Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP recently hosted its “Private Investment Funds Conference: 2013 Trends and Developments” in New York City.  During a panel discussion entitled “Beyond the Headlines: Current Issues in Insider Trading Enforcement,” Akin Gump partners discussed new enforcement and prosecution tactics; the risks of gathering research through sell-side analysts, buy-side firms, expert networks, political intelligence firms, channel checking firms and meetings with current and former employees of companies; insider trading beyond U.S. borders; CFTC regulation of insider trading; whistleblowers; and five strategies for effectively mitigating insider trading risks.  The discussion was moderated by former federal prosecutor James Joseph Benjamin Jr., an Akin Gump partner and head of the firm’s securities enforcement and litigation practice group.  The other panelists were Akin Gump partners Michael A. Asaro, a former SEC staff attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney, who practices in the areas of government investigations and enforcement proceedings; Douglas A. Rappaport, who handles civil litigation and regulatory and compliance matters; and Steven F. Reich, a white collar defense litigator with experience that includes serving as an Associate Deputy U.S. Attorney General and in the White House counsel’s office.  This article summarizes the key takeaways from the panel discussion.  See also “Perils Across the Pond: Understanding the Differences Between U.S. and U.K. Insider Trading Regulation,” Hedge Fund Law Report, Vol. 5, No. 42 (Nov. 9, 2012); and “How Can Hedge Fund Managers Understand and Navigate the Perils of Insider Trading Regulation and Enforcement in Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China,” Hedge Fund Law Report, Vol. 6, No. 13 (Mar. 28, 2013).