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Our experts frequently write blog posts about the findings of the research we are conducting.

Displaying 31-40 out of 180 results

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - February 23rd, 2015

(Feb 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Halts Colorado-Based Pyramid Scheme
February 18, 2015(Litigation Release No. 35)
The SEC has announced fraud charges against and emergency asset freezes on Kristine L. Johnson and Troy A. Barnes for their involvement in an alleged Ponzi/pyramid scheme. The SEC alleges that Johnson and Barnes' company, Work With Troy Barnes Inc., raised over $3.8 million since April of last year by luring investors in with promises of 700% returns. These returns were claimed to...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - February 13th, 2015

(Feb 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Proposes Rules for Hedging Disclosure
February 9, 2015(Litigation Release No. 26)
The SEC has announced the approval of the issuance of proposed rules. The proposed rules require a company to disclose whether its directors, officers, and other employees are permitted to hedge the company's equity securities. The proposed rules are mandated by Section 955 of the Dodd-Frank Act, and the rules are intended to better inform shareholders by increasing the...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - February 6th, 2015

(Feb 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Alerts Investors, Industry on Cybersecurity
February 3, 2015(Litigation Release No. 20)
The SEC released a couple of publications regarding cybersecurity threats at brokerage and advisory firms. One publication focused on how firms should identify risks, establish policies, procedures, and oversight processes, protect networks and information, identify risks associated with remote access to client information and transfer requests, and detect unauthorized...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - January 30th, 2015

(Jan 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Charges Oppenheimer With Securities Law Violations Related to Improper Penny Stock Sales
January 27, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 14)
The SEC has charged Oppenheimer & Co. with breaking federal securities law over illegal sales of penny stocks. They are accused of allowing non-registered sales in their accounts, ignoring red-flags and failing to file Suspicious Activity Reports. Gibralter Global Securities, a Bahamas-based brokerage firm, is one customer alleged...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - January 26th, 2015

(Jan 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Announces Charges against Standard & Poor's for Fraudulent Ratings Misconduct
January 21, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 10)
The rating agency Standard & Poor's violated a series of federal securities laws, according to an SEC investigation. Standard & Poor's Rating Services loosened its rating criteria on certain commercial mortgage-backed securities in order to attract business. Additionally, Standard & Poor's misrepresented their rating criteria on commercial...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - January 16th, 2015

(Jan 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Charges Direct Edge Exchanges With Failing to Properly Describe Order Types
January 12, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 2)
In the first case focused on stock exchange order types, the SEC has settled with the EDGA and EDGX exchanges for $14 million over charges that they did not accurately describe their order types. These exchanges, formerly owned by Direct Edge Holdings before being acquired by BATS Global Markets, were found to have offered multiple "price...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - January 9th, 2015

(Jan 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Names Walter Jospin as Regional Director of Atlanta Office
January 8, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 1)
Walter Jospin will oversee enforcement and examinations as the Regional Director of the SEC's Atlanta Office. Jospin graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated law school from Emory University. He has previously worked for the SEC's Enforcement Division dealing with investigations into accounting and financial fraud,...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - January 2nd, 2015

(Jan 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Announces Charges Against N.Y.-Based Firm and Three Executives Accused of Siphoning Investor Money
December 29, 2014 (Litigation Release No. 294)
The SEC has charged VERO Capital Management, its president, general counsel, and CFO with channeling investors' money into a side venture. Robert Geiger, George Barbaresi and Steven Downey managed a pair of funds invested primarily in mortgage-backed securities at VERO Capital Management. The SEC alleges that, while in...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - December 23rd, 2014

(Dec 2014)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Charges Investment Manager F-Squared and Former CEO With Making False Performance Claims
December 22, 2014 (Litigation Release No. 289)
It's been announced today that F-Squared Investments has agreed to settle with the SEC over charges that they defrauded investors of their AlphaSector indices. The SEC alleged that F-Squared falsely claimed a seven year performance track record, created by applying their model to historical data. The backtested record is also...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - December 19th, 2014

(Dec 2014)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Charges Massachusetts-Based Scientific Instruments Manufacturer with FCPA Violations Rules
December 15, 2014 (Litigation Release No. 280)
The SEC charged Bruker Corporation approximately $2.4 million for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Bruker Corporation had insufficient internal controls which lead to approximately $230,000 in improper payments to various Chinese government officials. The improper payments enabled Bruker to realize...

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