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Liu v. SEC – Supreme Court Establishes Important Limitations on SEC Disgorgement

- In Liu v. SEC, No. 18-1501, the Supreme Court upheld the SEC’s ability to obtain disgorgement as a form of equitable relief in civil actions in federal court, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 78u(d)(5). - However, the Court...more

Department of Justice’s 2020 Update Moves the Needle on Guidance for Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs

- DOJ’s update offers additional insights into its approach to evaluating corporate compliance programs. - The update places emphasis on compliance programs that are continuously improving, data driven and supported with...more

Supreme Court Overturns ‘Bridgegate’ Convictions: Decision Will Have Ramifications for Traditional Business-Crime Prosecutions

- The Supreme Court has unanimously reversed the convictions of the state officials in the “Bridgegate” scandal. - This decision will have broader implications beyond the context of political corruption and will also...more

What Audit Committees Can Do to Prevent Accounting Fraud in Uncertain Times

- The COVID-19 crisis creates heightened risk of improper financial reporting. - Audit committees can and should take steps to help prevent such frauds. - Audit Committees should maintain the appropriate tone at the...more

Government Enforcers Focused on Coronavirus-related Actions

- Market participants should review and assess their compliance procedures to prevent and detect insider trading risks associated with COVID-19. - Companies should increase their vigilance regarding cybersecurity threats...more

U.S. v. Blaszczak: The 2nd Circuit Makes it Easier to Prosecute Insider Trading

Key Points: The 2nd Circuit has issued a landmark decision for insider trading enforcement that will make it significantly easier for the government to prosecute insider trading in criminal cases. The decision may also...more

Liu v. SEC: Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Challenge to SEC’s Ability to Obtain Disgorgement

• The Supreme Court will review whether the SEC has the authority to obtain disgorgement in actions to enforce the federal securities laws. • Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Kokesh v. SEC, 137 S. Ct. 1635 (2017),...more

SEC Warns Registered Firms about Client Privacy and Data Security

• The SEC released a Risk Alert summarizing key areas in which it continues to see compliance deficiencies related to Regulation S-P, the primary SEC rule regarding privacy notices and safeguard policies of investment...more

U.S. Supreme Court: Disseminators of False Statements with Intent to Defraud can be Held Liable Under Securities Exchange Act Rule...

• The United States Supreme Court held that a disseminator of a false statement with intent to defraud can be held liable under subsections (a) and (c) of Rule 10b-5, §10(b) of the Exchange Act and §17(a)(1) of the Securities...more

SEC OCIE Issues Guidance on Advisers’ Recordkeeping Requirements for Electronic Messaging Following its Sweep Examination

• 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

SEC Warns Companies of Potential Internal Accounting Control Violations with Business Email Compromise

• The SEC issued guidance in the form of a rare “21(a) report” this week after investigating a series of email frauds impacting 9 unnamed companies. • These email-based frauds, referred to as “CEO scams” or “vendor scams,”...more

CFTC Brings Energy Market Insider Trading Case, Announces Insider Trading Task Force

• 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

Government Agencies Face Uncertainty After Supreme Court Rules That SEC ALJs Must Be Appointed

• 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

SEC Division Director Provides Long-Awaited Guidance on Initial Coin Offerings

On Thursday, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director of Corporate Finance William Hinman provided some long-desired clarity on the SEC’s approach to cryptocurrency regulation, announcing during Yahoo Finance’s...more

The Supreme Court Holds that State Courts Have Jurisdiction over Certain Securities Class Actions

• The United States Supreme Court held that certain securities class actions affecting issuer defendants may be brought in state court and may not be removed to federal court. • The decision will likely extend or expand...more

Big Data and the Risks of Insider Trading

In the perennial quest for alpha, investment managers have turned increasingly to big and alternative data for market insights. The most prominent consumers of this data on Wall Street are managers of ‘‘quant’’ funds, which...more

Federal Judge Adopts CFTC Position That Cryptocurrencies Are Commodities

• A New York federal judge held that virtual currencies are commodities within the meaning of the Commodity Exchange Act. • This marks the first court decision to assess and to adopt the CFTC’s position that virtual...more

Supreme Court Limits Whistleblower Protections Under Dodd-Frank

• Whistleblower protections for securities violations in Dodd-Frank extend to only employees who report violations to the SEC. • Applying the plain language of the statute’s definition of “whistleblower,” limiting the...more

Administrative Proceedings in Peril? Supreme Court Grants Certiorari in Lucia v. SEC

• On January 12, 2018, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Lucia v. SEC, to resolve a circuit split over whether the SEC’s administrative law judges serve in violation of the Appointments Clause of the Constitution. •...more

The 9th Circuit Rejects Securities Class Action Premised on Businesses’ Complaints About Yelp’s Practices

• The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a securities fraud claim alleging that Yelp fraudulently inflated its stock price by misleading investors about its practices concerning the business...more

U.S. v. Martoma: The Second Circuit Reconsiders the Personal Benefit Rule in Insider Trading Cases and Announces the Partial...

• 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

Kokesh v. SEC: Supreme Court Reins in SEC’s Powerful Disgorgement Remedy

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

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