In the face of volatile markets and a global pandemic, an old capital markets vehicle has been taking the markets by storm: special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). Although SPACs have been around for many years, the...more
4/5/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Corporate Financing ,
Corporate Governance ,
Enforcement ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Sponsors ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Material Nonpublic Information ,
Mergers ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Registration Statement ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
On January 20, 2021, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain issued a memorandum ordering a temporary freeze of new or pending rules in order “to ensure that the President’s appointees or designees have the opportunity” to...more
On January 1, 2021, amendments to Section 21(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) codifying and expanding the power of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) to obtain disgorgement in...more
On June 22, the Supreme Court held in Liu v. SEC that the SEC may obtain disgorgement in federal court cases, as long as the disgorgement does not exceed a wrongdoer’s “net profits and is awarded for victims.” The Court’s...more
6/25/2020
/ 15 U.S.C. § 78u(d)(5) ,
Administrative Authority ,
Business Expenses ,
Calculation of Damages ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equitable Relief ,
Kokesh v SEC ,
Lack of Authority ,
Liu v Securities and Exchange Commission ,
Net Profits ,
Remedies ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On August 23, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) held in In re John M.E. Saad that the US Supreme Court’s decision in Kokesh v. SEC had no impact on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s...more
On July 11, 2019, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) restated and supplemented prior guidance regarding the circumstances under which FINRA will award credit for “extraordinary cooperation” in...more
On May 2, 2019, a court in the Southern District of New York ruled in United States v. Connolly (16-CR-370) that statements made by an employee to outside counsel during an internal investigation were subject to certain...more
The Supreme Court yesterday took a significant step to expand the universe of actors who can be held liable for a false statement under the federal securities laws. The Supreme Court held in Lorenzo v. SEC that a person who...more
3/29/2019
/ Appeals ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Statements ,
Fines ,
Intent to Defraud ,
Investment Banks ,
Lorenzo v SEC ,
Material Dissemination ,
Misleading Statements ,
Reaffirmation ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Suspensions
On June 21, 2018, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Lucia v. SEC, Slip Op. No. 17-130. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) administrative law judges (ALJs) have traditionally been appointed by SEC staff members,...more
6/25/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Administrative Proceedings ,
Appeals ,
Appointments Clause ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Final Written Decisions ,
Lucia v SEC ,
Officers of the United States ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Special Trial Judges (STJs)
Cybersecurity is one of the highest priority issues for public company executives and directors. This note shares our views—developed over our involvement in the aftermath of many cybersecurity events as well as counseling on...more
On February 21, 2018, the Supreme Court held in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers that the anti-retaliation whistleblower protections under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank...more
2/26/2018
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Digital Realty Trust Inc v Somers ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Internal Reporting ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Rule 21F ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
Last year, the Enforcement Division of the SEC announced its intention to bring more enforcement actions in its own administrative forum rather than in federal court. The authors describe these administrative proceedings...more