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Course Details

Course Information
  • smart_display Format

    On-Demand

  • signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level

  • work Practice Area

    Banking and Finance

Date & Time
  • event Date

    Tuesday, March 16, 2021

  • schedule Time

    1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT

  • timer Program Length

    90 minutes

Credit Information

  • This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.

$347.00
CLE
ALL

This CLE course will discuss the evolution of disgorgement as a remedy for securities violations, how the SEC currently exercises its disgorgement authority, and how the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) will expand on those capabilities in the future.

Faculty

Sarah L. Levine
Partner
Jones Day

Ms. Levine has broad experience in securities enforcement, investigation, complex litigation, and regulatory issues. She served as senior advisor and counsel to three consecutive chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), providing guidance on enforcement matters including actions relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), financial fraud, corporate governance, and corporate compliance and disclosure.

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Joan E. McKown
Partner
Jones Day

Ms. McKown's practice focuses on investigations, enforcement actions and other proceedings with U.S. and foreign regulators. She also counsels financial institutions, boards, corporations and individuals on issues related to the SEC, as well as corporate governance, compliance and ethics matters. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. McKown was the longtime chief counsel of the Division of Enforcement at the SEC.

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Arielle S. Tobin
Partner
Jones Day

Ms. Tobin defends corporations and their directors and officers in civil, criminal, and regulatory disputes, including government enforcement actions. She also conducts internal investigations and assists companies in mitigating reputational risk through execution of multinational risk assessments and development of compliance programs.

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Description

Disgorgement is one of the most important tools in the SEC's enforcement arsenal. The recently enacted NDAA includes new provisions that significantly clarify and expand the SEC's ability to pursue remedial sanctions, including disgorgement and penalties. It also extends the statute of limitations applicable to such remedies. The SEC will likely utilize its expanded authority to pursue securities violations more aggressively. There are nuances to the new provisions which require careful examination by securities counsel.

Two Supreme Court cases previously limited the SEC's disgorgement authority: Kokesh v. SEC imposed a five-year time bar and called into question whether the SEC is allowed to obtain disgorgement at all in a civil action, while Liu v. SEC held that disgorgement is an authorized remedy under Section 21(d)(5) of the 1934 Act but that the amount disgorged cannot exceed an individual wrongdoer's net profits.

The new NDAA provisions explicitly authorize the SEC to seek disgorgement for securities violations, settling doubts created under Liu and Kokesh. They also extend the SEC's deadlines to seek disgorgement. The new legislation includes a five-year general statute of limitations, a 10-year statute of limitations for fraud-based violations, and an unlimited tolling provision for individuals located outside the United States.

Listen as our authoritative panel discusses the SEC's expanded disgorgement authority provided under the NDAA and its implications for regulated entities going forward.

Outline

  1. Disgorgement actions generally; conceived as an equitable remedy without statutory basis
  2. Key cases limiting SEC's disgorgement authority
    1. Kokesh v. SEC
    2. Liu v. SEC
  3. The NDAA amendments
    1. Express codification of the SEC's power to obtain disgorgement of unlawful gains
    2. Extending the statute of limitations in various contexts
  4. Key takeaways
    1. More aggressive SEC enforcement
    2. Actions companies should take now

Benefits

The panel will review these and other important issues:

  • What is the rationale behind disgorgement as an equitable remedy exercisable by the SEC?
  • How did the Kokesh and Liu cases impact the SEC's disgorgement powers?
  • What disgorgement remedies are now provided for under the NDAA?
  • What changes were made to the statute of limitations in various scenarios?
  • What are the key takeaways of the new provisions?