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  • SEC files complaint against a digital platform for unregistered offer and sales of securities and acting as unregistered broker

    Securities

    Recently, the SEC released its complaint against a digital platform that acted as an unregistered broker and seller of crypto-asset securities transactions. The SEC alleges that since 2020 the platform brokered over 36 million crypto-asset transactions between investors and third parties, collecting over $250 million in fees. Since at least 2023, the platform allegedly engaged in unregistered offers and sales of securities. The SEC alleged the platform was not registered as a broker despite operating as one in violation of Section 15(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Additionally, the SEC alleged the platform also engaged in unregistered offers and sales of securities in violation of Sections 5(a) and (c) of the Securities Act of 1933. Further, the SEC alleged the platform acted as an underwriter and distributor of securities. The SEC seeks (i) to permanently enjoin the platform from violating these securities laws and (ii) payment of civil money penalties.

    Securities Securities Exchange Commission Cryptocurrency Digital Assets Securities Exchange Act

  • Supreme Court holds that defendants are entitled to jury trial if the SEC seeks civil penalties

    Courts

    On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court decided SEC v. Jarkesy which held that, pursuant to the Seventh Amendment, when the SEC brings an enforcement action seeking civil penalties, it must do so in federal court, where a jury trial is available, rather than through its own in-house proceedings. When the SEC would adjudicate a matter in-house, however, there were no juries — the Commission (or a delegated member or Administrative Law Judge) presided over the action and acts as the factfinder.

    In the underlying case (covered by InfoBytes here), the SEC initiated an enforcement action and sought, among other remedies, civil penalties. The SEC, as was typical, adjudicated the matter in-house rather than proceed in federal court and imposed a $300,000 civil penalty. The defendant sought review, ultimately raising before the Supreme Court the question of whether the Seventh Amendment entitled a defendant to a jury trial when the SEC seeks civil penalties for securities fraud. The Supreme Court held that it did as the Seventh Amendment guaranteed that “the right of trial by jury shall be preserved” in “suits at common law”; “money damages are the prototypical common law remedy,” and civil penalties — a form of monetary relief — were “a type of remedy at common law that could only be enforced in courts of law.”

    For a deeper look at this important case, please read our recent Orrick Insight here.  

    Courts Federal Issues U.S. Supreme Court SEC ALJ Fifth Circuit Securities Act Securities Exchange Act Securities Exchange Commission Enforcement

  • SEC Chair Gensler weighs in on AI risks and SEC’s positioning

    Privacy, Cyber Risk & Data Security

    On February 13, SEC Chair Gary Gensler delivered a speech, “AI, Finance, Movies, and the Law” before the Yale Law School. In his speech, Gensler spoke on the crossovers between artificial intelligence (AI) and finance, system-wide risks on a macro-scale, AI offering deception, AI washing, and hallucinations, among other topics.

    Gensler discussed the benefits of using AI in finance, including greater financial inclusion and efficiencies. However, he highlighted that the use of AI amplifies many issues, noting how AI models can be flawed in making decisions, propagating biases, and offering predictions. On a system-wide level, Gensler opined how policy decisions will require new thinking to overcome the challenges to financial stability that AI could create.  Gensler addressed AI washing, stating that it may violate securities laws, emphasizing that any disclosures regarding AI by SEC registrants should still follow the “basics of good securities lawyering” for disclosing material risks, defining the risk carefully, and avoiding disclosures that could mislead the public regarding the use of an AI model. Lastly, Gensler warned about AI hallucinations, saying that advisors or brokers are not supposed to give investment advice based on inaccurate information, closing with “You don’t want your broker or advisor recommending investments they hallucinated while on mushrooms.”

