Criminal Liability of Corporate Officers

Under Section 807 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Act),1 any person who knowingly commits securities fraud is subject to a hefty fine, a prison term of up to 25 years, or both. Section 807 does not criminalize securities laws violations for the first time; however, it does combine several existing laws so as to facilitate and streamline federal prosecutions. Section 807 does impose significantly harsher criminal penalties than the penalties prescribed under prior laws.

SIPC Protection for Investors

Investors who engage in securities transactions through a brokerage firm that is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (or SIPC) receive protection for cash and securities held by the brokerage firm for the accounts of the investors. The SIPC covers up to $500,000 in losses of such cash and securities per investor with a $100,000 limit on the amount of cash in an account that is covered.

Rulemaking by the Securities and Exchange Commission

Federal agencies adopt rules to implement laws. Following the stock market crash in 1929, laws were passed to reform securities markets and to broaden the amount and accuracy of information to be made available to investors by issuers of securities. Those laws included the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Investment Company Act of 1940. The more recently enacted Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 provided additional requirements for corporate governance and disclosure of information.

Directors' Liability - Torts and Wrongful Acts

TORTS AND WRONGFUL ACTS

Investment Manager Reports To Be Filed With the Securities and Exchange Commission

Institutional investment managers must report to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 13F those securities registered under Section 13(f) of the Securities Act of 1933 over which the investment managers exercise discretion.