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SEC reopens comment period on listing standards for recovery of erroneously awarded compensation
On October 14, the SEC reopened the comment period on proposed rules for listing standards for the recovery of erroneously awarded compensation. According to the notice, the reopened comment period allows for the submission of comments and data on rule amendments first proposed in 2015, and requests comments in response to questions being raised by the SEC now in its reopening release. Among other things, the proposed rules would prohibit national security exchanges and national securities associations to list any issuer of any security unless the issuer adopts a compensation recovery policy that meets certain standards applicable to recovering incentive-based compensation awards based on erroneously reported financial results that are later restated to correct material errors to previously issued financial statements. According to a statement in support of the re-opened comment period on the Dodd-Frank Act rule regarding clawbacks of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation, SEC Chair Gary Gensler stated that this is “an opportunity to strengthen the transparency and quality of corporate financial statements as well as the accountability of corporate executives to their investors.” Comments are due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
FTC says misleading online endorsements may result in fines
On October 13, the FTC issued a warning to more than 700 companies, including top advertisers, leading retailers, top consumer product companies, and major advertising agencies. The warning stated that the companies may face fines over misleading online endorsements. Citing the “rise of social media,” which has “blurred the line between authentic content and advertising,” the FTC used its Penalty Offense Authority to place companies on notice that they could face significant civil penalties of up to $43,792 per violation should a company “engage[] in conduct that it knows has been found unlawful in a previous FTC administrative order, other than a consent order.” The notice outlines several practices determined by the FTC to be unfair or deceptive in previous administrative cases, such as: “falsely claiming an endorsement by a third party; misrepresenting whether an endorser is an actual, current, or recent user; using an endorsement to make deceptive performance claims; failing to disclose an unexpected material connection with an endorser; and misrepresenting that the experience of endorsers represents consumers’ typical or ordinary experience.” Additional FTC resources are available to help companies follow the law when advertising products and services.
As previously covered by InfoBytes, earlier this month the FTC sent a similar notice to for-profit higher education institutions under the Penalty Offense Authority, advising against making false promises about their graduates’ job and earnings prospects.
5th Circuit affirms SEC’s victim awards
On October 12, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court’s nearly $2.4 million disgorgement order in an SEC case involving alleged penny stock fraud, marking the first time an appellate court has been asked to decide the “awarded for victims” question that arose out of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Liu v. SEC. As previously covered by InfoBytes, in 2020, the Court held that the SEC may continue to collect disgorgement in civil proceedings in federal court as long as the award does not exceed a wrongdoer’s net profits, and that such awards for victims of the wrongdoing are equitable relief permissible under the Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. §78u(d)(5). The Court’s decision discussed three limits: (i) the “profits remedy” must return the defendant’s wrongful gains to those harmed by the defendant’s actions, as opposed to depositing them in the Treasury; (ii) disgorgement under the statute requires a factual determination of whether petitioners can, consistent with equitable principles, be found liable for profits as partners in wrongdoing or whether individual liability is required; and (iii) disgorgement must be limited to “net profits” and therefore “courts must deduct legitimate expenses before ordering disgorgement” under the statute.
In the current action, the SEC brought a case against three individuals accused of allegedly selling unregistered securities and misleading investors during their operation of a penny stock company. The district court found the individuals liable on several of the claims and granted summary judgment in favor of the SEC. The district court also ordered (and later amended) disgorgement of the proceeds that the individuals obtained in the alleged fraud. The individuals appealed, challenging both the summary judgment decision (on the premise that “‘numerous’ disputed fact issues exist”) and the amended disgorgement remedy. Upon review, the 5th Circuit determined that that the district court’s disgorgement order satisfied the requirements laid out by the Court in Liu. The appellate court stated that the individuals’ appeal failed “to identify any disputed issues; nor does it sufficiently challenge the court’s analysis finding them liable based on undisputed facts.” Moreover, the 5th Circuit explained that the district court did not impose joint-and several liability, but rather individually assessed disgorgement amounts for each defendant based on the gains they received from the securities fraud, adding that the SEC has identified the victims of the fraud and created a process for the return of the disgorged funds. According to the 5th Circuit, “[u]nder the district court’s supervision, any funds recovered will go to the SEC, acting as a de facto trustee. The SEC will then disburse those funds to victims but only after district court approval.” “The disgorgement thus is being ‘awarded for victims.’”
