News & Analysis as of

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Confidentiality Agreements

Foley & Lardner LLP

SEC Enforcement Action Against Church & Dwight Director: Lessons for Outside Directors

Foley & Lardner LLP on

The SEC’s settlement with James R. Craigie, former CEO, chairman, and director of Church & Dwight Co. Inc., for violating proxy disclosure rules by standing for election as an independent director without disclosing his close...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

Top 10 Whistleblowing and Retaliation Events of 2024

Proskauer Rose LLP on

Following our annual tradition — which started over a decade ago — we are analyzing the year's 10 most significant whistleblower and retaliation events. As you'll see, in 2024, actions taken by a range of courts and...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Whistling While You Work is in Vogue, Thanks to the SEC December 2024 - The Whistleblower Rules & Revisiting Confidentiality

The Securities Exchange Commission ("SEC") has, in furtherance of its whistleblower program, taken actions recently that have led to lenders updating the confidentiality sections of credit agreements to allow for the...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

Funds in Focus: Top SEC Exam and Enforcement Trends

Proskauer Rose LLP on

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) National Examination Program is designed to improve compliance, prevent fraud, monitor risk and inform policy. It is also a consistent source of referrals to the SEC’s Division...more

A&O Shearman

SEC Reaches Three Separate Resolutions In Continued Focus On Whistleblowers And Rule 21F-17(a)

A&O Shearman on

In September 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “the Commission”) resolved three separate actions against corporate entities for reaching agreements with employees, potential employees, and clients that,...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

Thought Leadership SEC Charges Public Companies with Violations of Whistleblower Protection Rule

Husch Blackwell LLP on

On September 9, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced settlements with seven public companies for using employment, separation, and other agreements that violated rules prohibiting actions to impede...more

WilmerHale

SEC Continues Scrutiny of Provisions That Might Impede Whistleblowers

WilmerHale on

On September 9, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced settled charges against seven public companies for violations of certain whistleblower protections provided by Rule 21F-17 under the Securities...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

SEC alleges whistleblower protection violations in customer gag clauses

On September 4, the SEC announced it had settled charges against three affiliated registrants (the respondents) accused of violating the whistleblower protection rule. According to the SEC order, from May 2021 through...more

Perkins Coie

Whistleblower Protection Remains SEC Priority

Perkins Coie on

Last week, the SEC announced settled charges against seven public companies for use of agreements that the SEC alleges have provisions that violate the whistleblower protection rule. Coincidentally, I recently recorded a...more

Proskauer - Corporate Defense and Disputes

Court Upholds SEC’s Victory in “Shadow Trading” Case

A federal court in California refused to grant a judgment or a new trial to a defendant who was found to have engaged in insider trading when he purchased securities of one company based on material nonpublic information...more

Allen Matkins

Does The SEC's Jurisdiction Really Extend To Any Person?

Allen Matkins on

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it had settled charges against a broker-dealer and two investment advisers for impeding their clients from reporting securities law violations to the SEC. ...more

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

CFPB Warns Employee NDAs, Confidentiality Agreements May Violate Whistleblower Laws

On July 24, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued guidance putting financial regulators and employers on notice that requiring employees to sign broad confidentiality or nondisclosure agreements that...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

CFPB circular warns against unlawful NDAs

On July 24, the CFPB issued a circular to law enforcement agencies and regulators clarifying that overly broad confidentiality agreements required by certain employers may violate Section 1057 of the CFPA, which protects...more

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

CFTC Fines Commodities Trader $55 Million in First-Ever Whistleblower Rule Enforcement Action

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has joined the list of federal agencies targeting employment nondisclosure agreements and other restrictive covenants that allegedly restrict employees from making reports to...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

CFPB Tries to Stretch Section 1057 of the CFPA to Reach Nondisclosure Agreements

Troutman Pepper Locke on

This week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) issued Circular 2024-04 warning financial institutions about the potential illegality of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) that could deter whistleblowing....more

Paul Hastings LLP

SEC Wins Trial Involving First-Ever Shadow Trading Case

Paul Hastings LLP on

On April 5, 2024, a federal jury in the Northern District of California found defendant Matthew Panuwat liable for insider trading in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) first-ever case involving the so-called...more

Proskauer - Corporate Defense and Disputes

SEC Wins Insider-Trading Suit Alleging “Shadow Trading”

A federal jury in California agreed with the SEC that a corporate official engaged in insider trading when he purchased securities of a company based on material nonpublic information (“MNPI”) about a different company. The...more

DarrowEverett LLP

Actions vs. J.P. Morgan, Monolith Serve as SEC Compliance Check Reminders

DarrowEverett LLP on

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently settled charges against J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (JPMS) for impeding hundreds of advisory clients and brokerage customers from reporting potential securities law...more

K&L Gates LLP

SEC Enforcement Targets Anti-Whistleblower Practices in Financial Firm's Release Agreements With Retail Clients

K&L Gates LLP on

As the year gets underway, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) is continuing its ongoing enforcement efforts to target anti-whistleblower practices by pursuing a broader range of entities and...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

SEC Says Language in J.P. Morgan-Affiliate Release Agreements Violates Whistleblower Protections

Lowenstein Sandler LLP on

On January 16, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced an $18 million settlement order (Order) with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (JPMS) that finds that the language of release agreements JPMS entered into with...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

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Guide to Maintaining the Confidentiality of Commercially Sensitive Information in Agreements Filed With the SEC – 2024 Update

Editor’s note: This is an updated version of our January 12, 2023, client alert. This update covers new staff SEC guidance addressing the options companies have when existing confidential treatment orders approach expiration....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

White & Case LLP

How to Avoid Risk of SEC Whistleblower Rule Violations in Connection with Settlement Agreement Confidentiality Provisions

White & Case LLP on

In March 2023, we published an alert concerning the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") whistleblower protection rule and how to minimize the risk of violations in connection with employee-related documents.1 Last...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

174 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 7

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide