Jason Langford

At tomorrow morning's Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler will appear before the committee to discuss the agency's funding. Over the last five years, the number of regulated entities subject to SEC oversight has increased significantly, but the agency’s funding has failed to keep pace. The #SEC has only a few hundred more full-time employees than it did five years ago, yet the number of regulated entities that it oversees has increased from 28,000 to 33,000. To continue overseeing the growing and ever-more complex markets, and to address numerous longstanding problems, the SEC must have additional resources at its disposal.  Learn more in our new fact sheet: https://bit.ly/4eiz9to

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A U.S. district court granted the Commodity Futures Trading Commission summary judgment in its first enforcement action addressing fraudulent activities relating to voluntary carbon credits. This decision marks a pivotal moment for the CFTC’s Environmental Fraud Task Force, signaling the agency’s commitment to expanding its antifraud and antimanipulation oversight in carbon markets. You can learn more in this alert by Deanna Reitman, Julian Harrell and Tamara Criss.

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Garlinghouse argues that the SEC’s proposed revisions to its complaint, which involve reclassifying several cryptocurrencies like Solana and Cardano as securities, reflect a troubling lack of clarity and fairness in its regulatory approach. He asserts that SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s statements about regulatory clarity are at odds with the SEC’s chaotic enforcement tactics, which he believes are fueling industry confusion. Garlinghouse suggests that these actions may not be driven by genuine legal principles but by political agendas or litigation strategies. #sec #crypto #ripple #solana #cardano #assets

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We all know the Fifth Circuit vacated the Private Fund Adviser Rules, and now the SEC has let the deadlines for appeal and SCOTUS review pass. What's next? Looks like litigation and enforcement actions are on the horizon. Get the full scoop on this regulatory shakeup at PitchBook: https://lnkd.in/gE-DduPZ

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In a new KBK blog, Senior Associate Kelsey Woodford writes about recent actions that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken against cryptocurrency companies. In her piece, Woodford details the agency's notable recent enforcement efforts and the crypto industry’s campaign to challenge regulatory actions in court. Woodford describes how industry efforts to oppose regulatory action may gain traction pending the outcome of Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, in which the US Supreme Court seems poised to end judicial deference to the expertise of regulators like the SEC.    Learn more in today's blog: https://lnkd.in/ed5ZAgqy   KBK also regularly publishes a yearly SEC Whistleblower Practice Guide, which outlines the factors necessary to prepare a successful tip, cooperate with an SEC investigation, and claim a whistleblower award, including in the crypto industry. Read the latest guide here: https://lnkd.in/epYzwfjW

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*** NEW BLOG POST *** Please see our latest blog posting, by Cober Plucker as he explores the unprecedented move by the #FTC to declare non-compete agreements as unfair methods of competition, sparking potential legal showdowns. As millions of existing agreements face invalidation, questions loom over the Commission's authority and Congress's potential response. Click the link for an interesting discussion regarding the evolving legal landscape. #NonCompete #FTC #LegalBattle #Congress https://lnkd.in/gQ2V7f-h

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The total fines imposed by the SEC and CFTC for violations associated with firms’ failure to monitor and capture communications by employees on unapproved devices and systems (off-channel communications) are approaching $3 billion. The SEC recently resolved enforcement proceedings involving off-channel communications against 12 broker-dealers and four affiliated investment advisers. The resolutions require the 16 respondents to pay more than $81 million aggregate in civil penalties and retain compliance consultants to review their electronic communications practices. As in prior resolutions of off-channel communications matters, the respondents all admitted the facts alleged by the SEC and acknowledged that they violated the federal securities laws. This article analyzes the latest round of settlements. #HFLR #offchannelcommunications #recordkeeping https://lnkd.in/efmf8JjY

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