Securities Law 101 Blog On June 21, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), suspended Michael Stewart, a California securities attorney, from practicing before the SEC. The sanction stemmed from an SEC enforcement action brought by the agency in May 2012; Stewart agreed to settle. In it, the SEC charged Stewart, John J. Packard, Randall [&hell…
Read MoreIn the latest twist to the Bermuda Short Sting of 2003, on June 19, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Division of Enforcement charged David F. Bahr of Rancho Santa Fe, California, with securities fraud for attempting to generate the appearance of market interest in a penny stock in an effort to cause investors to buy the stock. Unfortunate…
Read MoreHamilton & Associates Securities l Form S-1 Registration Statements In Going Public Transactions The securities and going public attorneys at Hamilton & Associates Law Group have provided numerous issuers with their going public solution using Form S-1, Form 211 and other methods. We will design and implement the going public solution that i…
Read MoreThe use of social media is a growing concern with new exemptions that allow issuers to engage in general solicitation and advertising of their unregistered offerings. The Securities and Exchange Commission has made its position on the use of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter by public companies clear. The SEC has stated that social media may [&hel…
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog On June 10, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) suspended trading in the securities of Polar Petroleum Corp. (“POLR”), a company quoted on the OTC
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog Corporate hijackings of public shell companies–also called corporate identity theft–has been around for more than two decades. The public companies taken over in hijackings have become a valuable assets for shell peddlers (frequently securities lawyers & accountants) seeking reverse merger companies for their cl…
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog On June 5, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) charged penny stock issuer, Laidlaw Energy Group. According to the SEC charges, Laidlaw and its CEO, Michael B. Bartoszek sold more than two billion unregistered and non-exempt shares of Laidlaw’s common stock in 35 issuances to three commonly control…
Read MoreShort selling can be a legitimate trading strategy. It is often endorsed for its beneficial effects on the securities markets, which include increasing liquidity. It is also criticized. Short sellers profit by identifying companies that are weak or overvalued, and companies whose shares have been manipulated to rise to artificially high share prices. The…
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog In a follow-up to its mass trading suspension of 379 over-the-counter issues on May 14, 2012, the SEC today announced the second largest trading suspension in its history as it continues its “Operation Shell Expel” crackdown against the manipulation of microcap shell companies that are ripe for fraud as they lie dormant…
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 15, 2013, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California charged Bradley Holcom with eight counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of securities fraud in connection with a $50 million securities offering he conducted between 2004 and 2010, to 150 investors.
Read MoreOn May 30, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced Robert Vitale, the subject of an SEC enforcement inquiry plead guilty to criminal charges by the Justice Department for obstructing justice and lying to SEC attorneys investigating a real estate securities offerings to investors.
Read MoreCompanies seeking capital are frequently approached by finders who offer to find investors in exchange for a percentage of funds raised. Most finders are not registered as broker-dealers with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The possibility of receiving money even through the efforts of a finder creates a tempting opportunity for issuers a…
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 29, 2013, the SEC charged NASDAQ with violating the securities laws as a result of its poor systems and decision-making during the initial public offering (IPO) and secondary trading of Facebook’s common shares. NASDAQ has agreed to pay the largest settlement ever handed down against an exchange – $10 million.
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog The Depository Trust Company (DTC) is the only stock depository in the United States. When DTC provides services as the depository for an issuer’s securities, its securities can trade electronically. Without DTC eligibility, it is almost impossible for an issuer to establish an active market in its stock. Issuers must satisfy spec…
Read MoreSecurities 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 percent of all profiles for 2012. Ms. Hamilton attributes the rating to the law firm’s leading role [&hellip…
Read MoreSecurities 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 and Tradeshow Marketing Company Ltd. According to the SEC’s complaint, Canadia…
Read MoreSecurities 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 SEC’s new enforcement initiatives.A…
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog On Dec 28, 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced a trading suspension, pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), of the securities of Southridge Enterprises, Inc. (SRGE), a Nevada corporation (“Southridge”). The SEC’s Order of Suspension…
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) frequently receives tips from whistlblowers. SEC tips from whistleblowers are provided in a variety of ways. The SEC tips are primarily received through the SEC’s online TCR form located at http://www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml or through direct contact with employees and st…
Read MoreWhat Is Rule 504? Rule 504 of Regulation D is an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) for certain companies when they offer and sell securities. How Much Money Can I Raise From Investors In A 504 Offering? The aggregate amount raised for an offering […]
Read MoreOn May of 2012, Francesca’s Holdings Corporation announced the termination of its Chief Financial Officer after an internal investigation concluded he had improperly communicated non-public company information over Twitter, which included a tweet that said “Board meeting. Good numbers = Happy Board” during the quiet period prior to the company’s contemplate…
Read MoreSecurities Lawyer 101 Blog Over a year ago, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in an initiative known as Operation Shell-Expel, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) suspended the trading in 379 shell companies in an effort to prevent the companies from being hijacked by fraudsters and used in reverse mergers scams. Over the…
Read MoreFor more information about going public and Regulation A, securities law or our other services please contact Hamilton & Associates Law Group, P.A. 01 Plaza Real S, Suite 202 N, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 416-8956 or by email at [email protected]. This securities law blog post is provided as a general informational service to clients and friends…
Read MoreOn Friday, August 9, 2024, Meta Materials Inc. (MMAT) filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This turn of events was reported only in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC; no press release or announcement on the company website followed. The filing said simply: Item 1.03. Bankruptcy or Receivership. On August 9, 2024, after consideration of […]
Read MoreThanks to an SEC Complaint filed today, MMTLP shareholders finally have the undisputable evidence needed to point their previously misguided blame for their massive losses at the proper culprits. For months after the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA“) halted trading of MMTLP shares following trading on December 8, 2022, to avoid se…
Read MoreLess than a month after one of the biggest auditing firms in the public markets, BF Borgers, and its owner, Benjamin Borgers, were permanently banned and fined a combined $14 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for massive quality control issues, another large auditing firm involved in the public markets is facing [&hell…
Read MoreTier 1 of Regulation A provides an exemption for securities offerings of up to $20 million in a 12-month period, while Tier 2 provides an exemption for securities offerings of up to $75 million in a 12-month period.
Read MoreOn Friday, September 2, the man who lived on the 18th floor of 56 Leonard Street in New York’s Tribeca district didn’t go to work or, perhaps, he came home very early. We know only that at about 12:30 in the afternoon, he fell from one of the balconies of his luxury apartment, landing on […]
Read MoreThe Securities and Exchange Commission announced that the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered final judgments against the remaining three defendants in a 2019 SEC action charging them for their alleged roles in a pump-and-dump scheme in the stock of southern California beverage and cannabis company Green Cures & Botanical Distr…
Read MoreA short sale transaction can be part of a legitimate trading strategy if done legally. Illegal Short selling...
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