On June 5, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a comprehensive interpretation (the “Interpretation”) of the fiduciary duties that investment advisers owe to their clients under the Investment Advisers...more
6/13/2019
/ Best Interest Standard ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Duty of Care ,
Duty of Loyalty ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Informed Consent ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Retail Investors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
• On March 8, 2019, New York State Supreme Court Justice Joel M. Cohen dismissed a defamation action brought by Eros International plc, an Indian media company, against multiple short sellers who had questioned the accuracy...more
4/11/2019
/ Defamation ,
Dismissals ,
Financial Reporting ,
Hedge Funds ,
Investors ,
Misrepresentation ,
NY Supreme Court ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities Fraud ,
Short Selling ,
Statement of Opinion
• On December 14, the SEC’s OCIE issued a Risk Alert summarizing the findings of its limited-scope examination initiative relating to electronic messaging.
• Noting a “pervasive use” of electronic messaging by adviser...more
12/18/2018
/ Best Practices ,
Books & Records ,
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Electronic Communications ,
Email Policies ,
Employee Training ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
New Guidance ,
OCIE ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Risk Alert ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Text Messages
• The CFTC has filed a new “insider trading” enforcement action involving the energy markets—the agency’s third energy market insider trading case since 2015.
• The CFTC also created an Insider Trading and Information...more
10/3/2018
/ Anti-Fraud Provisions ,
Asset Management ,
Breach of Duty ,
CFTC ,
Commodities ,
Confidential Information ,
Electricity ,
Energy Market ,
Energy Sector ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FERC ,
Insider Trading ,
Market Manipulation ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Securities Fraud
• SEC ALJs are “Officers of the United States” within the meaning of the Appointments Clause and therefore must be appointed directly by the SEC. The Court’s decision may permit litigants in prior and pending administrative...more
6/26/2018
/ Administrative Agencies ,
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Administrative Proceedings ,
Appeals ,
Appointments Clause ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
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)
• The voluntary disclosure of a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violation, “full cooperation” in an ensuing investigation, and timely and appropriate remediation, will create a presumption that the disclosing company...more
12/4/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Attorney General ,
Cooperation ,
Corporate Fines ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disgorgement ,
Federal Pilot Programs ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Forfeiture ,
Memorandum of Guidance ,
Remediation ,
Restitution ,
Self-Reporting ,
Substantial Aggravating Circumstances ,
Voluntary Disclosure
• A divided 2nd Circuit holds that there is no requirement for a “meaningfully close personal relationship” between a tipper and tippee in order for the tipper to reap a personal benefit from the disclosure sufficient to give...more
This week, the Supreme Court in Kokesh v. SEC unanimously held that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) equitable disgorgement remedy is subject to a five-year statute of limitations because it is a “penalty”...more
On December 6, 2016, in an opinion written by Justice Alito, the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Salman v. United States, a closely-watched insider trading tipping case. Salman builds upon...more
The EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR), which came into effect across the EU on July 3, is a timely reminder in the aftermath of the UK’s Brexit referendum, that, for the time being at least, the UK remains a member of the...more
As predicted in this previous AG Deal Diary post, the U.S. Supreme Court has granted certiorari in United States v. Salman, No. 14-10204 (9th Cir. July 6), cert. granted (U.S. Jan. 19, 2016), an important insider-trading...more
On November 16, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice revised the United States Attorneys’ Manual (USAM) to align the principles by which federal government prosecutors investigate and prosecute criminal cases involving...more
On September 9, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice issued guidance regarding the prosecution of individuals in cases involving criminal and civil corporate wrongdoing. The first major policy memorandum issued since Attorney...more
The 9th Circuit just denied rehearing en banc in a closely watched decision that declined to adopt a broad interpretation of its influential sister circuit’s watershed opinion in United States v. Newman, 773 F.3d 438 (2d Cir....more
Newly confirmed Attorney General Loretta Lynch has made it clear that she plans to get tough on financial crime. During her confirmation hearing in January, Lynch testified that she “looks forward to taking a very aggressive...more
A recent decision from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York allowing a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) civil enforcement action to proceed against two former stockbrokers for...more
4/23/2015
/ Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Illegal Tipping ,
Insider Trading ,
Judge Rakoff ,
Personal Benefit ,
Quid Pro Quo ,
SEC v Payton ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
US v Newman
In a landmark insider trading decision issued on December 10, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit made important pronouncements favorable to the defense on two recurring and important legal issues: (1) what is...more
In a speech delivered on June 5, 2014 at the Sandler O’Neill Global Exchange and Brokerage Conference in New York, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Mary Jo White unveiled a package of SEC initiatives aimed...more
Just last week the SEC issued its largest whistleblower payment to date, awarding an unidentified whistleblower more than $14 million for providing information to the SEC that led to an enforcement action and the recovery of...more