On July 14, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) brought an enforcement action against OZ Management LP (“OZ”), an SEC-registered investment adviser for giving inaccurate trade information to certain broker-dealers. The SEC’s final order, which was issued upon OZ’s … Read More
Over the past year, there has been an increased focus on Broker-Dealer Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) programs. Last month, Kevin Goodman, National Associate Director of the Broker-Dealer Examination Program in the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”), spoke at the … Read More
False promises and masqueraded lies cost a handful of small businesses more than $4 million. According to a recent Securities & Exchange Commission (“SEC”) press release, Nicholas Lattanzio, a New Jersey resident has been accused of “posing as a hedge … Read More
Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (“OIEA”) released its 13th Investor Alert of 2015, Beware of False or Exaggerated Credentials. According to the website, the office issued the alert to inform investors … Read More
Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed an enforcement action against BlackRock Advisors LLC for failing to fulfill its fiduciary duty. According to the SEC order, while managing energy-related funds at BlackRock, Daniel J. Rice III … Read More
Last week the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged KBR, Inc., a Houston-based technology and engineering firm with violating whistleblower protection Rule 21F-17 enacted under the Dodd-Frank Act. According to the SEC, KBR used “improperly restrictive language in confidentiality agreements … Read More
A Colorado-based pyramid and Ponzi scheme that boasts returns of 700 percent has been charged with fraud by the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Since April 2014, Kristin Johnson and Troy Barnes who operated under “The Achieve Community,” … Read More
Last month, Core Compliance & Legal Services, Inc. (“Core Compliance”) published its monthly Risk Management Update (“RMU”), written by Managing Director, Consultation Services, Tina Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell’s RMU, titled Valuation – What Investment Advisers Should Know, provides an overview of … Read More
Eight audit firms spanning across the U.S. were recently sanctioned by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for failing to adhere to the auditor independence rules set forth in Rule 17(a)-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during their … Read More
