From Boardroom to Courtroom Podcast

Unpacking the Intersection of Finance, Law, and Forensic Investigation

This podcast is produced by the American Bar Association. To access all podcasts by this producer, visit the ABA Podcast Hub.

The Vision

In a world where corporate governance and financial regulations are constantly evolving, understanding the "how" and "why" behind the headlines is critical. From Boardroom to Courtroom is a specialized podcast series produced by the ABA Business Law Section.

Our mission is to pull back the curtain on complex financial narratives—from the mechanics of high-stakes fraud to the nuances of corporate compliance. Hosted by forensic accountant J.W. Verret, he provides legal professionals, forensic experts, and corporate leaders with the deep-dive analysis needed to navigate the space where business strategy meets legal liability.

Meet Your Host

John Wallace Verret, JD, CPA/CFF, is a law professor at George Mason University with expertise in securities law, M&A, corporate law, and banking law. He is a Virginia-licensed CPA, certified in financial forensics by AICPA, and holds designations as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Valuation Analyst, and Cryptocurrency Forensic Investigator, plus a blockchain economics certificate from Wharton. He served on the SEC Investor Advisory Committee and the FASAC, advising on GAAP development. He contributed to valuation and reporting rules for crypto assets, clerked for the Delaware Court of Chancery, and acted as an expert in numerous corporate and securities litigation.

Episode Library

Featured Episode

Next Chapters: Greg Varallo on Tornetta v. Musk and the Future of Delaware Corporate Law

A single Tesla shareholder challenged the largest executive pay package ever granted, the $55.8 billion award Tesla gave Elon Musk in 2018. Greg Varallo is the lawyer who tried the case. 

Greg spent 36 years building one of Delaware’s most respected corporate defense practices at Richards, Layton & Finger, became firm president, then moved to Bernstein Litowitz in 2019 and took the lead at trial in Tornetta v. Musk. 

He walks me through the case in chapters: the board process, the trial record, the rescission order, the second stockholder vote, and the Delaware Supreme Court’s December 2025 decision, which reversed rescission as too extreme a remedy and awarded one dollar in damages. 

We discuss SB 21's impact on controlling stockholder fights after Rutledge, and Greg's upcoming article on a constructive path forward for the Delaware bench and bar. If you handle fiduciary duty cases or advise boards on pay, spend an hour with the lawyer who experienced the biggest governance case in a generation from the inside.

Episode 6: The Audit Committee Consiglieri

Late at night, the audit committee of a public company calls Frank Placenti, a corporate governance attorney at Greenberg Traurig. Their CEO is trading on inside information and hiding an SEC investigation. Placenti led the audit committee’s investigation, brought in SEC enforcement, and helped the company rebuild governance without shareholder suits. His key advice: understand what auditors and regulators need, then design the investigation to meet both. If you’re the lawyer a board calls at midnight, this is a must-listen.

Episode 5: Never Enough - A Forensic Accountant Unwinds the Madoff Ponzi Scheme

Forensic accountant Chris Ekimoff breaks down the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme—how it unraveled, how damages were assessed, and what attorneys should know when working with forensic experts on complex fraud cases.

Episode 4: SPACs are Back!

J.W. Verret sits down with Kurt Wolfe to unpack the resurgence of SPAC litigation, emerging damages theories, and how Delaware courts are approaching these high-stakes disputes in today’s evolving market environment.

Episode 3: Current State of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Peter P Tomczak and J.W. Verret explore enforcement trends, compliance risks, and how regulators are thinking about cross-border corruption cases—along with practical insights for attorneys navigating investigations and litigation.

Episode 2: The Case of the Bluebell Ice Cream

J.W. Verret and Charles M Elson examine the Blue Bell prosecution, breaking down criminal liability, executive decision-making, and what this case signals for corporate governance and enforcement risk.

Episode 1: The Case of the $117 Million Crypto Hack

Samson Enzer and J.W. Verret unpack a $117M hack, tracing the forensic analysis, damages issues, and legal implications—offering a practical look at how courts and experts handle emerging digital asset disputes.