For two years, stock traders and the attorneys who represent them said insider-trading law was a muddle, with no one knowing exactly what was or wasn’t legal. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court said it had “easily” settled the question.
No one doubted that a trader who paid cash to an insider for privileged information faced prison. But what about the trader who got the tip from a friend or golfing buddy as a mere gift? Is it illegal to trade on that?
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court declared that it is. And that eliminated the confusion that had plagued insider-trading law since December 2014, when a New York-based appeals court made it harder for prosecutors to bring such cases.
via Insiders ‘Back On The Hook’ After Top Court’s Trading Ruling | Big Law Business