SEC Enforcement Annual Report FY2020: Key Takeaways and Trends

On November 2, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Division of Enforcement staff published its annual enforcement report for fiscal year 2020. This has been an unprecedented year, including for the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton noted that the report highlights “enforcement’s extraordinary efforts” amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the SEC reported a 17% decrease in enforcement cases, but an increase in the amount of penalties those cases generated.