deep regret. Many of us have been stigmatized by our own families, friends and communities, and the business community. Our goal is to learn and evolve into a new spiritual way of life and to reach out in service to others. This is an important thing we are doing!
Over 1650 Fellow Travelers have participated in our support group meetings from every state in the country - and Canada, the U.K., South America, Central America, Israel, Mexico, Europe, Scandinavia, and the Caribbean. All have agreed this has been a valuable, important experience in which everyone feels less alone, and gratified in the opportunity to talk about things in a safe space only we could understand.
WCSG members have free access to our private on-line chat and resource community which features peer and mentoring support, our white collar job and career board, news and events relevant to our community, advocacy initiatives (Federal Expungement and Right to Banking) and partnerships with other nonprofits, and a wide array of other resources. We sponsor a monthly newsletter, a Tuesday Night Speaker Series (open to family and friends), social media channels, and our website that hosts our widely-read blog with over ten years of important content.
All freely given on a volunteer basis by group members at no cost to you and your family!
Thank you for referring other justice-impacted people and families. We send out welcome emails to every new member: info@prisonist.org.
Email for Tru-lincs/Corrlinks: jgrant@prisonist.org
For press/media inquiries: press@grantlaw.com.
IMPORTANT!: If you are currently on supervised release, probation or parole, it is important that you first discuss this with your P.O. To assist in this regard, information about our ministry is available on prisonist.org.
Please feel free to contact any team member if you are in need of support, or with any questions you might have regarding this group, our weekly meetings, or anything else whatsoever.
Blessings, לשלום
Jeff
For details, invitation or to make referrals...
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Joe Bankman,
Father of Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF)
Convicted Founder of FTX
on the Nightmare Success Podcast
with Brent Cassity
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Brent Cassity is a member of our
White Collar Support Group™ that meets on
Zoom on Monday evenings.
Nightmare Success show notes: "On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with Joe Bankman, Stanford law professor and father of Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted founder of FTX. In a candid and emotional conversation, Joe shares what it was like to watch the meteoric rise of FTX, the devastating collapse, and the personal toll it has taken on his family. This is not just a story about crypto or courtroom drama—it’s about fatherhood, resilience, and what it means to survive when your worst nightmare becomes your reality. Joe opens up about the weight of public scrutiny, the heartbreak of watching his son fall, and how he and his family are finding a path forward in the shadow of a global scandal. If you’ve ever wondered how families endure when the spotlight turns harsh, this episode is one you won’t forget. The REAL Reason FTX Failed Joe Bankman's Story"
Nightmare Success is a Sponsor
of the White Collar Support Group
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Talk: ""The Dangers of Over-Confidence"
at Berkeley Haas
by Fellow Traveler Drew Chapin
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Drew Chapin is a member of our
White Collar Support Group™ that meets
on Zoom on Monday evenings.
"When I launched my startup ten years ago, I imagined returning to the Bay for a victory lap.
I imagined I'd visit universities to talk about the brilliance of what we’d just executed - how we re-invented e-commerce.
Instead, earlier this month, I came back with a post-mortem.
I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to share my startup failure story at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, in a class led by Don Moore - a leading researcher on confidence, overconfidence, and decision-making.
It's a story I've spent nearly five years trying to process and understand.
I shared how early momentum made me stop asking hard questions.
How I mistook validation for inevitability.
How I started believing the version of the story that sounded best, at the expense of the truth.
And how my biggest mistake wasn't failing, it was thinking that I couldn't.
That's what I think more founders need to hear..."
Link to article: https://chapin.io/talk-dangers-of-hubris-over-confidence-at-berkeley-haas-don-a-moore/
To Reach Drew Chapin/The Discoverability Company: discoverability.co
The Discoverability Company is a Sponsor
of the White Collar Support Group
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Jeffrey D. Grant, Esq.
Private General Counsel
for Complex Situations & Transactions
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Jeff Grant is the Co-Founder of our
White Collar Support Group™ that meets
on Zoom on Monday evenings.
I serve as private general counsel to executives, entrepreneurs, professionals, and families who are navigating some of the most complex and sensitive moments of their lives — including white collar prosecutions and other personal or business crises and transactions.
