Securities matters often involve parallel litigation and enforcement proceedings, and our securities enforcement and litigation team has the experience and depth to advise and defend clients in these overlapping areas. We regularly represent public and private companies, financial institutions, officers, directors, and board committees in securities enforcement inquiries and investigations, lawsuits asserting violations of Ugandan securities laws, and shareholder derivative actions. We also counsel clients on the creation and regulation of financial products, guide them through internal and regulatory investigations, and defend them in litigation.
We work side by side with the securities industry in matters to help restore investor confidence in the markets. Our lawyers have represented clients at the national and state levels in most of the recent high-profile matters in the securities and investment management industries. In the recent past, matters for which our lawyers have taken leadership roles on behalf of clients have related to structured products, research analyst conflict rules, auction rate securities, municipal bonds, insider trading, subprime mortgage matters, and market timing and late trading.
COMPLEX FINANCIAL PRODUCTS
Our securities enforcement team advises clients on matters related to complex financial products, and regularly defends investigations conducted by the SEC Enforcement Division’s Complex Financial Instruments Unit, FINRA, and state securities regulators. These matters include investigations related to asset-backed securities, volatility instruments, derivatives, structured debt, and other complex products. We also frequently provide product guidance and specialized training to our clients with respect to these types of securities.
FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT
Our Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) team conducts investigations and regularly represents clients before the SEC and DOJ in connection with FCPA inquiries. The group has experience conducting cross-border investigations, making voluntary disclosure decisions, and evaluating remediation options. We also perform due diligence in connection with mergers, acquisitions, and other investment opportunities.
Our group assists clients with every aspect of FCPA compliance. This includes building global compliance programs, conducting risk assessments, and evaluating and enhancing existing anticorruption compliance programs. We also make improvements to internal controls and processes, and we train employees.