During 2023, securities lawsuit filings rose for the first time in four years. Settlements declined last year; there were nine mega-settlements of more than $100 million, including a $1 billion settlement. Case filings...more
2/28/2024
/ Class Certification ,
Cryptocurrency ,
False Statements ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Misleading Statements ,
Scienter ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Standing ,
Statute of Limitations
During 2021, securities case filings fell for the second consecutive year and, for the first time since 2016, fewer than 300 federal securities class actions were filed. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the number of announced...more
2/24/2022
/ Class Certification ,
Denial of Certiorari ,
False Statements ,
Jurisdiction ,
Loss Causation ,
Presumption of Reliance ,
Scienter ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Standing ,
Statute of Limitations
On January 28, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") announced a settled fraud case with HeadSpin, Inc., a technology start-up, that allegedly engaged in a scheme to boost the company's valuation to more...more
The proposed amendments to the rules governing the whistleblower program, if adopted, would reverse prior amendments and provide further and significant financial incentives for whistleblowers to report potential violations...more
2/14/2022
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
The accelerated pace and size of awards to whistleblowers totaling more than $530 million in SEC Fiscal Year 2021 underscores the commitment to the whistleblower program under new SEC leadership. On September 15, 2021, the...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
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
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