Compliance & Ethics

The CFTC announced four separate orders granting awards totaling approximately $4.5 million to a total of seven whistleblowers yesterday. This marks the most whistleblower awards issued by the CFTC in a single day. The awards recognize the critical contributions of whistleblowers who provided information that led to successful enforcement actions by the CFTC and other authorities. The whistleblowers come from a variety of backgrounds, including victims of fraud, market participants, and employees with compliance responsibilities.

At the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) 23rd Annual Compliance & Ethics Institute, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri delivered a keynote speech underscoring the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) evolving corporate enforcement landscape. Compliance professionals were at the center of her address, emphasizing their critical role in upholding corporate integrity.

Danske Bank, Denmark's largest bank, has reached a settlement with the French National Financial Prosecutor, agreeing to pay €6.33 million to resolve a money laundering investigation linked to its former Estonia branch. This marks the conclusion of France’s judicial probe into the non-resident portfolio (NRP) at the Estonian branch, a scandal that has haunted the bank since 2007. The French investigation was centered around transactions from 2007 to 2014 involving several thousand non-resident customers, primarily from Russia.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today announced charges against Atom Investors LP, a Texas-based registered investment adviser, for violations of federal securities laws related to recordkeeping. The firm failed to maintain and preserve off-channel communications, a key obligation under the SEC's recordkeeping provisions. Despite the serious nature of these violations, the SEC opted not to impose a civil penalty, citing Atom Investors' self-reporting, substantial cooperation, and prompt efforts to remediate the situation.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has imposed a $2 million civil monetary penalty on Piper Sandler Hedging Services LLC for alleged recordkeeping violations, but the decision has ignited a fierce debate within the commission itself. Two commissioners have issued dissenting statements, questioning both the evidence supporting the charges and the CFTC's jurisdiction in the matter.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has revealed its latest enforcement actions, emphasizing the regulator's continued focus on maintaining the integrity and stability of the national banking system. Targeting two major banks and a former bank employee, these actions highlight the OCC's commitment to addressing issues ranging from unsafe banking practices to financial crimes.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced today that Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust (MIMBT), a registered investment adviser, has agreed to pay $79.8 million to settle charges of fraud. The case involves the overvaluation of illiquid assets and the execution of unlawful cross trades that favored certain clients over others.