Topic: Other developments

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From boom to busted: TMF deems PlexCoins as investment contracts

Securities litigation and enforcementBy Saam Pousht-Mashhad on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions
The legal noose is tightening around the necks of rogue cryptocurrency issuers in Quebec. PlexCorps’s legal troubles, as covered in our previous post, have deepened. In Autorité des marchés financiers c. PlexCorps, 2018 QCTMF 91, the Tribunal des Marchés Financier (TMF) qualified PlexCoin as an investment contract within the meaning of Quebec’s Securities Act. This … Continue reading

Ontario Court Imposes Custodial Sentence for Securities Act Offences

Ted BrookBy Ted Brook on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions, White collar crime
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has released what appears to be the final chapter in the Ontario Securities Commission’s (OSC) prosecution of Daniel Emerson Tiffin and Tiffin Financial Corporation. Background In July 2014, the Ontario Securities Commission’s administrative proceedings against Rezwealth Financial Services Inc., Pamela Ramoutar, Justin Ramoutar, Tiffin Financial Corporation, Daniel Tiffin, 2150129 … Continue reading

When do inferences become unreasonable and contrary to the rules of procedural fairness?

Caroline LaroucheBy Caroline Larouche on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions
As there is almost never direct, ‘smoking gun’ type evidence of insider trading, securities regulators often rely on circumstantial evidence in enforcement proceedings, from which they invite the specialized securities tribunals to draw inferences. What is the line not to cross for these inferences to become unreasonable and contrary to rules of procedural fairness? Referring … Continue reading

CSA Proposes Rule Regarding Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures

Erika AnschuetzBy Erika Anschuetz on Posted in Other developments
Introduction and Background On September 6, 2018, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) issued a notice and request for comment on Proposed National Instrument 52-112 Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure (the Proposed Instrument), Proposed Companion Policy 52-112 Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure (the Proposed Companion Policy) and related proposed consequential amendments and changes to … Continue reading

Quebec Court of Appeal clarifies the essential elements of the offences of market manipulation and complicity under the Quebec Securities Act

Sophie MelchersBy Sophie Melchers on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions
On September 5, 2018, the Quebec Court of Appeal rendered a unanimous judgment in Autorité des marchés financiers c. Forget, 2018 QCCA 1419 (Forget) clarifying the essential elements of the mens rea offence of market manipulation set out at section 195.2 of the Quebec Securities Act (QSA): 195.2. Influencing or attempting to influence the market … Continue reading

Quebec Superior Court dismisses action for damages against Autorité des marchés financiers

Sophie MelchersCaroline LaroucheBy Sophie Melchers and Caroline Larouche on Posted in Civil claims, Cross border issues, Other developments
In Mallat c. Autorité des marchés financiers de France, 2018 QCCS 3867, Cohen J. granted a motion to dismiss an action brought by three Ubisoft executives (Plaintiffs) against the Autorité des marchés financiers de France (AMFF) and the Autorité des marchés financiers du Québec (AMFQ). Among many demands[1], the Plaintiffs requested declarations that the Multilateral … Continue reading

Stay of proceedings based on AMF failings in its disclosure of evidence : Baazov v. AMF, 2018 QCCQ 4449

Sophie MelchersCaroline LaroucheBy Sophie Melchers and Caroline Larouche on Posted in Other developments, White collar crime
In the recent decision Baazov v. AMF, Mascia J. of the Quebec Court, Criminal and Penal Chamber granted a stay of proceedings in respect of all tipping, insider trading and market manipulation charges laid against the accused based on the repeated failings of the prosecutor, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), the Quebec securities regulator, … Continue reading

The Importance of Cooperation Among Interjurisdictional Securities Regulators: United States Securities and Exchange Commission v. Autorité des marchés financiers, 2018 QCCQ 4417

Sophie MelchersBy Sophie Melchers on Posted in Cross border issues, Other developments, White collar crime
In the recent decision of United States Securities and Exchange Commission v. Autorité des marchés financiers, 2018 QCCQ 4417, the Quebec Court, Criminal and Penal Chamber held that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had the required interest under section 122 of the Code of penal procedure (CPP) to be allowed to examine … Continue reading

Ontario Securities Commission confirms test for severance

Fahad SiddiquiBy Fahad Siddiqui on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions, White collar crime
In a decision issued on July 24, 2018, the Ontario Securities Commission held that the test to determine whether a respondent’s case should be severed and heard separately is the same test used in criminal proceedings. The decision, Hutchinson (Re), 2018 ONSEC 40, is available here. Allegations of insider trading and insider tipping The OSC … Continue reading

Copy and Paste Securities Fraud? The U.S. Supreme Court to Decide

Seth M. KruglakLisa SchapiraBy Seth M. Kruglak and Lisa Schapira on Posted in Cross border issues, Other developments, White collar crime
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear a case where an investment banker copied and pasted misstatements from his boss into emails that, at his boss’s request, he sent to prospective debenture purchasers.  In Lorenzo v. Securities and Exchange Commission, 872 F.3d 578 (D.C. Cir. 2017), a divided United States Court of Appeals … Continue reading

Parity in sentencing for insider trading: AMF v. Beauchamp, 2018 QCCQ 3604

Sophie MelchersCaroline LaroucheBy Sophie Melchers and Caroline Larouche on Posted in Other developments, White collar crime
In a recent decision, AMF v. Beauchamp, Délisle J. of the Quebec Court, Criminal and Penal Chamber, refused to follow the request of the Quebec securities regulator, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), that a prison term be added to the sentence of an accused in an insider trading case. Background to the Decision Francis … Continue reading

Alberta Securities Commission Policy 15-601: Credit for Exemplary Cooperation in Enforcement Matters – New Provision for No-Contest Settlement Agreements

