In an unprecedented one-day blitz, the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission was joined by the SEC Enforcement Director in events in Silicon Valley and San Francisco on March 31 focused on one message: the SEC is closely watching the conduct of private companies as well as emerging platforms that trade in private company securities, and will bring enforcement cases as needed to protect investors. Dubbed the “Silicon Valley Initiative,” the senior officials emphasized that although the SEC wants to encourage capital formation for innovative Bay Area companies, because they play such a critical role in our economy and our markets, the SEC expects even private companies to embrace and demonstrate sound corporate governance.
The full article is available through the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation.