Wednesday morning marked the confluence of two events. First, like the rest of the world, I awoke to the reality of the results of the presidential race. Then, as soon as I got to the office, I received the results of a case (on which I have previously blogged) that the SEC’s Division of
ALJ
It’s Official: The SEC Has No Sense Of Humor
One of my colleagues and I were busy the last two week defending an SEC administrative proceeding out-of-town, so I have not had much chance to blog. But…there was one development during our hearing that merits some immediate attention.
My client has been accused, essentially, of making a number of material misrepresentations and omissions in…
Updates: Two Losers + One Positive Note = A Bad Week For Broker-Dealers
There have been some developments this week in a few matters on which I have previously offered my views. To help you stay on the cutting edge of financial world current events as you mingle at your upcoming Cinco de Mayo fiestas, here are three updates. Two, not surprisingly, represent wins for the regulators. The…
The First Circuit Makes The Case Against Cherry-Picking Instances Of Alleged Misrepresentations By Focusing, Instead, On “Context”
Years ago, I handled the defense of a FINRA Enforcement case that still galls me. The client sent a series of emails, over many months, about a particular security to customers who already owned the stock. The point of the emails was largely to provide updates, and, from time-to-time, to suggest that the customers consider…
The SEC’s Proposal To Improve The Fairness Of Administrative Proceedings: Not Nearly Enough To Impact Its Winning Percentage, But Enough To Make It Seem It Cares
In what many will likely consider to be an effort to quiet the increasing chorus of criticism over the SEC’s increased use of administrative proceedings over the last few years, today, the SEC announced a proposal to amend several of the rules governing those proceedings. While the SEC did not expressly acknowledge that the amendments…
Compliance Officer Liability: Findings Without Sanctions? The Plot Thickens
We have previously posted on the issue of CCO liability, a very sensitive subject, to say the least, for many readers of this blog. If this is a subject that interests you, then there was a very intriguing development this past week in this area that merits your attention.
It came in the form of…
David Slays Goliath…And Goliath Is Pissed
I reported a few weeks ago on the victory that my clients, Mark Robare and Jack Jones, achieved in the administrative proceeding that the SEC initiated against them last year. Against all odds, they convinced Judge Grimes that not only had they not committed the fraud claimed by the SEC, but, in Judge Grimes’ words,…
SEC Publishes Memo Explaining Its Forum Selection Considerations, But Questions Remain
The SEC has faced mounting criticism recently for its increasing use of administrative proceedings in enforcement matters. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the agency, challenging its forum selection. Judge Jed Rakoff of the U.S. District for the Southern District of New York has made it very clear he has serious fairness and constitutionality concerns…