In the months leading up to President Trump’s inauguration and even during his first 100 days in office, speculation has persisted on whether white-collar enforcement will continue to be robust and, if so, which areas will be targeted. Although Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently reinforced a general commitment to continue pursuing white-collar criminals in his remarks at the Ethics and Compliance Initiative Annual Conference, details remain sketchy.
In particular, it is unclear whether insider trading prosecutions will remain a priority given the current administration’s pro-business leanings. Although insider trading is considered to be a “bread and butter” type of white-collar prosecution, there has been little guidance whether that will hold steady. Adding to this uncertainty, several key leadership positions are still vacant at two crucial enforcers: the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is supposed to ensure that material, non-public information is not used for trading; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), which has traditionally acted as a key gatekeeper in deterring insider-trading activity in light of its proximity to the nation’s financial markets. Specifically, the recently-confirmed Chairman of the SEC, Jay Clayton, has not yet appointed a new Enforcement Director, the majority of the SEC’s Commissioners are not in place, and a new SDNY U.S. Attorney has not even been named.
Despite this uncertainty, the SEC and SDNY federal prosecutor’s office have stayed the course in pursuing insider trading cases in these first 100 days.
Continue Reading The First 100 Days: Insider Trading Enforcement to Hold Steady?