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Proskauer on Private Fund Litigation

Category Archives: Securities Law

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SEC Division of Examinations Announces 2022 Examination Priorities

On March 30, 2022, the Division of Examinations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced its examination priorities for fiscal year 2022. The annual publication of the Division’s examination priorities is intended to align with the Division’s four pillars of promoting and improving compliance, preventing fraud, monitoring risk, and informing policy, and … Continue Reading

The Trend of Increasing Disclosure Obligations for Private Funds Continues in 2022

Last month, the SEC proposed new rules under the Advisers Act that, if implemented, would be the most significant enhancement of disclosure obligations for private fund managers since the Dodd-Frank Act.  Citing investor protection and transparency concerns for limited partners as investors, these proposals signal the Commission’s intent to add additional tools to the fund … Continue Reading

Insider Trading, MNPI and Related Internal Controls: A Renewed Focus by 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 provided some hints of its renewed focus on insider trading. First, even though the overall number of insider trading … Continue Reading

ESG: Practical Points For Where Market Practice and Legal Trends Collide

If 2021 was the year in which regulators and investors enthusiastically embraced environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) considerations, by creating new legal and regulatory frameworks, then 2022 will be the year for asset managers to identify and confront the practical challenges of integrating legal requirements and stakeholder expectations into investment policy and performance.… Continue Reading

Treating “Like for Like”: SPAC Disclosure, Marketing and Gatekeeping in 2022

We reported last year that unprecedented SPAC deal volume signaled an increased risk for disputes given their unique structure, including risks associated with disclosure requirements, material non-public information, valuation, and conflicts of interest. Our assessment proved prescient, as the SEC began to flex its enforcement muscles vis-à-vis SPACs as the year progressed, and took specific … Continue Reading

SEC Proposes Advisers Act Reforms Focusing on Private Fund Investor Protections

On February 9, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed new rules and amendments to existing rules under the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940 that would have notable practical implications for private fund advisers, in many cases regardless of the adviser’s registration status. The Proposed Rules include prohibitions or mandates regarding … Continue Reading

Decentralized Finance: The Next Frontier of SEC Enforcement

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. Although DeFi has the potential to enhance or replace traditional financial products by speeding execution and reducing transaction costs using blockchain technology, the SEC presumes that actors … Continue Reading

Top Ten Regulatory and Litigation Risks for Private Funds in 2022

Last year, we wrote, “The regulatory and litigation risks for private funds are greater than at any time since the financial crisis in 2008.” That statement is even more true today. The Wall Street Journal recently published separate front-page stories on an SEC initiative to oversee large private companies and the explosive growth of the private … Continue Reading

California District Court Upholds SEC’s Novel “Shadow Trading” Theory

The SEC prevailed on a motion to dismiss a closely watched lawsuit alleging that a company employee had engaged in insider trading based on news about a not-yet-public corporate acquisition when he purchased securities of a third-party company that was not involved in the deal. The January 14, 2022 decision in SEC v. Panuwat (N.D. … Continue Reading

Bloomberg Law: Growth of ESG-Related Investments & Regulatory Action

As interest in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) related funds grows, the regulatory landscape surrounding ESG in the US and the E.U. continues to evolve. Proskauer’s Kirsten Lapham, Joshua Newville and Jonathan Weiss share key implications for the asset management industry. Read the full Bloomberg Law article here.  … Continue Reading

2021 SEC Enforcement Results – Takeaways for Fund Managers

On November 18, 2021, the SEC’s Division of Enforcement announced its Enforcement Results for Fiscal Year 2021, and there are a few key takeaways for fund managers. In spite of the continued headwinds posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission brought 697 enforcement actions in FY 2021. The Commission also filed 434 new enforcement … Continue Reading

SEC Is Exploring Reforms Regarding Private Fund Disclosure Of Conflicts Of Interest And Fees and Expenses

On September 14, 2021, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. During his testimony, he stated that the SEC is exploring “potential reforms” regarding investment funds and managers.  Chair Gensler explained that one of the potential reforms under consideration by the SEC was … Continue Reading