I’m a business lawyer, counselor, and problem solver — a kind of modern-day consigliere. My role is to help clients make smart, strategic decisions when the stakes couldn’t be higher. That can mean managing legal risk, handling regulatory inquiries, protecting reputation, or rebuilding life and career after a setback.
I work discreetly and collaboratively with criminal defense lawyers, local counsel, and a trusted network of experts across fields — from tax and bankruptcy to mental health and family law. Together, we build comprehensive strategies for my clients’ legal, financial, and personal recovery.
My approach is holistic. It’s about more than just surviving crisis — it’s about restoring integrity, opportunity, and peace of mind.
Jeffrey D. Grant, Esq., GrantLaw, PLLC
43 West 43rd Street, Suite 108, New York, New York 10036
(212) 859-3512
jgrant@grantlaw.com
GrantLaw.com
GrantLaw, PLLC is a Sponsor
of the White Collar Support Group
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WCSG Tuesday Night Speaker
Doug Passon, Esq.
Sentencing & Mitigation Expert
Tues., Dec. 9, 2025, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
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White Collar Support Group™ Tuesday Speaker Series: Doug Passon, Esq. Sentencing & Mitigation Expert, On Zoom, Dec. 9, 2025, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT. Start Here™. Open to Family, Friends and Everybody!
To Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/LqXdWZKnSwuvoR3uGq5rrA
Please join us for a compelling, information-packed evening when we have Doug Passon, Esq. as our December White Collar Support Group Tuesday Speaker.
Doug Passon is a practicing criminal defense lawyer with almost 30 years experience in state and federal court. He has a national sentencing practice (www.setforsentencing.com), focused on humanizing our clients through narrative. Passon is also an accomplished documentary filmmaker, having directed, filmed and edited award-winning short and feature-length documentaries that have played throughout North America and beyond. He has long been recognized as the pioneer in using short documentary films for mitigation in criminal and capital cases.
He co-authored a book on legal story-telling, The Narrative Gym For Law, with acclaimed author and story professional, Dr. Randy Olson. He also produces and hosts a weekly podcast called Set for Sentencing (www.setforsentencing.com), the goal of which is to bring more awareness, fairness and hope to the sentencing process. He represents clients across the country, and in particular clients on the Autism Spectrum.
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YouTube: White Collar Conference 2025
Pardon and Expungement Panel
Panelists: Prof. Mark Osler & Prof. Todd Haugh
Moderator: Jeff Grant, Esq.
Our White Collar Conference 2025
on Sat., Oct. 11th was an
Absolute Home Run!
We had Over 200 Registrants & Participants!
Thank You to Our Lead Sponsor Paul Weiss,
all Our Sponsors, Speakers, Panelists,
Hosts - and Especially to Our Registrants - for Making
Our Conference Such a
Meaningful, Informational and Topical Event
View the Entire Conference Now on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@whitecollarsupportgroup
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Big Thanks to Bill Cohan for Covering Our Conference in His
"Dry Powder" Column in Puck News:
https://puck.news/joe-bankman-discusses-toll-of-sbf-trial-on-his-family/
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White Collar Support Group
and Noted Law Professors Launch
Federal Expungement Initiative
Hope, dignity and opportunity for the millions of justice-impacted individuals who are held back years after they’ve paid their debts to society.
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Jeff Grant, Esq., Co-Founder of the White Collar Support Group™, Prof. Mark Osler of St. Thomas University (MN) Law School, Prof. Rachel Barkow, of the New York University School of Law, and Prof. Douglas Berman, of the Ohio State University Moritz School of Law announce the launch of the Federal Expungement Initiative.
More Information and to Register as a Supporter: federalexpungement.org
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We are grateful to Walt Pavlo for his excellent Forbes article about our Federal Expungement Initiative and
White Collar Conference 2025:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterpavlo/2025/09/15/one-groups-quest-to-expand-criminal-expungement-for-felons/
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Legal Action Center
Arthur Liman Public Interest Awards
Tribeca Rooftop, NYC
Monday, November 17, 2025
Please join us for the Legal Action Center’s Arthur Liman Public Interest Awards Benefit on Monday, November 17 at Tribeca Rooftop, NYC, to support LAC's life-changing 100% free legal services, shape transformative public policy, and defend civil rights for tens of thousands of people each year.
