We are pleased to present our latest update on financial reporting and issuer disclosure enforcement activity. This White Paper primarily focuses on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) enforcement activity...more
SEC Chairman Gary Gensler suggests SEC will aggressively police crypto assets and decentralized finance ("DeFi") platforms while seeking expanded authority to regulate these fast-growing industries....more
8/10/2021
/ Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Gary Gensler ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Policy Statement ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Token Sales ,
Unregistered Securities
The use of SPACs has reached unprecedented levels, but recent pronouncements from the SEC may signal heightened enforcement and litigation risk for SPACs, as well as their sponsors, officers and directors, and auditors.
The...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") charges a special purpose acquisition company ("SPAC"), its CEO, and sponsor, as well as the merger acquisition target, with securities law violations, resulting in significant...more
The Situation: The SEC has brought another in a growing list of whistleblower cases critical of entities for potentially attempting to impede an individual from communicating with the agency. In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall...more
SEC Whistleblower Awards to 40 individuals in 2021 surpass total awards in fiscal year 2020.
On March 29, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") announced an award of more than $500,000 to a whistleblower who...more
A recent Reg FD SEC enforcement action against AT&T may signal a renewed focus by the SEC that warrants public companies to assess their disclosure processes.
On March 5, 2021, the SEC charged AT&T and three executives...more
The Situation: President Joe Biden nominated Gary Gensler, former Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") under the Obama administration, for Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). ...more
The recent SEC settlement with Gulfport Energy and its former CEO suggests a hard line approach to executive perks and compensation disclosures, even where expenses relate to business activities.
On February 24, 2021, the...more
The second half of 2020 saw U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") enforcement activity continue to rebound from deep uncertainty and change caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. All told, the SEC—despite a full-scale...more
In 2020, the biggest Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) headline was the record-shattering global anticorruption enforcement fines and penalties collected by foreign regulators in actions involving a coordinated FCPA...more
1/13/2021
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Biden Administration ,
Bribery ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corruption ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
White Collar Crimes
The highest award in the history of the SEC whistleblower program is issued to an employee who repeatedly reported misconduct internally before alerting the SEC.
On October 22, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange...more
Companies should consider review of their compliance programs and procedures for addressing internal complaints or tips of potential misconduct.
On September 23, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") adopted...more
9/29/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Internal Reporting ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
We are pleased to present our annual mid-year update on financial reporting and issuer disclosure enforcement activity for 2020. This White Paper focuses on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") enforcement...more
8/18/2020
/ Compliance ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Disgorgement ,
FCPA Resource Guide ,
Financial Reporting ,
Financial Statements ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Liu v Securities and Exchange Commission ,
MD&A Statements ,
New Guidance ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Regulation S-X ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
New efforts by states to incentivize whistleblowers financially underscore the importance of comprehensive corporate compliance programs that effectively address all internal reports of potential misconduct that may...more
8/18/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
CFTC ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Hedge Funds ,
NASAA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
The Court holds that the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") can continue to seek disgorgement from wrongdoers, while narrowing the remedy to net profits that are returned to victims.
In Liu v. SEC, 591 U.S. ___...more
6/25/2020
/ 15 U.S.C. § 78u(d)(5) ,
Business Expenses ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equitable Relief ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Insider Trading ,
Internal Controls ,
Liu v Securities and Exchange Commission ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The Situation: The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has announced a string of substantial whistleblower awards totaling $54 million since April 1, 2020.
The Result: The financial incentives for employees or third...more
While the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") is currently focused on maintaining orderly markets, and extending exemptions from reporting and delivery requirements for entities affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19),...more
On January 27, 2020, OCIE issued a report detailing cybersecurity and resiliency observations the staff made after "thousands of examinations of broker-dealers, investment advisers, clearing agencies, national securities...more
2/10/2020
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Investment Adviser ,
OCIE ,
Regulation S-ID ,
Regulation S-P ,
Risk Assessment ,
SEC Examination Priorities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Vendors
In the third year of the Trump Administration, the biggest Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") headlines were record corporate fines and penalties, and a banner year of individual FCPA enforcement highlighted by three DOJ...more
2/5/2020
/ Bribery ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corruption ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Government Officials ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
White Collar Crimes
We are pleased to present our annual year-end update on financial reporting and issuer disclosure enforcement activity for 2019. This White Paper focuses on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") enforcement...more
1/21/2020
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Annual Reports ,
Auditor Independence ,
Biotechnology ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiscal Year ,
Lucia v SEC ,
Proxy Advisory Firms ,
Retail Investors ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations
The Situation: The U.S. Supreme Court has granted certiorari to consider whether the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has authority to obtain disgorgement in district court actions.
The Significance: The SEC...more
11/11/2019
/ Administrative Authority ,
Certiorari ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equitable Relief ,
Kokesh v SEC ,
Lack of Authority ,
Liu v Securities and Exchange Commission ,
Penalties ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Split of Authority ,
Statute of Limitations
We are pleased to present our annual mid-year update on financial reporting and issuer disclosure enforcement activity for 2019. This White Paper primarily focuses on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement...more
8/6/2019
/ Audits ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Officers ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
EDGAR ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
False Statements ,
Intent to Defraud ,
Internal Controls ,
Investment Banks ,
Lorenzo v SEC ,
Material Dissemination ,
Misleading Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Violations
The Situation: In recent years, broker-dealers have been seeking further transparency from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") on what constitutes "extraordinary" cooperation with its investigations and when...more
The D.C. Circuit’s decision is significant because certain SEC statutes require a finding of willfulness.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ("D.C. Circuit") is raising the bar on "willful"...more
5/15/2019
/ Anti-Fraud Provisions ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Form ADV ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Negligence ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Statutory Requirements ,
Strict Liability ,
Willful Violations