Regulation & Compliance
-
FTC to ban noncompetes
The FTC said the rule, expected to take effect as soon as late August, received overwhelming public support during a comment period.
By Ryan Golden • April 23, 2024 -
PCAOB Hits KPMG Netherlands, Deloitte Affiliates With Exam Cheating Penalties
The civil penalties levied by the PCAOB reflect “egregious” widespread cheating on internal examinations required to maintain a CPA license.
By Andy Burt • April 11, 2024 -
Withum, Baker Tilly, and Grant Thornton Among Mid-Tier Audit Firms Under PCAOB’s Radar in Q1
“Sweeps are a valuable tool in our enforcement toolbox to ensure there are consequences for putting investors at risk,” said PCAOB Chair Erica Williams.
By Adam Zaki • March 21, 2024 -
Crypto Fraud Losses Rose to $3.9B in 2023, a 53% YoY Increase: FBI
SEC enforcement actions against cryptocurrency players were up last year, but the commission is under attack for not issuing new rules for the industry.
By Vincent Ryan • March 20, 2024 -
3 Steps CFOs Must Take to Prepare for the New Merger Guidelines
These proactive steps help CFOs stay competitive in the shifting M&A regulatory environment.
By Mitch Berlin • March 12, 2024 -
Chemours CFO, CEO, Controller Violated Company Code of Ethics
An anonymous hotline tip led the company to investigate what it found to be a failure of the “promot[ion of] full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure.”
By Andy Burt • March 8, 2024 -
SEC Adopts Climate-Related Disclosure Rules for Public Companies, Public Offerings
The new rules equip investors to “decide which risks they want to take so long as companies raising money from the public make ... complete and truthful disclosure,” SEC Chair Gary Gensler said.
By Andy Burt • March 6, 2024 -
Former Long Island School CFO on Trial For Stealing $8.4M
The ex-CFO used the funds to afford a “lavish lifestyle,” according to the Suffolk County ADA Jessica Lightstone.
By Adam Zaki • March 1, 2024 -
SEC Accountant Calls on Auditors to Exercise More Skepticism
Management teams “may be under pressure to meet earnings expectations in the face of declining revenue or increases in costs,” said the SEC’s Paul Munter.
By Vincent Ryan • Feb. 6, 2024 -
Feds, Employers Spar in Court as Independent Contractor Changes Loom
Business groups have asked the court to remove its stay on a suit challenging the Biden administration’s withdrawal of a Trump-era independent contractor rule.
By Ryan Golden • Jan. 25, 2024 -
DOL Rule That Could Curtail ‘Gig’ Work Nears Finish Line
Many industries that rely heavily on independent contractors say their workers prefer the flexibility and autonomy the business model offers.
By Vincent Ryan • Jan. 9, 2024 -
SEC’s Cyber Compliance Rules Balance Threats, Disclosure Concerns
“Public companies have the flexibility to decide how to address cybersecurity risks and threats ... Investors have indicated, however, that they need consistent and comparable disclosures in order to evaluate how successfully public companies are doing so,” the SEC’s Erik Gerding said.
By David Jones • Dec. 20, 2023 -
DOJ, FTC Detail Aggressive Antitrust Enforcement
White House economist Lael Brainard said the guidelines were “an important step to lower costs for consumers ... and ensure antitrust enforcement is fit for purpose in today’s economy.”
By Vincent Ryan • Dec. 19, 2023 -
EU Sustainability Reporting: Multinationals Tackle a Compliance Monster
Early challenges in sustainability reporting involve people, data, and questions of materiality, say executives from Cummins, Dell, and Mondelēz.
By Vincent Ryan • Dec. 15, 2023 -
SEC Brought 91 Cases Against Companies in FY ‘23
Faulty issuer reporting and disclosures remained the most prevalent allegation type, accounting for 45% of all actions filed in fiscal year 2023.
By Vincent Ryan • Dec. 13, 2023 -
Madoff Investigator On Fraud: ‘Never Let Your Guard Down’
Fifteen years after Bernie Madoff's arrest, the SEC's failure to spot his Ponzi scheme still holds lessons for CFOs.
By Vincent Ryan • Dec. 12, 2023 -
Aligning SEC, Existing Clawback Policies
Companies with existing clawback policies can help ensure it doesn’t conflict with the mandatory 2024 SEC policy by using tiebreakers.
By Robert Freedman • Dec. 12, 2023 -
Republican AGs Back Lawsuit Challenging Nasdaq Diversity Rules
Nasdaq first proposed new listing rules that required companies to publicly disclose diversity statistics regarding their boards of directors in 2020.
By Ryan Golden • Dec. 4, 2023 -
Audit Quality Questioned at Baruch Conference
One board member said audit firms need to change their cultures to drive the behaviors that would ensure the “consistent execution of high-quality audits.”
By Vincent Ryan • Dec. 1, 2023 -
First OCC Fintech Chief Had Phony Resume: Reports
Prashant Bhardwaj alleged he held positions at Huntington and Fifth Third — and at Citi at a time when he would have been 13, according to a resume The Information obtained through FOIA.
By Gabrielle Saulsbery • Nov. 30, 2023 -
NYU’s Stern Center for Business and Human Rights Calls for ESG Ratings System Overhaul
Environmental, social and governance investing should center on companies’ impacts on the environment and society rather than shareholder profit, the report argues.
By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 28, 2023 -
Audit Fees Rose Nearly 5% in 2022: Weekly Stat
Inflation drove up fees, but so did the increasing effort required to perform and support a high-quality audit.
By Vincent Ryan • Nov. 15, 2023 -
SEC Accountants Highlight This Year’s Compliance Struggles
Staff at the SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant give filers a heads-up on the accounting obstacles for which preparers and companies seek advice.
By Vincent Ryan • Nov. 14, 2023 -
Who’s Most Affected by NLRB’s Joint Employer Final Rule?
The labor board “is unleashing a storm” that could spread to multiple industries.
By Ryan Golden • Oct. 31, 2023 -
What New Disclosure Rule?
The new U.S. “beneficial ownership” rule will impact 32.6 million reporting companies in 2024 alone.
By David McCann • Oct. 31, 2023