SEC enforcement director says admissions increase accountability
On October 13, the SEC Director of the Division of Enforcement, Gurbir Grewal, indicated that the agency will require admissions in cases “where heightened accountability and acceptance of responsibility are in the public interest.” Speaking before the Practising Law Institute’s SEC Speaks conference, Grewal discussed the link between repeated lapses by large businesses, gatekeepers, and other market participants and the decline in investor confidence. Addressing perceptions that regulators are failing to appropriately hold these businesses, including financial institutions, accountable and that there are two sets of rules—one for powerful companies and one for everyone else—Grewal discussed the need to sharpen enforcement efforts to reestablish trust. This includes emphasizing corporate responsibility, providing timely and accurate disclosures, focusing on gatekeeper accountability, and crafting appropriate remedies, particularly prophylactic ones. “When it comes to accountability, few things rival the magnitude of wrongdoers admitting that they broke the law,” Grewal stated. “Admissions, given their attention-getting nature, also serve as a clarion call to other market participants to stamp out and self-report the misconduct to the extent it is occurring in their firm.” He also discussed the importance of officer and director bars, adding that “if there is egregious conduct and a chance the person could have the opportunity to serve at the highest levels of a public company, we may well seek an officer and director bar to keep that person from being in a position to harm investors again.”
CFPB petitions 7th Circuit to reconsider Regulation O attorney exemption
On October 7, the CFPB filed a petition for panel or en banc rehearing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, asking the appellate court to reconsider its recent determination “that practicing attorneys are categorically exempt from Regulation O,” as it strips the CFPB “of the authority given it by Congress to hold attorneys to account for violations not just of Regulation O, but of a host of other federal laws as well.” (Covered by InfoBytes here.) In 2014, the CFPB, FTC, and 15 state authorities took action against several foreclosure relief companies and associated individuals, alleging that they made misrepresentations about their services, failed to make mandatory disclosures, and collected unlawful advance fees (covered by InfoBytes here). A ruling issued by the district court in 2019 (covered by InfoBytes here) ordered nearly $59 million in penalties and restitution against several of the defendants for violations of Regulation O, but was later vacated by the 7th Circuit based on the application of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Liu v. SEC, which held that a disgorgement award cannot exceed a firm’s net profits—a ruling that is “applicable to all categories of equitable relief, including restitution.” (Covered by InfoBytes here.)
In its appeal, the Bureau did not challenge the vacated restitution award, but rather argued that a rehearing is necessary to ensure that the agency can bring enforcement actions against attorneys who violate federal consumer laws, including Regulation O. “The panel’s conclusion. . .threatens to disrupt the existing federal regulatory scheme for multiple consumer laws and expose ordinary people across the country to an increased risk of harm from illegal practices,” the Bureau stated, adding that 12 U.S.C. § 5517(e) does not limit the Bureau’s ability to pursue a civil enforcement action against practicing attorneys who are subject to Regulation O. According to the Bureau, Paragraph 3 of § 5517(e) states that the limitation on the Bureau’s authority “‘shall not be construed’ to limit the Bureau’s authority with respect to an attorney ‘to the extent that such attorney is otherwise subject’ to an enumerated consumer law or transferred authority.” The Bureau asked the 7th Circuit to reconsider its decision on this issue or, in the alternative, withdraw that portion as unnecessary to the outcome.
Seila Law will not petition Supreme Court a second time
On October 8, counsel for the appellant in CFPB v. Seila Law LLC sent a letter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stating that, after further consideration, the law firm has decided not to seek further review from the U.S. Supreme Court in its long-running challenge with the Bureau. Seila Law’s last trip to the Court resulted in a decision that declared the director’s for-cause removal provision was unconstitutional but was severable from the statute establishing the Bureau (covered by a Buckley Special Alert). October 11 was the deadline for Seila Law to file a certiorari petition with the Court after the 9th Circuit granted the law firm’s request to stay a mandate ordering compliance with a 2017 civil investigative demand (CID) issued by the Bureau. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the order stayed the appellate court’s mandate (covered by InfoBytes here) for 150 days, or until final disposition by the Court if the law firm had filed its petition of certiorari. The letter did not explain Seila Law’s reasoning.
