The Law of the Financial Markets from Top Securities Lawyers
Sunday, October 12, 2025
The SEC’s Landmark Whistleblower Awards The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently made headlines by awarding over $98 million to two whistleblowers whose information and cooperation led to significant enforcement actions. These payouts demonstrate whistleblowers’ crucial role in upholding financial markets’ integrity. Whistleblower Information Sparks Major Investigations The SEC’s investigations […]
SEC Adopts New Rule Increasing Threshold for Venture Capital Funds The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted a new rule that updates the dollar threshold for a fund to qualify as a “qualifying venture capital fund” under the Investment Company Act of 1940. This rule raises the threshold to […]
SEC Takes Action Against Carl Icahn and Icahn Enterprises L.P. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced significant charges against Carl C. Icahn and his publicly traded company, Icahn Enterprises L.P. (IEP). These charges stem from Icahn’s failure to disclose critical information regarding his use of IEP securities as […]
By Mark J. Astarita, Esq. Arbitration has become the preferred method for resolving customer disputes within the brokerage industry since the pivotal United States Supreme Court decision in MacMahon v. Shearson American Express. Today, nearly every brokerage firm in the country includes a pre-dispute arbitration clause in their agreements, obligating […]
SEC Halts Alleged $300 Million Ponzi Scheme by Drive Planning LLC and CEO Russell Todd Burkhalter The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has obtained a preliminary injunction and asset freeze against Atlanta-based Drive Planning LLC and its founder and CEO, Russell Todd Burkhalter, to stop a $300 million real estate […]
SEC Charges Multi-Level Marketing Company and Promoters with Fraudulent Scheme The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced charges against NovaTech Ltd., a multi-level marketing company, and its promoters for operating a fraudulent scheme that raised over $650 million in crypto assets from more than 200,000 investors worldwide. Alleged Fraudulent […]
The SEC has announced charges against OTC Link LLC, a New York-based broker-dealer, for failing to file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) for over three years. OTC Link has agreed to pay a $1.19 million penalty to settle the charges. Background Broker-dealers like OTC Link are required to file […]
SEC Cracks Down on Ideanomics and Executives for Fraudulent Activities The SEC has settled fraud charges against Ideanomics, Inc., its former Chairman and CEO Zheng (Bruno) Wu, and current CEO Alfred Poor, for misleading the public about the company’s financial performance between 2017 and 2019. Key Highlights: Misleading revenue […]
Streamlining Financial Data: SEC Proposes Joint Data Standards In a significant step towards enhancing financial data transparency, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed joint data standards under the Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022. This move aims to establish technical standards for data submitted to various financial regulatory […]
SEC Charges Abraham Shafi with Fraudulent Activities at Get Together Inc. The SEC’s Allegations Against Abraham Shafi The SEC has charged Abraham Shafi, the founder and former CEO of Get Together Inc., a social media startup known as “IRL.” Shafi is accused of defrauding investors by making false and misleading […]
