Compliance

Key Points

  • The SEC established the Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit within its Division of Enforcement to pursue accounting and financial reporting fraud, as well as misconduct by accountants and auditors.
  • The unit will be staffed by attorneys and accountants with specialized skills in financial reporting, accounting, and auditing in the context of federal securities

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Key Points

  • DOJ has reportedly directed all 93 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to maintain a minimum of 25 open matters per prosecutor, a metrics-driven mandate that has drawn criticism as unworkable for complex white-collar and national security cases. 
  • The quota could incentivize earlier and more aggressive initiation of investigations, increasing the likelihood of grand jury subpoenas,

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Monday, November 10, 2025

Register Here

James Stevens, partner and co-leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Financial Services Industry Group, will present “Bank Partnerships and Banking‑as‑a‑Service: New Pressure and New Opportunities” at Practising Law Institute’s Banking Law Institute 2025 on Monday, November 10, 2025. This daylong advanced-level CLE program will cover recent developments impacting the…

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…

Introduction

On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1 — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the OBBBA) was enacted into law. OBBBA introduces significant amendments to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), including notable changes to sections 162(m) and 4960.[1] Section 162(m) limits the deductibility of executive compensation for publicly held corporations, and section 4960 imposes excise…

On September 9, 2025, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued Advisory Opinion 2025-03A addressing the following question: Are awards of restricted stock units (RSUs) that permit post-employment vesting considered a “pension plan” subject to the requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)? For the reasons discussed below, the DOL answered, no,…

The Report authored by the Presidential Working Group on Digital Assets Markets (PWG), titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology,” along with the accompanying fact sheet, outlines several key objectives aimed at positioning the U.S. as a leader in digital asset markets. Among its objectives are reinforcing the role of the U.S. dollar,…