    Privacy, Cyber Risk & Data Security Artificial Intelligence Securities Exchange Act Securities AI

  • SEC to expand “dealer” definition after adoption of two rules

    Securities

    On February 6, the SEC announced its adoption of rules expanding application of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) to require market participants that “take on significant liquidity-providing roles” to register with the SEC as “dealers” under Sections 15(a) or 15C. In the introduction to the final rule, the SEC explained that “advancements in electronic trading across securities markets” have led to new market participants playing a larger role in market activity that was traditionally supplied by dealers. Additionally, as noted in the SEC’s Fact Sheet, the rules require such market participants to become members of a self-regulatory organization (SRO) and comply with federal laws. The SEC’s rule changes address the phrase “as part of a regular business” in sections 3(a)(5) and 3(a)(44) of the Exchange Act such that market participants that “take on significant liquidity-providing roles” are included in the statutory definition of “dealer” and “government securities dealer.” However, the final rules will exclude any person that has total assets of less than $50 million, or investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, central banks, sovereign entities, and international financial institutions. The final rules will go into effect 60 days following Federal Register publication, and the compliance date will be one year after the effective date of the final rules.

    Securities Broker-Dealer Securities Exchange Act Securities Exchange Commission

  • Bank to pay $18 million for violating a whistleblower protection rule

    Securities

    On January 16, the SEC accepted a global financial services firm’s offer of settlement to resolve allegations of violations of the whistleblower protection rule, which prohibits any action that might impede an individual from communicating with the SEC about securities law violations. According to the SEC, from March 2020 through July 2023, the firm asked clients to sign a confidential release if they were issued a credit or settlement from the firm of more than $1,000. The release required clients to “promise[] not to sue or solicit others to institute any action or proceeding against [respondent] arising out of events concerning the [a]ccount.” The SEC claimed that at least 362 clients have signed the release since 2020. In connection with the settlement, the firm agreed to be censured, to cease and desist further violations of the rule, and to pay an $18 million civil money penalty. 

    Securities Securities Exchange Commission Whistleblower Enforcement Administrative Procedure Act Settlement Securities Exchange Act

  • SEC approves Bitcoin use in 11 exchange-traded products

    Securities

    On January 10, the SEC issued an order approving 11 exchange-traded products (ETPs) holding Bitcoin to be publicly traded. According to the order, the SEC found that the proposed ETPs are consistent with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, specifically Section 6(b)(5), which requires that the rules prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices and protect investors and the public interest. The SEC also found that the 11 proposed ETPs are consistent with Section 11A(a)(1)(C)(iii) which states that it is in the public interest to make the ETPs available to brokers, dealers, and investors. The order goes into further detail and outlines how the two subsections of the ‘34 Act are applied.

    As previously covered on InfoBytes, the SEC originally denied a similar application from a company but had to reexamine that company’s application following the D.C. Court of Appeals overturning of the SEC’s initial rejection. The appellate court alleged the SEC “acted arbitrarily and capriciously by denying the listing of [the company]’s proposed bitcoin ET[F],” and members of Congress also urged the Chair of the SEC to approve Bitcoin’s use within ETPs in a September 2023 letter (covered in InfoBytes here).

    Securities Exchange-Traded Funds Bitcoin Cryptocurrency Securities Exchange Act

  • Supreme Court hears oral argument in case challenging SEC ALJ use

    Courts

    On November 29, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in the SEC’s request to appeal the 5th Circuit’s decision in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the 5th Circuit held that the SEC’s in-house adjudication of a petitioners’ case violated their Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial and relied on unconstitutionally delegated legislative power. At oral argument, Justice Kavanaugh stated in his questioning of Principal Deputy Solicitor General Brian Fletcher (representing the SEC) that given the severity of the potential outcome of cases, the SEC’s decision-making process fully being carried out in-house could be “problematic,” and that it “doesn’t seem like a neutral process.” Meanwhile, Fletcher mentioned that the boundaries and “outer edges” of the public rights doctrine can be “fuzzy.” Justices’ questions also centered around Atlas Roofing v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission—a Supreme Court case that held that “Congress does not violate the Seventh Amendment when it authorizes an agency to impose civil penalties in administrative proceedings to enforce a federal statute.”

