On Monday, June 19, 2017, the Supreme Court clarified the limits of specific personal jurisdiction in state courts, holding that a connection between a defendant’s contacts with the forum and the claims at issue remains...more
On Monday, June 5, 2017, a unanimous Supreme Court held that the ability of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to seek disgorgement in connection with a violation of federal securities law is subject to a...more
On March 27, 2017, the United States Supreme Court granted a petition for a writ of certiorari to resolve a circuit split on whether corporate issuers’ disclosure obligation under Item 303 of SEC Regulation S-K can be an...more
Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous, but narrow, ruling in Salman v. United States, regarding criminal tipper/tippee liability for insider trading, which the Supreme Court had not significantly...more
In so-called “price maintenance” securities fraud cases, plaintiffs argue that a misrepresentation that does not cause a stock’s price to rise can nevertheless be actionable under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange of...more
Companies confer title of “Vice President” on a wide range of employees, from senior executives, in some cases, to line-level personnel, in others. While distinguishing someone functioning as a senior executive from someone...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC or the Commission) brought over 400 enforcement actions in the first half of 2016 and is on pace to surpass its record of 807 enforcements actions in a single fiscal year, which...more
7/20/2016
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Books & Records ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Chief Compliance Officers ,
Cooperation ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Statistics ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Adviser ,
Municipal Bonds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Whistleblowers
The tolling rule established by the Supreme Court in American Pipe & Construction Co. v. Utah generally provides that the commencement of a class action in federal court suspends the applicable statute of limitations for all...more
For purposes of assessing the existence of federal subject matter jurisdiction based on diversity of citizenship, national banking associations—i.e., corporate entities chartered not by any State, but by the Office of the...more
Vice Chancellor Laster of the Delaware Chancery Court recently issued an important opinion in In Re: Appraisal of Dell Inc.C.A. No. 9322-VCL (May 31, 2016), holding that merger consideration offered to Dell, Inc’s common...more
The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (“FIRREA”) includes a so-called Extender Statute prescribing the limitations period for actions brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as...more
Twenty-five years ago, in Ceres Partners, the Second Circuit held that the implied private right of action under Section 14 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) was subject to a three-year repose...more
In Janus Capital, the Supreme Court established the “ultimate authority” test to determine who may be liable under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) as a “maker” of a materially misleading...more
In Omnicare, Inc. v. Laborers District Council Construction Industry Pension Fund, 135 S.Ct. 1318 (2015) (“Omnicare”), the Supreme Court pronounced the standard for determining whether a statement of opinion is actionable...more
Justice Antonin Scalia’s recent passing leaves the United States Supreme Court with eight active members. The timetable for the nomination and confirmation of his successor is unknown and currently the subject of a political...more
3/3/2016
/ ConAgra ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cuozzo Speed Technologies v Lee ,
Justice Scalia ,
Merrill Lynch ,
Microsoft v Baker ,
RJR Nabisco ,
SCOTUS ,
Spokeo v Robins ,
Tyson Foods v Bouaphakeo ,
US v Newman ,
Young Lawyers
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC or the Commission) filed a record 807 enforcement actions in fiscal year 2015, 52 more than it filed in 2014. It also set a record by obtaining approximately $4.2 billion in...more
On November 10, 2015, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously held in a published opinion that (i) the attorney-client privilege was not waived by appellants-taxpayers who shared a group of documents,...more
On April 1, 2015, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) filed its first enforcement action under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Exchange Act Rule...more
In its much-anticipated decision in Omnicare, Inc. v. Laborers District Council Construction Industry Pension Fund (“Omnicare”), No. 13-435 (Mar. 24, 2015), the United States Supreme Court held that an honestly-held statement...more
On January 22, 2015, the Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts of New York adopted a new rule applicable to the Commercial Division, effective April 1, 2015, that will require parties to provide increased specificity when...more
Fiscal year 2014 proved to be another eventful and record-breaking year for the Division of Enforcement (Enforcement Division) of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or the Commission). Indeed, the...more
While not nearly as transformative and dramatic as the first half of 2013 and the early days of Chair Mary Jo White and Director of Enforcement Andrew Ceresney, the first six months of 2014 was just as busy and productive...more
In its long-awaited decision in Halliburton Co. v. Erica P. John Fund, Inc. (“Halliburton II”), the US Supreme Court upheld the validity of the fraud-on-the-market presumption set forth in Basic Inc. v. Levinson, 485 US 224...more
The Supreme Court of the United States has granted certiorari in Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi v. IndyMac MBS, Inc., taking up an issue that affects the management of class action securities litigation....more
Marked by leadership changes, high-profile trials, and shifting priorities, 2013 was a turning point for the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”). While the results of...more
1/9/2014
/ Accounting Fraud ,
Auditors ,
Bribery ,
Broker-Dealer ,
China ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Disclosure ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FIRREA ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Injunctions ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Adviser ,
Mary Jo White ,
Municipal Securities Issuers ,
Neither Admit Nor Deny Settlements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Whistleblowers