Trends and Developments in Securities Enforcement: Views from the Trenches

10/15/2010 COMMENTS (1)

The financial crisis wreaked havoc on U.S. and international markets.  The collapse or near-collapse of storied financial institutions, together with the revelation of numerous high-profile frauds and Ponzi schemes affecting victims around the world, have reminded us all of the interdependence of the global economy.  In their wake, financial regulatory reforms in the United States and abroad have provided new tools for prosecutors and dramatically increased the compliance obligations of companies in all industries.  U.S. regulators have significantly increased the number, geographic and subject-matter scope, and penalties sought in investigations pursued since 2008.  International regulators have stepped up their enforcement activities as well, bringing significant cases in their own right, sometimes in conjunction with U.S. and other regulators.  Our series of blog entries will examine trends, ground-breaking cases, and developments within the criminal and civil securities enforcement arena. 

Robin M. Bergen and Shawn J. Chen are partners in the Washington, D.C. office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, LLP, a leading international law firm with approximately 1,100 lawyers around the world.  Robin and Shawn advise domestic and multinational companies, boards of directors and audit committees, and directors and officers on key issues of the day in the world of white-collar defense, securities enforcement and SEC and other governmental investigations.