To understand the litigation and regulatory risks that are coming in 2024 for private capital, it is helpful to look back briefly on recent events. Arguably, the single most important event over the last 18 months was the...more
3/19/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Asset Management ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fund Managers ,
Hedge Funds ,
Interest Rates ,
Investment Management ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Private Equity ,
Private Funds ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Technology Sector
Recent enforcement actions highlight the increased regulatory scrutiny that private funds may face with respect to internal cybersecurity protocols and responses to cyber-crimes and cyber incidents under new and updated...more
5/23/2023
/ Coinbase ,
Compliance ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Privacy Laws ,
Private Funds ,
Robinhood Financial ,
Sanctions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The SEC’s Enforcement Division is conducting a sweep investigation of large investment advisers regarding their employees’ use of “off-channel” communications. The sweep, which has been widely reported in the press, focuses...more
4/25/2023
/ Asset Management ,
Breach of Duty ,
Compliance ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investigations ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Private Funds ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Over the past few years, the SEC has brought fewer insider trading and Material Non-Public Information (MNPI)-related cases compared to historical numbers. We expect to see a reversal of that trend in 2022.
The SEC has...more
The SEC’s push to regulate the next generation of blockchain-based applications will likely give rise to disputes and enforcement actions, particularly in the developing decentralized finance (DeFi) space....more
Today, we are launching a proprietary database tracking all SEC enforcement actions involving private equity advisers. The database contains key information from the actions, including summaries of key issues, settlement...more
7/23/2019
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Funds ,
Popular ,
Private Equity ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
An increasingly sophisticated and active OCIE division, innovative market disruptors, a maturing credit cycle, and a philosophical change in how the private fund industry views and utilizes litigation are likely to lead to...more
2/21/2019
/ Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fund Managers ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Litigation Funding ,
OCIE ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Token Sales
With the public equity markets at an all-time high and private equity fund raising setting new records, it might seem counter-intuitive to forecast litigation and regulatory risks. The opposite is true. Disputes typically...more
2/13/2018
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
CTFC ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Litigation Fees & Costs ,
Popular ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Unicorns
On November 18, 2016, outgoing SEC Chair Mary Jo White delivered a speech at New York University School of Law entitled “A New Model for SEC Enforcement: Producing Bold and Unrelenting Results.” Chair White’s remarks covered...more
11/29/2016
/ Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Private Funds ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Senior Management Regime (SMR) ,
Trump Administration ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers
In the wake of the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, Mary Jo White has announced her intent to step down from her role as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Chair White, the...more
11/16/2016
/ Administrative Appointments ,
Administrative Resignation ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Presidential Elections ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Violations ,
Trump Administration
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced its enforcement results for fiscal year 2016, reaching new highs in the number of actions filed and money ordered forfeited through disgorgement and penalties. The SEC...more
10/12/2016
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Penalties ,
Private Equity ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
Valuation is typically near the top of the list when the SEC’s enforcement division and exam staff disclose their priority topics for private funds. We expect that trend to continue and, if anything, the focus on valuation...more
The SEC is continuing its pattern of establishing “standards of conduct” for the private equity industry through speeches, enforcement actions, and public settlements. After foreshadowing its concerns in various speeches over...more
The SEC’s regulation of the private investment funds industry has generated significant attention and commentary, as well as a fair amount of hand-wringing. From our perspective as lawyers, however, there is a relatively...more
5/9/2016
/ Breach of Duty ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Duty to Disclose ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fund Managers ,
Limited Partnership Agreements ,
Offering Documents ,
Private Equity ,
Private Investment Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On November 5, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it had reached a settlement with Cherokee Investment Partners, LLC (CIP) and Cherokee Advisers, LLC (CA), affiliated private equity fund...more
On November 3, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it had reached a settlement with Fenway Partners, LLC, a New York-based private equity firm, and several of the firm's executives (the...more
11/5/2015
/ Advisory Board ,
Affiliated-Business Arrangements ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Corporate Executives ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Investors ,
Portfolio Companies ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On April 1, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it had settled its first enforcement action under SEC Rule 21F-17, which prohibits companies from taking actions or using confidentiality...more