This year, LAC is thrilled to present the Arthur Liman Public Interest Award to Karen King, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Silver Lake, recognizing her distinguished career and unwavering commitment to her community. We are also proud to recognize the courageous participants of our Faces of Medicaid campaign, who will receive the Edward J. Davis Community Service Award.
Information and Tickets: https://www.lac.org/2025-arthur-liman-public-interest-awards-benefit
Legal Action Center is a Sponsor
of the White Collar Support Group
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Center for Community Alternatives
Screening of The Alabama Solution
and Talk by the Filmmakers
Symphony Space, NYC
Tuesday, November 17, 2025
It's Free!
NY, CT, NJ, PA Friends:
We are putting a group together to attend.
We hope you can join us.
The Center for Community Alternatives (CCA), an organization that supports and builds power with people who have been impacted by mass incarceration, criminalization, and community disinvestment.
CCA is putting on an exciting event on the evening of Tuesday, November 18 at Symphony Space and I thought you might be intersted in joining:
They'll be screening The Alabama Solution, a new project by Andrew Jarecki (Emmy-winning Director behind The Jinx, Capturing the Friedmans) and Charlotte Kaufman that offers a rare, unfiltered view of America's carceral crisis through cell phone footage captured by incarcerated individuals.
The evening includes a screening of the film, a talk-back with the filmmakers and CCA change-makers, and a dessert, hors d’oeuvres and drinks reception.
You’ll find more details and registration here (https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-alabama-solution). Seats are going fast, so I recommend grabbing your spot soon!
We hope you will join us.
Center for Community Alternatives is a Sponsor
of the White Collar Support Group
| | White Collar Week News, Events & Resources | |
1. White Collar Support Group in The New Yorker, "Life After White Collar Crime", by Evan Osnos: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/30/life-after-white-collar-crime
2.Skool Group: Our friends at the Justice Impacted Support Forum have an online group in which they share vital information for our community. For info and to join: https://www.skool.com/justice-impacted-support-forum-6039/about
3. Fellow Travelers in Prison: If you would like to send letters and/or books from a major bookseller (e.g. Amazon, Barnes & Noble) to Fellow Travelers currently in prison and need contact information, please let us know at info@prisonist.org.
4. Spiritual Urgent Care 1/2 Hour Mini Meeting, Online on Zoom, Thursdays, 10 am ET, 7 am PT: Please join us for a 1/2 hour midweek check-n. Open to friends and family members too!: https://zoom.us/j/397962564
5. YouTube Video: Fellow Traveler Jeff Grant on the Locked In Podcast with Ian Bick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxqGQUwT_zA&t=250s
6.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Ron Bauer, "Venture Capitalist and Justice-Impacted Person: https://youtu.be/fT6q-cL08nk?si=qyzO4NC_imvRnczQ
7.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Prof. Mark Osler, St. Thomas University School of Law, Clemency Expert, https://youtu.be/C45dCp_x_4A?si=gjLwqfz8AbbjrroT
8.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Tony Dominguez, "The World's Most Elite Sober Coach": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9w9r6oubtY
9.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Rachel Barkow on Clemency, Pardons & Sentencing Reform, Former Member U.S. Sentencing Commission, NYU Professor: https://youtu.be/SCdezLRsy4E
10.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Amy Nelson, Start Up Founder, Lawyer, Criminal Justice Advocate: https://youtu.be/EvGy8BrQLVc
11.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Brian Cuban, Author, Lawyer, Speaker, Addiction Recovery Advocate: https://youtu.be/gP1zO-etQSU
12. YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Fellow Traveler Sabrena Morgan, Criminal Justice Advocate, Blogger, Social Media Influencer: https://youtu.be/UHMCHfL1mG0
13.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Molly Parmer, Esq., Criminal Defense Attorney & CourtTV Commentator: https://youtu.be/eBwtQBJxHjM
14. YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Fellow Traveler Glenn E. Martin, Founder of JustLeadershipUSA, GEMtrainers and GEMrealestate: https://youtu.be/a5WR4bTcv9s
15.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Doug Berman, Esq., Sentencing Law & Policy Expert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPnQ1dya8dQ
16. YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series -Tarra Simmons, Lawyer, Civil Rights Advocate, Washington State Legislator, Formerly Incarcerated Person: https://youtu.be/82FgCNZb9wI
17. YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Elizabeth Kelley, Esq., Criminal Defense Attorney for People with Mental Health Disabilities: https://youtu.be/s6FL5CjyEkI?si=VNnn7psaxguO9tYI
