This job is so much more than the individual cases. But, of course, I take great pride in the cases. Every case is important though some stand out. A few are the SEC’s actions against: Tesla and Elon Musk; Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes; General Electric; Facebook; Telegram and Kik; the EDGAR hackers; Wells Fargo; Robinhood; former Congressman Christopher Collins; Goldman Sachs; Lek Securities and Avalon Trading; and the Woodbridge Group and its founder Robert Shapiro.
Why do I note these cases? Because in my view, they are just a few examples of cases that reflect the strength of our program and impacted the market beyond the four corners of the particular matter – whether because of the brazenness or novelty of the misconduct, the immediate impact on investors, the deterrent effect of the charges or remedies, the identity of the party or parties the Commission charged, the complexity and sophistication of our investigative work, or the message sent to the market as a whole about the strength of the SEC’s enforcement program. Cases like these put a fine point on our sophistication, independence, persistence, agility, and trial skills. These cases reinforce the message that we are here. We are watching. We will put together the pieces. We are ready to move, and we can move quickly. Market integrity matters. Accurate disclosure matters. A level playing field matters. Treating investors and customers honestly matters. These cases remind people of those things.
Source: SEC.gov | Farewell Statement of Stephanie Avakian, Director of the Division of Enforcement