Steven LeitlBy Steven Leitl on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions
On October 25, 2017, we wrote about the Alberta Securities Commission’s (ASC) new Policy 15-601 which “explains the use of discretion by ASC staff when considering the appropriate enforcement action and assessing the appropriate sanction for misconduct.”  A link to the publication is here. As we predicted in October, the ASC recently issued a press … Continue reading

US Supreme Court puts an end to untimely piggyback class actions

Darryl Anderson (US)Dan McClureGeraldine YoungLauren BrogdonBy Darryl Anderson (US), Dan McClure, Geraldine Young and Lauren Brogdon on Posted in Class actions, Cross border issues, Other developments
Companies confronting serial class actions won much needed relief from the US Supreme Court yesterday, in a decision that held that a class action tolls statutes of limitations only for putative class members’ individual claims, and not for later-filed class actions. A second class action must be filed within the limitations period, or it is … Continue reading

UPDATE: No Room for Double Talk: The Ontario Court of Appeal Addresses Restatements, the Reasonable Investigation Defence and the Test for Leave in Rahimi v. SouthGobi Resources Ltd.

Linda FuerstBy Linda Fuerst on Posted in Class actions, Other developments
On May 31, 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada denied SouthGobi Resources Ltd.’s application for leave to appeal the decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal, which I provided an update on October 7, 2018.  The Court of Appeal decision provides guidance concerning the availability of the defence of reasonable investigation to a claim under Part … Continue reading

Still in Jeopardy: Supreme Court of Canada refuses leave to appeal BC Court of Appeal decision confirming that a Securities Commission financial penalty does not prevent being penalised in criminal fraud proceedings

Kaitlin SmileyBy Kaitlin Smiley on Posted in Other developments, White collar crime
This morning the Supreme Court of Canada refused leave to appeal[1] from the decision of the BC Court of Appeal in R. v. Samji[2], which confirms that the Charter does not preclude criminal proceedings where a defendant had already been ordered to pay penalties for fraud under the Securities Act. Rashida Samji, a former licensed notary … Continue reading

Divisional Court confirms that interlocutory OSC orders not eligible for appeal, judicial review

Andrew McCoombBy Andrew McCoomb on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions, White collar crime
In the recent decision of Cheng v Ontario Securities Commission, 2018 ONSC 2502, the Divisional Court held that an interlocutory order of the OSC was not subject to challenge through an appeal or judicial review. Background The OSC commenced enforcement proceedings against Benedict Cheng in April 2017 on allegations of insider tipping.  Cheng brought a … Continue reading

Ontario Court Rejects “Family Resemblance” Test for Defining Securities under the Securities Act

Michael BookmanBy Michael Bookman on Posted in Civil claims, Other developments
On May 15, 2018, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ontario Securities Commission v. Tiffin confirmed that the “family resemblance” test cannot be used to answer one of the central questions of securities law: what constitutes a security? Background In July 2014, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) prohibited Mr. Tiffin from trading in securities … Continue reading

OSC Panel Approves Settlement Agreement for Insider Tipping Without Profit Disgorgement or Administrative Penalty

Erika AnschuetzBy Erika Anschuetz on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions, White collar crime
The Ontario Securities Commission’s recent decision in Re Hutchinson confirmed the important role of cooperation with Commission Staff in reducing sanctions for breaches of Ontario’s securities law. Background Donna Hutchinson worked as a legal assistant at a large Toronto law firm, assisting with merger and acquisition transactions. Through the course of her work, Ms. Hutchinson … Continue reading

OSC Continues Mediation Program on a Permanent Basis

Geoff MensBy Geoff Mens on Posted in Other developments
On April 9, 2018, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) announced that its Mediation Program, which began as a pilot program in May 2015, will be continuing on a permanent basis. The Mediation Program provides respondents represented by counsel, as well as enforcement staff, with the option to seek resolution through an independent third party mediator. … Continue reading

Not All’s Fair in Disgorgement and Fraud

Danny UrquhartBy Danny Urquhart on Posted in Civil claims, Other developments, White collar crime
On April 18, 2018, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released its reasons in Ontario Securities Commission v. Bluestream Capital Corporation which is a useful illustration of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC)’s power to garnish funds held by victims of investment fraud that are payable as debts to the perpetrator of the fraud. The Background … Continue reading

Civil Forfeiture in the Securities Context

Geoff MensBy Geoff Mens on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions, White collar crime
Administrative fines are are regularly imposed by the Ontario Securities Commission (the OSC) in enforcement proceedings as sanctions for violations of Ontario securities law. Less well-known, but equally important, is the ability of the OSC to require wrongdoers to forfeit to the Crown the ill-gotten proceeds of unlawful activities. This post outlines the process by … Continue reading

Bustle without the Hustle not an “Act in Furtherance of a Trade” under the Ontario Securities Act

Danny UrquhartBy Danny Urquhart on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions
A recent decision by the Ontario Court of Justice provides lessons about the scope of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC)’s powers to regulate acts “in furtherance of a trade”.  The OSC’s case was against two individuals who helped create a website for a new company.  The website included an investors relations page which stated that … Continue reading

Aurora/CanniMed: Canadian securities regulators provide guidance on takeover bids in Canada – Expect to see more hard lock-ups and fewer tactical poison pills

Walied SolimanHeidi ReinhartJoe BrickerBy Walied Soliman, Heidi Reinhart and Joe Bricker on Posted in Other developments, Securities regulatory decisions
Key takeaways: expect to see an increased use of hard lock-ups (that is, lock-ups in which a shareholder agrees to tender shares even if a superior bid comes along), which will provide bidders with reduced risk during the new 105-day bid period well-structured hard lock-ups do not necessarily result in target shareholders being joint actors … Continue reading
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