    Courts Appellate U.S. Supreme Court ALJ Constitution Securities Exchange Act SEC Advisers Act Fifth Circuit Securities Act

  • D.C. Circuit overturns SEC rejection of an investment company’s Bitcoin ETF

    Courts

    On August 29, the D.C. Circuit overturned the SEC’s denial of a company’s application to convert its bitcoin trust into an exchange-traded fund (ETF). In October 2021, the company applied to convert its bitcoin trust to an ETF pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and Rule 19b-4 thereunder, a proposed rule change to list and trade shares. In June 2022, the SEC denied the company’s application on the basis that the burden under the Exchange Act and the SEC’s Rules of Practice, which requires among other things, that the rules of national securities exchange be “designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices” and “to protect investors and the public interest.”

    The company promptly appealed, alleging that the SEC “acted arbitrarily and capriciously by denying the listing of [the company]’s proposed bitcoin ET[F] and approving the listing of materially similar bitcoin futures ET[F]s”. The three-judge panel held that the SEC “failed to provide the necessary “reasonable and coherent explanation” for its inconsistent treatment of similar products” and “in the absence of a coherent explanation, this unlike regulatory treatment of like products is unlawful.”

    This decision does not mean that the SEC must approve the company’s application. However, the SEC must review the application again.

    Courts Fintech D.C. Circuit SEC Bitcoin Securities Exchange Act Appellate

  • SEC files brief in its Supreme Court appeal to reverse 5th Circuit ruling against use of adjudication powers and ALJs

    Courts

    On August 28, the SEC filed a brief in its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s 2022 ruling that the commission’s in-house adjudication is unconstitutional. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the 5th Circuit held that the SEC’s in-house adjudication of a petitioners’ case violated their Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial and relied on unconstitutionally delegated legislative power. The brief argues that securities laws are “distinct from common law because they authorize the government to seek civil penalties even if no private person has yet suffered harm from the defendant’s violation (and therefore no person could obtain damages).” Moreover, the SEC argues that the Court has continually upheld the right of an agency to decide whether to enter an enforcement action through the civil or criminal process. The SEC referenced the 1985 Heckler v. Chaney case, which set the precedent that there is no constitutional difference between the power to decide whether to pursue an enforcement action and where to pursue an enforcement action, as they are both executive powers, supporting the claim that there is “a long and unbroken line of decisions that have relied on the public-rights doctrine in upholding such statutory schemes against Article III and Seventh Amendment challenges.” The SEC also reminded the Court that when it enforces securities laws through an administrative enforcement proceeding with a result that is not in favor of the respondent, the respondent may obtain a judicial review through the court of appeals. Finally, the commission contends that the 5th Circuit erred when it held that statutory removal restrictions for ALJs are unconstitutional, and that Congress has “acted permissibly in requiring agencies to establish cause for their removal of ALJs.”

    Courts Securities SEC U.S. Supreme Court Fifth Circuit ALJ Constitution Securities Act Securities Exchange Act Enforcement

  • SEC proposes rules for addressing conflicts of interest raised by predictive data analytics

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

    On July 26, the SEC issued proposed rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1924 and the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 to address certain conflicts of interest associated with the use of predictive data analytics, including artificial intelligence (AI) and similar technologies, “that optimize for, predict, guide, forecast, or direct investment-related behaviors or outcomes.” The SEC explained that broker-dealers and investment advisors (collectively, “firms”) are increasingly using AI to improve efficiency and returns but cautioned that, due to the scalability of these technologies and the potential for firms to quickly reach a large audience, any resulting conflicts of interest could result in harm to investors that is more pronounced and on a broader scale than previously possible.

    Based on existing legal standards, the proposed rules generally would require a firm to identify and eliminate, or neutralize, the effects of conflicts of interest that result in the firm’s (or associated persons) interests being placed ahead of investors’ interests. Firms, however, would be permitted to employ tools that they believe would address such risks and that are specific to the particular technology being used. Firms that use covered technology for investor interactions would also be required to have written policies and procedures in place to ensure compliance with the proposed rules, the SEC said. These policies and procedures must include a process for evaluating the use of covered technology in investor interactions and addressing any conflicts of interest that may arise. Firms must also maintain books and records related to these requirements. Comments on the proposed rules are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance Federal Issues Securities SEC Third-Party Risk Management Artificial Intelligence Securities Exchange Act Investment Advisers Act

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