U.S. Federal Regulators Turn Up the Heat on Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms

With new types of digital assets and related business on the rise, federal authorities have been busy investigating.  Recently, the SEC, FinCEN and the CFTC have imposed some notable settlements involving cryptocurrency trading platforms for allegedly operating without appropriate approvals from financial regulatory authorities.  This may be the start of the next wave of government … Continue Reading

MNPI Update – SEC Pursues “Shadow Trading” Insider Trading Case

The SEC recently charged a former employee of a biopharmaceutical company with insider trading in advance of an acquisition but with a unique twist: Trading the securities of a company unrelated to the merger. The employee, Matthew Panuwat, did not trade his own company’s or the acquiring company’s securities, but instead purchased stock options for … Continue Reading

Space SPAC Draws SEC Enforcement Action for Allegedly Misleading Disclosures and Due Diligence Failures

As one of the first of an expected series of potential enforcement actions, the SEC has brought an enforcement action against a SPAC and its major participants, highlighting enhanced regulatory scrutiny of SPACs and underscoring the importance of following appropriate diligence and other practices in the de-SPAC process. Given the rapid growth in this sector … Continue Reading

Three Key Considerations for Fund Sponsors when Participating in Bankruptcy Proceedings

We anticipate a more assertive regulatory enforcement program under the Biden administration, particularly focused on fund managers’ conflicts of interest, advisers’ codes of ethics, and related policies and procedures relating to material nonpublic information.  These concerns may be heightened for fund managers participating in bankruptcy proceedings, where competing fiduciary obligations arise, particularly in the context … Continue Reading

SEC Increases Advisers Act Qualified Client Thresholds

Registered advisers should take note that on June 17th, the SEC adjusted the dollar amount thresholds for clients of registered advisers to be deemed to be “qualified clients” under rule 205-3 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, which permits registered investment advisers to charge performance-based fees to such clients. Upon the effective date of … Continue Reading

Cryptocurrencies and Other Digital Assets: A New Regime

Cryptocurrencies and digital assets will continue to be an area of intense regulatory focus, but a new administration may bring new regulations. SEC Chairman Gensler has extensive experience with cryptocurrencies and blockchain, including a teaching stint at MIT. However, Gensler has alternated between censure and praise, referring to cryptocurrencies and blockchain both as an “innovative irritant” … Continue Reading

Second Circuit Upholds Insider Trading Conviction, Finding Sufficient Confidentiality Duty and Personal Benefit

Last week, the Second Circuit upheld a criminal conviction for insider trading, holding that signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with a target company created a sufficient duty of trust and confidence to support a conviction. The defendant in United States v. Chow, an executive at a foreign private equity firm, was convicted for tipping a … Continue Reading

Increased Regulatory Scrutiny of Private Funds

President Biden has signaled a shift to a more assertive SEC Enforcement program with the nomination, and expected confirmation, of Gary Gensler as the next Chair of the SEC.  Mr. Gensler previously served as the Chairman of the CFTC from 2009 to 2014, where he established a reputation as a forceful regulator. This reputation suggests … Continue Reading

Top Ten Regulatory and Litigation Risks for Private Funds in 2021

The regulatory and litigation risks for private funds are greater than at any time since the financial crisis in 2008. Just a few examples prove the point: the pandemic (which caused extraordinary volatility in revenues and valuations for most asset categories); a new administration in Washington D.C. (with a more muscular regulatory agenda); continued proliferation … Continue Reading

Three Critical Questions That Will (Hopefully) be Answered by the SEC’s Lawsuit against Ripple

Late last year, the SEC filed a litigated action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Ripple Labs Inc. and two of its executive officers (collectively, “Ripple”), alleging that Ripple raised over $1.3 billion in unregistered offerings of the digital asset known as XRP. Ripple opted not to file … Continue Reading

An Overview of OFAC’s Ongoing Guidance: Chinese Military Companies Trading Ban

Over the past few weeks, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued further guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and General Licenses that clarify the terms of the Order and its Chinese Military Sanctions Program. To a large degree, OFAC’s guidance confirms that the agency will interpret … Continue Reading
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