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To many this will come as a complete surprise, but there is no federal law that explicitly outlaws insider trading. Rather, for decades the SEC and the Department of Justice, with the endorsement of federal judges, have used the general securities fraud statutes to patch together a complex and problematic insider trading common law. After years of criticism, however, that could now be changing. On May 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation, which, for the first time in history, would explicitly outlaw insider trading in the United States. It is unclear whether the Senate will act to pass this law, which would require bipartisan support. But if so, it would represent a dramatic change for how the government prosecutes insider trading — and a likely increase in enforcement.
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Second Circuit Narrows Reach of Wire Fraud and Insider Trading Prohibitions
By Harry Sandick, Anna Blum and Abigail Marion
The Second Circuit's long-anticipated decision in United States v. Blaszczak limits the government’s ability to bring fraud or insider trading prosecutions where the information used to achieve an advantage is regulatory information held by the government. It also brings the Second Circuit in greater alignment with the Supreme Court’s wire fraud jurisprudence.
Regulators Reaching Deep In Their Toolbox to Prosecute Users of Encrypted Messages
By Andrey Spektor and Laura S. Perlov
If you use Whatsapp or similar platforms for work-related communications, then you’ve probably heard that regulators are putting an end to that practice. Ephemeral and encrypted messaging, they have noted, evades monitoring and prevents retention. A seldom used doctrine allows prosecutors to charge executives with misdemeanor offenses just for being in the position of power when others commit the misconduct. Rather than take a wait-and-see approach, companies and their leaders would do well to prepare for prosecutors to reach deep into their toolbox.
Circuit Split Over Joint and Several Liability for Forfeiture In White-Collar Crimes
By Evan T. Barr
Ever since the Honeycutt ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2017 that co-conspirators convicted of federal narcotics violations could not be held jointly and severally liable, courts have grappled with whether it also applied outside the narcotics context, to forfeiture judgments imposed in white-collar cases.
SEC Tightens Rules on Scheduling Trades In Advance
By Maria Dinzeo
General counsel may find themselves pulled into difficult conversations with top executives as the Securities and Exchange Commission tightens its rules on company insiders looking to dump their stock.