This announcement follows the Court’s recent decision not to hear a petition filed by a New Jersey-based finance company accused by the CFPB and the New York attorney general of misleading consumers about high-cost loans allegedly mischaracterized as assignments of future payment rights (covered by InfoBytes here), and may mark the beginning of the end of litigation over former Director Kraninger’s July 2020 ratifications of the Bureau’s private actions (covered by InfoBytes here). Since the Court’s decision in Seila, several courts have heard challenges from companies claiming the Bureau could not use ratification to avoid dismissal of their lawsuits.
Education Dept. creates enforcement office
On October 8, the Department of Education announced the creation of the Office of Enforcement within Federal Student Aid (FSA), which is designed to strengthen oversight of and enforcement against postsecondary schools that participate in the federal student loan, grant, and work-study programs. According to the announcement, the Department named Kristen Donoghue, the former CFPB enforcement director, as the chief enforcement officer. Among other things, the office will work with the Partner Participation and Oversight Office on a risk-based approach to oversight and compliance and will be comprised of the following four existing divisions: (i) Administrative Actions and Appeals Services Group; (ii) Borrower Defense Group; (iii) Investigations Group; and (iv) Resolution and Referral Management Group. The announcement also notes that FSA will coordinate with other state and federal partners as part of FSA’s increased enforcement efforts. Specifically, FSA plans to coordinate “with the Federal Trade Commission, which earlier this week announced a major shift in its enforcement priorities to focus on postsecondary schools that illegally engage in unfair and deceptive acts or practices.” (Covered by InfoBytes here.)
SEC Division of Enforcement says firms should take proactive compliance measures
On October 6, the SEC Director of the Division of Enforcement, Gurbir Grewal, discussed the agency’s mission to maintain market integrity and improve public confidence in the securities market. While Grewal noted that enforcement actions taken over the past few years have helped to significantly animate the idea that the SEC “will pursue potential violations by any market participant,” he stressed the need for joint coordination to promote better conduct among market participants. According to Grewal, this includes firms examining ways their specific business models and products interact with both emerging risks and enforcement priorities and tailoring compliance practices and policies accordingly. He stressed that market participants should take “proactive” compliance measures, including enhancing recordkeeping requirements, and anticipate emerging challenges instead of waiting for an enforcement action to implement the appropriate policies and procedures. Grewal also discussed the key role market participants play in identifying and addressing emerging risks. This could include ensuring proactive compliance efforts continue even after violative conduct has occurred, cooperating with SEC investigations, and voluntarily self-reporting potential violations “before the violation is about to be publicly announced." Grewal also noted that the SEC is currently evaluating its approach to enforcement action penalties to better assess whether past penalties have sufficiently deterred misconduct.
Fed announces enforcement action against Minnesota bank
On October 7, the Federal Reserve Board announced an enforcement action against a Minnesota-based bank. In the consent order, the Fed alleges that the bank violated the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and Regulation H. The order assesses a $11,00 penalty against the bank for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of Regulation H but does not specify the number or the precise nature of the alleged violations. The maximum civil money penalty under the NFIA for a pattern or practice of violations is $2,000 per violation.
DOJ team to address cryptocurrency
On October 6, the DOJ announced the launch of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), which will focus on addressing “complex investigations and prosecutions of criminal misuses of cryptocurrency, particularly crimes committed by virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and money laundering infrastructure actors.” According to the DOJ, the NCET will combine “the expertise of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and other sections in the division, with experts detailed from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.” Among other things, the NCET will: (i) develop strategic priorities for investigations and prosecutions involving cryptocurrency; (ii) identify areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus; (iii) develop and maintain relationships with federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies involved in cryptocurrency cases; (iv) train federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in investigative and prosecutorial strategies; and (v) coordinate with private sector actors in cryptocurrency matters. In announcing the program, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco stated that “[a]s the technology advances, so too must the Department evolve with it so that we’re poised to root out abuse on these platforms and ensure user confidence in these systems.”