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Jay co-leads the firm’s Securities Investigations + Enforcement Practice Group. He focuses his practice on complex business litigation, with a special emphasis on defending against shareholder derivative and securities class action litigation. He also represents clients involved in investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, and various self-regulatory organizations, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA). He also conducts internal investigations on behalf of clients. Such investigations have included allegations involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), whistle blower claims, financial fraud, and civil and criminal violations of various federal and state laws.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has proposed a sweeping update to how broker‑dealers handle outside business activities and private securities transactions. FINRA seeks to consolidate and replace Rules 3270 (Outside Business Activities of Registered Persons) and 3280 (Private Securities Transactions of an Associated Person) with a single new rule: Rule 3290 (Outside Activities Requirements). The proposal preserves the core investor protection concepts of the existing rules but refocuses them on investment‑related activities.

Troutman Pepper Locke’s Securities Investigations and Enforcement team counsels and defends clients through all stages of securities enforcement proceedings. Our attorneys have served in key government agencies and regulatory bodies, and bring their insight to bear in each representation. The team includes a former branch chief of the Division of Enforcement at the SEC, former enforcement lawyers, regulators and government attorneys, assistant United States Attorneys and former assistant attorneys general, as well as in-house counsel for public companies. Our lawyers and practice have been identified as leaders in the field by publications such as the Legal 500, SuperLawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and Chambers USA.

On January 9, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in Ongkaruck Sripetch v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The case arises out of an SEC civil enforcement action in the Ninth Circuit and squarely presents an important remedial question that the Court left open in Liu v. SEC, i.e., what counts as a “victim” for purposes of SEC disgorgement, and does the SEC have to show that investors actually lost money before it can obtain that relief?

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report is the most current and comprehensive statement of FINRA’s priorities and expectations for member firms. It does not create new legal obligations, but it is clearly designed as an exam and enforcement roadmap. The 2026 Report weaves together FINRA’s FINRA Forward modernization program, new and evolving risks (especially cyber‑enabled fraud and generative AI (GenAI)), and detailed observations on firms’ supervisory, operational, and financial controls. Firms should use it as a structured checklist for 2026 risk assessments, revisions to written supervisory procedures (WSPs), and enhancements to testing, surveillance, and training.

Troutman Pepper Locke’s Securities Investigations + Enforcement Practice

Troutman Pepper Locke’s Securities Investigations and Enforcement team counsels and defends clients through all stages of securities enforcement proceedings. Our attorneys have served in key government agencies and regulatory bodies, and bring their insight to bear in each representation. The team includes a former branch chief of

On September 26, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul S. Atkins announced a return to the SEC’s prior practice of allowing individuals and entities facing enforcement actions to request that the SEC simultaneously consider both their settlement offers and any related waiver requests. Waivers may be necessary to avoid automatic disqualifications and collateral consequences that can result from enforcement actions, such as the loss of well-known seasoned issuer status, safe harbor protections, private offering exemptions, or the ability to serve in certain regulated capacities.

On September 5, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the formation of a Cross-Border Task Force. This initiative aims to enhance the Division of Enforcement’s capabilities in identifying and combating cross-border fraud that adversely affects U.S. investors. As global markets become increasingly interconnected, the SEC’s proactive approach underscores its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. capital markets.

On September 2, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a Joint Staff Statement regarding the listing of leveraged, margined, or financed spot retail commodity transactions on digital assets. Specifically, the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets and the CFTC’s Division of Market Oversight and Division of Clearing and Risk shared their view that “current law does not prohibit” SEC- or CFTC-registered exchanges from facilitating trading of those spot crypto asset products.

Last week, TZP Management Associates, LLC (TZP), a New York-based private equity investment adviser, agreed to pay more than $680,000 in monetary relief to settle charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for breaches of fiduciary duty related to the calculation of management fees for TZP’s private fund clients. This enforcement action highlights the importance of adhering to fund partnership agreements and providing adequate disclosure of fee calculation and management practices to mitigate potential conflicts of interest.

On August 1, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the formation of a new task force dedicated to harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance innovation and efficiency across the agency. This initiative, led by Valerie Szczepanik, SEC’s newly appointed Chief AI Officer, marks a significant step in the agency’s commitment to integrating this technology into its operations.