First, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit’s revised decision in United States v. Martoma embraced a broad theory of liability under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 (hereinafter, collectively, “Section 10(b)”) that prohibits a party from tipping with an “intent to benefit” the recipient. Second, when prosecutors have pursued tipping cases under 18 U.S.C. § 1348, a criminal securities fraud provision adopted as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, courts have interpreted this newer securities fraud statute to have less stringent requirements than Section 10(b).
These two developments could lead the government to take a more aggressive stance on tipping charges in the future, and both finance professionals and lawyers need to be aware that the ground may be shifting under them.
via Better the Devil You Know? Tipping Liability, Martoma and the Rise of 18 U.S.C. § 1348.
