News & Analysis as of

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Enforcement Actions Employer Liability Issues

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Companies Subject to U.S. Jurisdiction Should not Restrict Personnel from Being SEC Whistleblowers, or Receiving SEC Whistleblower...

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

SEC rules prohibit taking “any action” to impede an individual from communicating directly with the SEC about a possible securities law violation, including by enforcing, or threatening to enforce, a confidentiality...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

SEC Announces Settlements with Seven Public Companies for Violations of Exchange Act Whistleblower Protections in Employee and...

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The SEC has begun to bring enforcement actions against companies whose employment and client agreements could appear to infringe on the right to report cases in violation of Section 21f-17(a) of the Exchange Act. On September...more

Jenner & Block

Client Alert: Key Takeaways from the SEC’s Latest Enforcement Sweep Regarding Violations of the Whistleblower Protections Rule

Jenner & Block on

Earlier this week, the SEC announced an enforcement sweep charging seven public companies with violating the whistleblower protections rule in various employment-related agreements. These charges reflect the SEC’s continuing...more

Perkins Coie

February Tip of the Month: SEC Targets Whistleblower Restrictions in Employment-Related Agreements

Perkins Coie on

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has signaled that it will take aggressive action against employers who, by way of employment-related agreements, restrict, prohibit, or otherwise discourage employees from...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

SEC Takes on Nondisclosure Agreements to Protect Whistleblower Program; Fines Firm $10 Million

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in recent years has taken an aggressive stance against employers over employment agreements that the agency believes impede its whistleblower program—as highlighted by a $10...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

SEC Continues to Police Confidentiality Provisions for Theoretical Whistleblower Suppression

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) levied an $18 million fine against J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC (“JPMS”) for allegedly including overbroad release provisions in settlement agreements. This marks the continuation...more

BakerHostetler

Employers Beware: Broad Confidentiality and Severance Clauses May Violate Whistleblower Protection Laws

BakerHostetler on

Employers should check their confidentiality and severance agreements for a common oversight that, for some, is becoming a costly error. Recent enforcement activity by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Rule...more

Littler

SEC Continues to Attack Non-Disclosure Agreements and Personnel Policy Provisions that Could Impede Employees from Reporting...

Littler on

The SEC continues to review non-disclosure agreements and other confidential business information provisions of publicly traded companies to ensure whistleblowers are not restricted from freely communicating with the agency...more

Epstein Becker & Green

#WorkforceWednesday: SEC Cracks Down on Private Companies for Violating Whistleblower Protections - Employment Law This Week®

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This week, we’re focusing on three recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges against employers for violating whistleblower protection laws and how all employers should take extra steps to ensure compliance in...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

SEC Increases Scrutiny of Whistleblower Protections

Ballard Spahr LLP on

Summary - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently announced settlements with a number of companies whose separation agreements or internal policies the SEC viewed as impeding employees’ participation in the...more

Zuckerman Spaeder LLP

Off-Channel Communication Risks: SEC and CFTC Enforcement Actions and Compliance Considerations for Financial Firms

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In an increasingly digital world, financial firms need to be mindful of the variety of electronic communication channels that their employees use for work. Even where firms require employees to use firm-managed email networks...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Insights – June 2023

This edition of Skadden’s quarterly Insights looks at the latest trends in shareholder activism, the scrutiny companies are facing over their ESG disclosures and employment considerations for using AI in the workplace, among...more

BCLP

SEC penalizes company with good disclosures for insufficient controls

BCLP on

What happened? In a recent settlement order, the SEC charged Activision Blizzard with failing to maintain adequate disclosure controls and procedures. Notably, the SEC did not claim that the company’s SEC filings were...more

Goodwin

Delaware Court of Chancery Holds Buzzfeed Not Bound by Pre-SPAC Merger Employment Agreements

Goodwin on

On October 28, 2022, Vice Chancellor Morgan T. Zurn of the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled that the declaratory action brought by Buzzfeed Inc. against 91 current and former employees is not bound by arbitration provisions...more

BakerHostetler

Businesses Must Contemplate Employees' Use of Messaging Apps on Personal Devices

BakerHostetler on

An investment management company was recently hit with $200 million in fines for failing to track employees’ use of personal messaging apps, which resulted in the loss of communications that were subject to regulatory...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Skadden's 2020 Insights

Despite political and economic uncertainties, markets and deal activity were resilient in 2019, and strong fundamentals remain in place heading into 2020. Companies continue to face a challenging litigation and enforcement...more

Morgan Lewis

OSHA Increases Scrutiny of Whistleblower Settlement Agreements

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Following the SEC’s lead, OSHA recently announced new guidelines that it will consider when deciding whether to approve settlement agreements reached during OSHA investigations of whistleblower claims....more

Morgan Lewis

CFTC Proposes Amendments to Whistleblower Awards Process and Anti-Retaliation Authority

Morgan Lewis on

The amendments would make the CFTC’s whistleblower awards process more uniform with the SEC’s program and would enable the CFTC to bring enforcement actions against employers that retaliate against whistleblowers....more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Companies Should Revisit Severance and Other Agreements as the SEC Steps Up Enforcement Actions to Protect Whistleblower Rights

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In less than one week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced enforcement actions against two companies that had required their departing employees to waive their rights to any monetary recovery under the...more

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Bridging the Week - August 2015 #4

CME Group Files Disciplinary Actions for Trading Ahead of Block Trades and Failure to Supervise an Employee Engaging in Disruptive Trading Activities - In two cases of first impression, CME Group exchanges brought and...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Recent Investment Management Developments - June 2015

Ballard Spahr LLP on

In This Issue: - SEC Proposes Changes to Reporting and Disclosure Obligations for Investment Companies and Advisers - SEC Charges Hedge Fund Executives and External Auditor for Improper Disclosure of Expense...more

Holland & Knight LLP

SEC Gives Maximum Award in First Whistleblower Retaliation Case

Holland & Knight LLP on

On April 28, 2015, the SEC announced that it awarded a whistleblower the maximum award of 30 percent of the amounts collected in connection with the SEC’s first anti-retaliation case. The whistleblower received more than...more

Stinson - Corporate & Securities Law Blog

SEC Makes Whistleblower Award in Connection With Retaliation Case

The SEC announced a maximum whistleblower award payment of 30 percent of amounts collected in connection with In the Matter of Paradigm Capital Management, Inc. and Candace King Weir, File No. 3-15930 (June 16, 2014), the...more

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Corporate Investigations & White Collar Defense - April 2015

It’s Stifling in Here! SEC Rules That Companies Can’t Put Restrictive Language in Confidentiality Agreements That Could Potentially Stifle Whistleblowers - Why it matters: On April 1, 2015, the SEC announced its...more

Epstein Becker & Green

Five Key Issues Confronting Financial Services Industry Employers

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Employers in the financial services industry are faced with a growing number of employment law challenges. Whistleblower complaints are on the rise as regulatory agencies become more aggressive in their efforts to encourage...more

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