SEC Staff to Hold Fintech Forum to Discuss Distributed Ledger Technology and Digital Assets

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that its staff will host a public forum focusing on distributed ledger technology (DLT) and digital assets on May 31, 2019.  The forum is being organized by the agency’s Strategic Hub for Innovatio…

SEC Charges Volkswagen, Former CEO With Defrauding Bond Investors During “Clean Diesel” Emissions Fraud

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Volkswagen AG, two of its subsidiaries, and its former CEO, Martin Winterkorn, for defrauding U.S. investors, raising billions of dollars through the corporate bond and fixed income markets while mak…

Jason J. Burt Named Associate Regional Director for Enforcement in SEC’s Denver Office

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Jason J. Burt has been named the Associate Regional Director for enforcement in the SEC’s Denver Regional Office. Mr. Burt succeeds Kurt Gottschall, who became Regional Director of the SEC’s D…

Wedbush Settles Failure to Supervise Charge

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that Wedbush Securities Inc. will pay a $250,000 penalty and has agreed to be censured to settle its failure to supervise charge in a pending administrative proceeding. 

According to the SEC’s Mar…

SEC Announces March 28 Meeting of Investor Advisory Committee

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the agenda for the March 28 meeting of its Investor Advisory Committee. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. ET in the Multipurpose Room at SEC headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. and …

Fee Rate Advisory #2 for Fiscal Year 2019

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that starting on April 16, 2019, the fee rates applicable to most securities transactions will be set at $20.70 per million dollars.

Consequently, each SRO will continue to pay the Commission a ra…

SEC Charges Lumber Liquidators With Fraud

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. for making fraudulent misstatements to investors.  The charges stem from Lumber Liquidators’ false public statements in response to media allegation…

SEC Share Class Initiative Returning More Than $125 Million to Investors

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced settled charges against 79 investment advisers who will return more than $125 million to clients, with a substantial majority of the funds going to retail investors.  The actions stem from the SEC’…

Mobile TeleSystems Settles FCPA Violations

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Russian telecommunications provider Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (MTS) will pay $100 million to resolve SEC charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) to win business in Uzbe…

BB&T to Return More Than $5 Million to Retail Investors and Pay Penalty Relating to Directed Brokerage Arrangements

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that BB&T Securities has agreed to return more than $5 million to retail investors and pay a $500,000 penalty to settle charges that a firm it acquired misled its advisory clients into believing th…

SEC Celebrates African American History Month with Presentation by Award-Winning Filmmaker

The Securities and Exchange Commission celebrated African American History Month with events in its Regional Offices and a presentation by scholar and award-winning filmmaker Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to discuss his latest documentary series, “Reconst…

SEC Names Gabriel Benincasa As Its First Chief Risk Officer

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Gabriel Benincasa has been named the Commission’s first Chief Risk Officer.  This position was created by SEC Chairman Jay Clayton to strengthen the agency’s risk management and cybersecurity …