Public companies are required to comply with United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and regulations. On average, public companies can spend anywhere from $1-$3 million a year more than similar private companies. Studies have shown that public companies spend more on investor relations personnel, board costs and, most…

Last month, Commissioner Luis A. Aguilar of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission gave a speech (https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/2013/spch041813laa.htm) to the Regulatory Compliance Association in New York. The speech was focused on compliance as the foundation on which investor trust is built and kept. An effective and robust compliance program that is…

On March 22, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced charges against Houstonbased hedge fund manager, George R. Jarkesy Jr., and his firm, John Thomas Capital Management (“JTCM”). Jarkesy has been accused of defrauding investors in two hedge funds by inflating the value of the funds’ assets and charging…

On March 11, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced that Oppenheimer Asset Management, Inc. and Oppenheimer Alternative Investment Management, LLC (“Oppenheimer”) have agreed to pay approximately $3.0 million to settle allegations that Oppenheimer misled investors about the valuation policies and performance of a private equity fund-of-funds. The SEC…