$875,000 Awarded to SEC Whistleblower By: Brenda Hamilton Attorney

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog This week the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced a whistleblower award of more than $875,000 to be split evenly between two individuals who provided tips and assistance to help the agency bring an… Read More

SEC Charges Transfer Agent, IST Shareholder Services By: Brenda Hamilton Attorney

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 28, 2014, the SEC announced fraud charges and an emergency asset freeze against IST Shareholder Services, a transfer agent and its owner, Robert Pearson whose misappropriation scheme was discovered during an SEC examination…. Read More

SEC Charges Jeffrey Berkowitz & Others By: Brenda Hamilton Attorney

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 24, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced the latest in a series of cases against microcap companies, officers, and promoters arising out of a joint law enforcement investigation to unearth penny… Read More

SEC Charges Four Pension Officials for Regulation SHO Violations

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 19, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced charges against four former officials at clearing firm Penson Financial Services for their roles in Regulation SHO violations. An SEC investigation found that… Read More

SEC Suspends Cannabusiness Group – By: Brenda Hamilton Attorney

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 7, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced the temporary suspension, pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”), of trading of the securities of Cannabusiness… Read More

SEC Charges Toronto Consultant and Four Others in China Reverse Merger Schemes

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 5, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged a Toronto-based consultant and four associates with conducting illegal reverse merger schemes to bring a pair of China-based companies into the U.S. markets so… Read More

Securities Lawyers Gone Wild l Allen Ross Smith Charged

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 2, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged Florida lawyer Allen Ross Smith with fraud in connection with his role in in an advance fee investment scam run by the Switzerland-based… Read More

SEC Charges Barry Bekkedam In Connection with Banyon Fund – By: Brenda Hamilton

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has filed securities fraud charges against Barry Bekkedam of Hobe Sound, Florida.  Bekkedam is the former owner, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Ballamor Capital Management, LLC (“Ballamor”), a formerly SEC-registered… Read More

SEC Charges Chris Choi & Poker Player Danny Kuo

On April 23, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission(“SEC”) filed insider trading charges against a former accounting manager at Nvidia Corp. who tipped a friend with confidential company information that set in motion a chain of tipping and illegal… Read More

SEC Charges Robert Vitale l Posted by Brenda Hamilton Attorney

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On April 23, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed fraud charges against a former Florida-based stock promoter currently serving a two-year prison sentence for lying to SEC investigators.   The SEC’s complaint filed in U.S…. Read More

SEC Charges Dr. Loretta Itri with Insider Trading of Genta

Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney On April 21, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) charged a former biopharmaceutical company executive and two others with insider trading on confidential information about the company’s key developmental drug.  The company’s… Read More

SEC Brings Insider Trading Charges in Connection With Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

  On April 17, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged a former employee of BP p.l.c. and a senior responder during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill with insider trading in BP securities based on confidential information… Read More

SEC Charges Empire Stock Transfer l Securities Lawyer 101 Blog

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On April 8, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced enforcement actions against two leaders at a Las Vegas-based transfer agent firm who were responsible for disclosure failures in registration forms filed with the… Read More

SEC Charges Firm with Spoofing & Layering

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On April 4, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Joseph Holmdel and others, including a New Jersey based brokerage firm, with manipulative trading of publicly traded stocks through an illegal practice known as “layering”… Read More

Securities Lawyers Gone Wild l John Silvia Indicted

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On March 28, 2014, the FBI announced that John Silvia, 55, purportedly the “managing member” of Richardson Consulting LLC, was charged with securities, mail, and wire fraud. He was arrested on February 7, 2014.

What is a Wells Notice ? Securities Lawyer 101

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog After the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Division of Enforcement staff has completed its investigation, it may send a notice (“Wells Notice”)  to the party being investigated notifying them that it intends to recommend… Read More

Wwebnet CEO Pleads Guilty of $2 Million Securities Fraud

On March 11 ,2014, the Department of Justice announced that Robert Kelly, the chief executive officer of Wwebnet, Inc. (“Wwebnet”), a software development company, pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to securities and wire fraud charges. According… Read More

SEC Suspends Global Earth Energy l Securities Lawyer 101

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On March 4, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)announced the temporary suspension, pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), of trading in the securities of Global… Read More

SEC Charges Dewey & LeBoeu Executives with Securities Fraud

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On March 6, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announces charges against five executives at Dewey & LeBoeuf,and finance professionals. They are are accused of facilitating a $150 million fraudulent bond offering by… Read More

SEC Shuts Down Pyramid Scheme Using Phony Companies l Securities Lawyer 101

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On March 5, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced an emergency enforcement action to stop a fraudulent pyramid scheme by phony companies masquerading as a legitimate international investment firm.  The SEC has… Read More

How Can I Remove a DTC Chill Or Global Lock? Securities Lawyer 101

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog DTC Chills and global locks continue to be a growing problem for small companies. The Depository Trust and Clear Corporation (“DTCC”), through its subsidiaries, provides clearing, settlement and information services for securities.  DTCC’s subsidiary,… Read More

Richard Altomare Convicted of Securities Fraud

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On February 26, 2014, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that a federal jury convicted Richard Altomare, 65, of Palm… Read More

SEC Charges Clean Energy l Securities Lawyer 101

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On February 25, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced SEC charges against an Arizona-based private equity fund manager and his investment advisory firm for orchestrating a scheme to misallocate their expenses… Read More

Securities & Forensic Attorneys

SEC Enforcement Attorney

Pump and dump schemes, false financial statements, Ponzi schemes and other types of white collar crimes cost investors billions of dollars each year.  Forensic Attorneys are private attorneys who investigate these types of white collar crime. White collar crimes… Read More

Forensic Attorneys in Securities Matters

As a forensic attorney, Brenda Hamilton has analyzed a variety of matters including money laundering, white collar crime, securities trading and short sales. Since its inception, the forensic attorneys at Hamilton & Associates Law Group, P.A. and its… Read More

Direct Public Offerings – Securities & Going Public Attorneys

While going public offers many benefits it also comes with risks and quantities of regulations with which issuers must become familiar.  Despite the risks, the U.S. capital markets remain one of the most attractive sources of financing in… Read More

SEC Charges College Professor, Gonul Colak, in Naked Short Selling Scheme

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On January 31, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged two Florida college professors with perpetrating a complex naked short selling scheme for more than $400,000 in illicit profits.

SEC Suspends Hi Score and OLIE After Janice Shell Research Report

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On January 27, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced the temporary suspension, pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), of trading in the securities… Read More

How Regulation M Impacts Securities Offerings – Going Public Lawyers

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Recently, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) issued guidance concerning Rule 105 (“Rule 105”) of Regulation M of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Rule 105 prohibits the purchase… Read More

SEC Announces First Deferred Prosecution Agreement

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On November 12, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced a deferred prosecution agreement with Scott Herckisa, a former hedge fund administrator at Hellelwhite Fund LP, who assisted the SEC in an… Read More