Lou R. Mejia

Connect: Read more about Lou R. Mejia
Firm/Organization: Perkins Coie LLP
Blogs: Asset Management ADVocate, White Collar Briefly

Latest Articles

The U.S. Supreme Court recently handed down a win for the SEC and private securities litigants, significantly broadening the scope of primary liability under Rule 10b-(5).  In Lorenzo v. SEC, the Court held that liability under Rules 10b-5(a) and (c)—which make it unlawful to employ a scheme to defraud or engage in any practice that operates as a fraud—is not limited only to those who make false or misleading statements as contemplated under sister-section…
Since 2010, the SEC has abided by the Sixth Circuit’s decision in United States v. Warshak, and has not subpoenaed emails of an individual from third party service providers.   That changed, however, when the SEC decided to test the law by filing a recent action against Yahoo to force compliance with a subpoena for the emails of an individual. In Warshak, the court held that the use of something less than a warrant, such…
In granting a petition to review the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Somers v. Digital Realty, the Supreme Court will resolve a circuit court split on the issue of whether Dodd-Frank prohibits retaliation against internal whistleblowers who did not report their concerns about potential securities law violations to the SEC. In March, partners Tony Caliendo, Todd Kerr, and Michael Clyde reported on Somers, which held that internal whistleblowers are protected, joining the Second…
This week the Supreme Court trimmed the SEC’s power to seek disgorgement of unlawful gains by securities law violators by unanimously holding in Kokesh v. Securities and Exchange Commission that SEC disgorgement constitutes a penalty and such claims must be brought within five years of their accrual. This decision resolved the circuit split described in a previous post. SEC Does Not Have Limitless Power to Impose Penalties Kokesh involved the SEC’s effort to collect…
Marking a rare loss for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its favored administrative forum, SEC Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) James E. Grimes ruled against the agency on April 18, 2017, in In the Matter of Charles L. Hill, Jr.  Ironically, the SEC fought hard to keep the case in the administrative forum, after Respondent Hill filed an action in federal district court claiming the SEC’s “home court” forum was unconstitutional.  The district court enjoined the…
On April 18, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Kokesh v. Securities and Exchange Commission—a case which could determine whether the Securities and Exchange Commission’s power to disgorge ill-gotten gains is subject to a statute of limitations.  The SEC currently uses disgorgement as a tool to take in billions of dollars in payments annually from defendants in its enforcement actions. …
President Donald Trump’s nominee for chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton, testified before the Senate Banking Committee during his confirmation hearing on March 23, 2017.  In this two-part series, we recap the highlights of Clayton’s testimony regarding potential enforcement priorities and policy changes. READ PART ONE HERE…