18.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Michele Weinstat Miller, Esq., General Counsel of The Fortune Society, Author, Formerly Incarcerated Person: https://youtu.be/S1SBgjtIn_s
19. YouTube Video: We Presented at the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Fall Conference, "Prosecuted Lawyers' Reflections on Prosecutions & Reentry': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGFKuSAHBY8&t=330s
20.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series: Jason Bowles, Esq., Criminal Defense Attorney for Hannah Gutierrez, Armorer for the "Rust" Movie Case: https://youtu.be/OlHiafJwpnM
21.YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - Fellow Traveler Brent Cassity, Author, Speaker and Host of the "Nightmare Success" Podcast: https://youtu.be/I3dtA7dG4_k
22. YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series - David B. Smith, Esq., Federal Restitution & Forfeiture Collection Expert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfZweg0EL6s
23. Entrepreneur: I Went to Prison for SBA Loan Fraud – 7 Things to Know When Taking Government Money: by Fellow Traveler Jeff Grant: https://www.grantlaw.com/hurricane-ian-fraud-alert-entrepreneur-article-redux-i-went-to-prison-for-sba-loan-fraud-7-things-to-know-when-taking-covid-19-relief-money-by-jeff-grant-j-d-m-div/
24. Entrepreneur: 9 Things to Know when Hiring a White Collar Criminal Defense Attorney, by Fellow Traveler Jeff Grant: https://www.grantlaw.com/entrepreneur-9-things-to-know-when-hiring-a-white-collar-criminal-defense-lawyer-by-jeff-grant-esq/
25. Donations: Thank you for your generosity in supporting our White Collar Support Group™. Please make your online donation here: https://www.paypal.com/donate campaign_id=LP57G6978Q7SS. All donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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White Collar Support Group
Annual Fundraising Campaign!
We have no dues or fees but we do have expenses!
Thank you for your tax deductible support!
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2024 was a milestone year for the White Collar Support Group. 2025 promises to have even more in store. Stay tuned!
>Our inaugural White Collar Conference brought together over 150 attendees, moderators and panelists creating a much-needed platform for connection, advocacy, and hope. And as the year comes to a close, we reflect on the incredible progress we’ve made together - and the work still ahead.
>Weekly Support Group Meetings: For nearly 9 years and over 450 meetings we provide our Fellow Travelers our experience, strength and hope and a sense community as they navigate the white-collar criminal justice system. We have had over 1350 participants.
>Initiatives: We have many short-term, mid-range and long-range initiatives, including sending books and other materials to our members in prison, a Right to Banking Initiative, and a Federal Pardon & Expungement Reform Initiative.
>Monthly Guest Speakers: We bring subject matter experts to share their critical insights into criminal justice issues.
>Spiritual Urgent Care: Our 30-minute Thursday morning respite offering guidance and community during challenging times.
Everything we offer is freely given, but providing these vital services requires resources. That's why we rely on your support. From guiding individuals through arrest and sentencing, to supporting them during their incarceration, and helping rebuild lives after release, your generosity helps sustain everything we do. As a 501(c)(3), your donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Together, we will create a brighter future for our community. Thank you for your commitment, your generosity, and your belief in a better future.
Blessings, לשלום
Jeff
Please make your online donation here:
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Fellow Travelers Fr. Joe Ciccone, Richard McDonald,
Drew Chapin & Fr. Rix Thorsell in NYC
Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div.
Co-founder, White Collar Support Group™
Mailing: 516 S. Dixie Hwy, Box 222, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Contact us: prisonist.org/contact
Website: prisonist.org
Conference Website: whitecollarconference.com
Email: info@prisonist.org
Donations (501c3): https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=LP57G6978Q7SS
Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jeff-grant-woodbury-ct/731344
Free 1/2 Hour Pastoral Counseling Session: https://calendly.com/jgrant-grantlaw/30min
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/revjeffgrant
not a prison coach, not a prison consultant
Media Relations: press@grantlaw.com
Newsletter Contains Attorney Advertising.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
© Copyright 2025, White Collar Support Group™, All rights reserved.
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