The Yates Memo, refocusing DOJ criminal and civil corporate investigations, continues to be the critical topic of discussion this week. The Memo, discussed here, directs that individuals be the focus of the inquiry from the...more
9/18/2015
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Algorithmic Trading ,
Audits ,
Australia ,
C-Suite Executives ,
CFTC ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dirks v SEC ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Government Investigations ,
High Frequency Trading ,
Insider Trading ,
Offering Fraud ,
Personal Benefit ,
Price Manipulation ,
Pyramid Schemes ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
US v Newman ,
Yates Memorandum
Since at least the market crisis there has been a clamor to charge and convict senior corporate officials – or at least name them in a civil law enforcement action by the SEC or another agency. For years the Government...more
Microcap fraud and offering fraud cases are staples of SEC enforcement. The agency added to its totals in these areas, filing an additional offering fraud and microcap fraud action. SEC v. Mogler, Civil Action No. 15-cv-01814...more
9/16/2015
/ Criminal Prosecution ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreclosure ,
Mexico ,
Misrepresentation ,
Offering Fraud ,
Price Manipulation ,
Private Offerings ,
Real Estate Development ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act was aimed at halting corrupt payments made to improperly influence foreign officials. In drafting the Act Congress chose not to impose liability on the foreign official involved in corrupt...more
A second insider trading action was brought by the Commission against a senior banking official based on the same take-over for which he was previously charged — but a different securities trading account is at the center of...more
8/14/2015
/ Administrative Hearings ,
Banking Sector ,
BHP Billiton ,
Confidential Information ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Funds ,
Municipal Advisers ,
Municipal Bonds ,
Obstruction of Justice ,
Offering Fraud ,
Popular ,
Regulation SHO ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK ,
Underwriting
Cyber security is a key focus for virtually everyone these days. The SEC, for example, has been issuing releases discussing disclosure requirements and offering guidance for a number of years. Prominent issuers have reported...more
8/12/2015
/ Criminal Prosecution ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Hackers ,
Insider Trading ,
Popular ,
Press Releases ,
Russia ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Traditional News ,
Ukraine
The former Controller at Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC was sentenced following the entry of guilty pleas in 2012. He is the last of the Madoff employees to be sentenced to prison. U.S. v. O’Hara, Case No....more
The Government filed its long awaited Petition for a Writ of Certiorari with the Supreme Court in the Newman insider trading case. The Petition presents three key issues which were generally presaged in the request for...more
8/3/2015
/ Criminal Prosecution ,
Dell ,
Hedge Funds ,
Illegal Tipping ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Adviser ,
Material Nonpublic Information ,
NVIDIA ,
Personal Benefit ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
US v Newman
The Government requested that the Supreme Court overturn U.S. v. Newman, the Second Circuit’s decision on tipping and the personal benefit test. Previously, the Second Circuit had declined a request to either rehear the case...more
7/31/2015
/ Australia ,
Australian Securities and Investments Commission ,
Brokers ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Hong Kong ,
Insider Trading ,
Misrepresentation ,
Offering Fraud ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
US v Newman
Microcap fraud has been a priority of SEC Enforcement since at least the formation of the Microcap Task Force about two years ago. The Commission has brought a series of cases focused largely on pump-and-dump schemes....more
The DOJ resolved another FCPA action with the company entering into a deferred prosecution agreement, paying a criminal fine and agreeing to the imposition of a monitor after self reporting and cooperating. Two of the firm’s...more
7/20/2015
/ Bribery ,
Chief Compliance Officers ,
Construction Industry ,
Corporate Officers ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Foreign Official ,
Indonesia
DOJ and SEC officials repeatedly encourage cooperation. There are benefits for both sides. Cooperation can facilitate the Government’s investigation, providing a road to the scheme. Testimony can aid in obtaining a favorable...more
7/14/2015
/ Cooperation ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Forfeiture ,
Government Investigations ,
Insider Trading ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Restitution ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
SiriusXM
Jing Wang, a former Qualcomm Inc. Executive Vice President began by constructing a cover-up. Then he engaged in insider trading, using inside information taken from his employer. The scheme failed. Mr. Wang has been sentenced...more
The acquisition of Foundry Networks, Inc., a networking hardware company, by Brocade Communications System, Inc., a technology company specializing in data and storage networking products, announced on July 21, 2008, has...more
6/15/2015
/ C-Suite Executives ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Injunctions ,
Insider Trading ,
Prejudgment Interest ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud
This is the second segment of a five part series discussing the impact of the Second Circuit’s ruling in Newman on SEC insider trading cases.
The Immediate Impact of Newman -
The most immediate impact of Newman is...more
This is the first segment of a five part series discussing the impact of the Second Circuit’s ruling in Newman on SEC insider trading cases.
Introduction -
In seeking rehearing and an en banc hearing before the...more
The SEC charged another investment professional with fraud and self-dealing. SEC v. Ahmed, Civil Action No. 3:15-cv-00675 (D. Conn. Filed May 5, 2015). Defendant Iftikar Ahmed is an investment professional who was a partner...more
The market crisis of the last decade seems to have a never ending dribble of cases. The SEC filed another this week, naming four former officers of Wilmington Trust Company as defendants. SEC v. Gibson (D.Del. Filed May 6,...more
The question of waivers from certain disqualifications under the securities laws which are triggered automatically in certain instances — such as on the entry of a guilty plea — continues to be a controversial topic at the...more
The SEC announced its first whistleblower award in a retaliation case this week. The agency also brought an insider trading case, an action against an investment adviser, its general counsel and auditor based on a conflict, a...more
5/1/2015
/ Australia ,
Banks ,
Books & Records ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Adviser ,
Retaliation ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers
David Riley, formerly the Chief Information Officer of Foundry Networks, Inc. was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison and pay a $50,000 fine based on insider trading charges. He was found guilty by a jury following a 13...more
Almost five years ago the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped about 600 points in five minutes, creating chaos in the markets and huge losses for many. The market debacle became known as the flash crash. The causes were...more
The SEC has brought a series of investment fund fraud and Ponzi schemes. Indeed, the Commission has brought so many of these cases in recent years they have become a staple....more
The broken windows approach to enforcement continued this week. The Commission bundled together eight settled administrative proceedings centered on going private transactions in which the Respondents failed to update their...more
The SEC filed one new action this week – an administrative proceeding involving the principal of an investment adviser and undisclosed conflicts of interest. The Commission also amended a complaint in an insider trading...more
3/17/2015
/ Australia ,
Australian Securities and Investments Commission ,
Breach of Duty ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Fund Managers ,
HKEx ,
Hong Kong ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Fraud ,
Mary Jo White ,
Misappropriation ,
Ponzi Scheme ,
Sanctions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Short Sales ,
UK