The Securities and Exchange Commission has just announced its examination priorities for 2014, which cover a wide range of issues at financial institutions, including investment advisers and investment companies, broker-dealers, clearing agencies, exchanges... Read More

The Securities and Exchange Commission had a very good year targeting financial fraud. Those who commit fraud, not so much. In fiscal year 2013, the SEC’s enforcement actions resulted in a record $3.4 billion in monetary sanctions ordered against... Read More

The Securities and Exchange Commission has reached its first deferred prosecution agreement with an individual. According to the SEC’s DPA with Scott Herckis: Herckis served as administrator for Connecticut-based Heppelwhite Fund LP, which was... Read More

In a microcap fraud-fighting initiative that the Securities and Exchange Commission refers to as Operation Shell-Expel , the SEC has suspended trading in 255 dormant shell companies that it said were “ripe for abuse in the over-the-counter market... Read More

Millions of previously hidden U.S. stock trades will be revealed for the first time on Monday December 9. Previously, odd lots, which are trades of fewer than 100 shares, have not been revealed on the publicly available “consolidated tape,”... Read More

Whistleblowers received $14,831,965 64 in payments from the Securities and Exchange Commission during fiscal year 2013. The SEC’s whistleblower program, now in its third year of operation, was designed to incentivize individuals to provide the... Read More

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged public accounting firm KPMG with violating rules that require auditors to remain independent from the public companies they are auditing to ensure they maintain their objectivity and impartiality. ... Read More

Michael J. Osnato, Jr., has been named chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division unit that conducts investigations into complex financial instruments. Osnato, who joined the SEC staff in 2008 and who has served as... Read More

For decades, when a company agreed to settle financial fraud-related charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company typically would pay a fine. Sometimes a large one. The company also typically would insist on a provision in the settlement... Read More

Merrill Lynch, charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with making faulty disclosures about collateral selection for two collateralized debt obligations (CDO) that it structured and marketed to investors, and with maintaining inaccurate books... Read More