Short Sales 101 – Going Public Attorneys

In recent years, the activities of short sellers have been the subject of considerable controversy.  While the average investor profits if he invests in a stock whose price increases, a short seller profits when a stock’s price declines.  … Read More

Rule 144 For OTC Pink Companies – Going Public Lawyers

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) requires the offer and sale of a security be subject to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, unless the security or transaction… Read More

Rules of the Road l Uplisting to the OTCMarkets OTC Pink Sheets

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The OTCMarkets Group operates an electronic inter-dealer quotation system called OTC Link that broker-dealers use to trade securities not listed on a national securities-related exchange.  OTCMarkets rank issuers in tiers; each issuer’s rank depends… Read More

15c2-11 Application Going Public Attorney

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Many private companies that go public are opting for the listing on the OTCMarket’s Pink Sheets due to the increased costs and more stringent regulations associated with Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reporting.  Rule… Read More

SEC Sues Daniel Peterson for Fraud

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On April 25, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement  (“SEC”) announced that it had charged Daniel Peterson of Spokane, Washington, and his company USA Real Estate Fund 1 with securities fraud…. Read More

How Can I Register Shares On Form S-8 ?

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Registration of securities on Form S-8 (“Form S-8”) is a short-form registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”).  Form S-8 is available to register securities offered to employees and… Read More

Market Makers in Going Public Matters l Securities Lawyer 101

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The last step in going public transactions is most often obtaining a stock trading or ticker symbol from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). For a company to obtain a ticker, a market maker must file… Read More

The SEC Warns Investors of Oil and Gas Frauds

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 2, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued an investor alert warning of the increasing number of frauds involving private securities offerings for oil and gas ventures, as energy-related fraud cases… Read More

Informational Requirements of Rule 144 – Rule 144 Legal Opinion Requirements

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Rule 144(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) requires that stockholders of public companies relying upon Rule 144 satisfy its adequate current public information requirement. The requirements depend upon… Read More

Rule 504 l OTC Pink Offerings

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Rule 504 of Regulation D is a transactional exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) for non-reporting companies when they offer and sell securities. OTC… Read More

Form 10-Q Requirements l Securities Lawyer 101 Blog

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Public companies with a class of securities registered under Section 12 or subject to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are subject to the periodic and… Read More

Rule 504 l OTC Pink Checklist

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Rule 504 of Regulation D is a transactional exemption from the registration statement requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) for non-reporting companies when they offer and sell securities.  OTC… Read More

What Are Public Shell Companies?

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog In recent years, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)  and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)  have taken steps to limit transactions involving private companies going public using reverse mergers with public shell companies. One limitation… Read More

Why Both Private and Public Companies Need a Securities Attorney

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog  Every offer and sale of securities is regulated by both state and federal securities laws. Generally, all securities offerings must be registered or exempt from federal and state securities registration laws. Failure to comply… Read More

Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney, In Linkedin’s Top 1 %

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Brenda Hamilton, a securities attorney and founder of Hamilton & Associates Securities Lawyers has been honored as a Top 1 Percent LinkedIn Subscriber.  LinkedIn.com reports that Ms. Hamilton’s profile was in the top 1… Read More

Securities Lawyers Gone Wild l Carrillo Huettel

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On March 15, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) charged securities law firm Carrillo Huettel and others in an alleged international “pump-and-dump” scheme involving two publicly traded U.S. companies, Pacific Blue Energy Corporation… Read More

FINRA Bars Jeffrey Rubin for Transactions Involving 31 NFL Players

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On March 7, 2013, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) barred Jeffrey Rubin of Lighthouse Point, Florida, from the securities industry.  Rubin was sanctioned for making unsuitable recommendations to an NFL player, advising him to… Read More

Securities Lawyers Gone Wild l Brian Reiss

Securities Lawyers Gone Wild Series Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On March 8, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) charged Brian Reiss, a California securities lawyer, with churning out baseless legal opinions for penny stocks traded on the OTC… Read More

Dead Stock Walking l Chinese Reverse Mergers

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Recent actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the media have alerted the public to fraud involving reverse mergers and Chinese issuers.  In the last two years, the number of securities fraud cases… Read More

Supreme Court Says the Securities Statute of Limitations is 5 Years

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On February 27, 2013, in the case of Gabelli v. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously concluded that the securities statute of limitations for SEC enforcement actions seeking civil penalties expires 5… Read More

SEC Approves FINRA Rule 5123

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The Securities and Exchange Commission recently approved the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) proposals to amend Rule 5123 governing FINRA members who participate in private offerings of securities (“Rule 5123”).  Rule 5123 requires FINRA… Read More

What is a SCOR Offering? l Securities Lawyer 101

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog State Blue Sky laws play a significant role in the enforcement of the securities laws.  Each State has its own securities laws and regulations.  Issuers selling securities must comply with both federal and state… Read More

Bogus State Court Actions Used in Unico Fraud

On January 22, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego unsealed an indictment charging Mark Anthony Lopez, the former CEO of Unico Inc., with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and obstruction of justice.  Much of the evidence used to… Read More

The SEC’s Corporate Hijacking Task Force

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog A few weeks ago, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) issued its “Enforcement Initiatives to Combat Financial Reporting and Microcap Fraud and Enhance Risk Analysis.” The SEC release identified financial reporting, microcap fraud and enhancing risk analysis as the… Read More

What is Broker-Dealer Registration? Securities Lawyer 101

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Broker-dealers are subject to regulation by the SEC, FINRA, Self Regulatory Organizations (“SROs”) such as stock exchanges, and the states in which they do business.  The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) requires that… Read More

The OTCBB Obsolete Marketplace l Securities Lawyer 101 Blog

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The OTC Bulletin Board (“OTCBB”) is an electronic quotation system that provides real-time quotes, last-sale prices, and volume information for some over-the-counter securities not listed on a national securities exchange such as NASDAQ. Brokers-dealers who subscribe… Read More

Going Public – OTC Markets OTCQB – Going Public Lawyers

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Many private companies seeking to go public are opting for going public transactions on the OTC Markets OTCQB.  The OTC Markets Group operates an electronic inter-dealer quotation system called OTC Link.  OTC Markets ranks… Read More

Funding Portal Registration And the JOBS Act

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On February 5, 2013, the SEC’s Division of Trading provided guidance on the exemption from broker-dealer registration in Title II of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (“JOBS Act”). The SEC’s FAQs are not… Read More

Rule 5123 Requires the Filing of Private Placement Documents

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The SEC recently approved Rule 5123 that any FINRA member firm selling an issuer’s securities in a non-public offering in reliance on an exemption from registration under the Securities Act is required to file… Read More

Shareholder Solicitations & the SEC’s Proxy Rules

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Most public companies hold a stockholders’ meeting annually and hold special meetings to vote on special corporate actions such as name changes and mergers.  Shareholder voting on takes place either in person or by… Read More