Category: SEC enforcement
SPAC Enforcement Risks Increase with Enhanced SEC Scrutiny
What happened In a recent client alert, we discussed the dramatic rise in offerings of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and some of the attendant litigation and enforcement risks. A raft of recent public statements and actions by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff reflect the agency’s enhanced scrutiny of these […]
SEC Brings Rare Charges in Alleged Regulation Fair Disclosure Violation
What happened The SEC recently brought charges against AT&T and three mid-level executives for selectively providing information to Wall Street analysts in alleged violation of Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). According to the complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, AT&T learned in March 2016 that a “steeper-than-expected” decline […]
SEC v. Ripple
On December 22, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) against Ripple Labs, Inc., and Ripple executives Bradley Garlinghouse and Christian A. Larsen in their individual capacities.1 The complaint alleges that (i) the defendants engaged in unregistered sales of securities […]
SPAC Trend Gives Rise to Securities Enforcement and Litigation Risks
What is a SPAC Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) are on the rise. A SPAC is a publicly traded shell company with no underlying operating business that seeks to merge with a target operating company. According to Nasdaq, in 2015, SPACs made up approximately 12% of the IPO market, but by […]
New SEC Leadership to Focus on Enforcement
What happened President Joe Biden announced that he would nominate Gary Gensler to serve as the next chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Gensler formerly served as head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where he developed a reputation as a tough regulator in the wake of the financial crisis. […]
SEC Enforcement Investigating Potential Federal Securities Law Violations by PPP Borrowers
It’s not just the Justice Department that’s looking into PPP loans – although there appears to be plenty of that going on – the SEC’s Division of Enforcement is also conducting an investigation into certain PPP loan recipients to determine whether there have been violations of the federal securities laws. […]
SEC v. Telegram: Key Takeaways and Implications
On March 24, 2020, Judge P. Kevin Castel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) request for a preliminary injunction against Telegram Group Inc. and TON Issuer Inc. (collectively, “Telegram”), preventing the distribution of Gram tokens to the […]
Remaining Vigilant to Compliance and Enforcement Concerns in Times of Crisis
In times of increased financial stress—and particularly during times of financial shock where expectations and reality diverge significantly and rapidly—internal and external pressures can lead to risk-taking with lasting consequences. For example, pressure often mounts to boost revenue to save a failing quarter, to take advantage of government bailout opportunities, […]
US v. Connolly: District Court Scrutinizes Longtime Corporate Practices for Internal Investigations
“On May 2, 2019, the chief judge for the Southern District of New York, the Honorable Colleen McMahon, issued a decision that pointedly criticized certain long-standing practices by which corporations conduct – and the government directs – internal corporate investigations. In United States v. Connolly, No. 16-cr-0370 (S.D.N.Y. May 2, 2019), […]