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The article discusses an investigation by New York Attorney General into Steven Rattner, formerly of investment firm Quadrangle Group LLC. Cuomo is trying to determine whether Rattner was involved in extending favors to the brother of a New York State pension fund official at a time when Quadrangle was trying to get business from the fund.

The article reports that Angelo Mozilo, the former chief executive of mortgage company Countrywide Financial Corp., will pay $67 million to settle civil-fraud charges brought against him by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. A substantial portion of that amount will be paid by Countrywide's owner, Bank of America Corp.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed a vote on a settlement of charges against financier Steven Rattner relating to his involvement with New York State public employee pension trusts. The office of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is reported to have advised against the settlement.

The article reports that the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) are close to a settlement of foreign bribery charges against the petroleum industry firm Royal Dutch Shell PLC and the shipping industry company Panalpina Group. The two firms are expected to agree to fines of $30 million for Royal Dutch Shell and $85 million for Panalpina.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and financier Steven Rattner are nearing settlement of charges related to Rattner's alleged involvement in a kickback scandal at the New York State pension fund. Indications are Rattner would accept a two-year ban from the securities industry and pay about $6 million.

The article describes details from a report issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission that chronicle events during a May 6, 2010 stock-market crash that saw shares temporarily plunge hundreds of points. Central to the account is an automated trading algorithm executed by mutual-fund company Waddell & Reed Financial for the sale of 75,000 futures contracts.

The article reports that H. David Kotz, the Inspector for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) told a U.S. Senate panel the timing of the SEC's April, 2010 fraud lawsuit against investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was suspicious. The same day the SEC filed against Goldman, Kotz issued a report criticizing the SEC for failing to detect a Ponzi scheme run by financier R. Allen Stanford.

The article discusses the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) investigation into the 2008 collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Attention has focused on whether Lehman used creative accounting to mask its true debt levels. The SEC is also probing whether Lehman executives disclosed to investors losses arising from its purchase of development company Archstone-Smith Trust.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and officials in New Jersey have settled SEC charges that the state provided misleading information to investors about two large state pension funds. According to the SEC, New Jersey failed to disclose that it was not adequately funding the funds as it sold $26 billion in municipal bonds between 2001 and 2007.

The article reports that U.S District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle refused to approve a $75 million settlement between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and financial firm Citigroup Inc. concerning allegations that the latter misled investors about its exposure to subprime mortgage securities in 2007.

The article discusses a provision in U.S. financial regulatory-reform legislation that requires oil companies to disclose any payments they make to foreign governments. U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Richard Luger inserted the law as a safeguard against corruption. ExxonMobile Corp. is among oil companies opposed to the measure, arguing that it could benefit competitors.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged billionaire brothers Sam and Charles Wyly with using subsidiaries and trusts in the Cayman Islands and Isle of Man to hide over a half-billion dollars in profits from trading in the shares of companies whose boards they sat on.

The article discusses deliberations at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) leading up to its $550 million settlement of fraud charges with investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Republican SEC Commissioners Kathleen Casey and Troy Paredes both voted against settling with Goldman. Casey questioned why the SEC chose to drop stronger fraud allegations against the firm.

The article reports that investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has agreed to pay $550 million to settle civil allegations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it deceived investors about mortgage-backed securities it sold them. Of the $550 million, $300 million will go to the SEC and $250 million to investors. A criminal investigation into the matter continues.

The article reports that investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have discussed a comprehensive settlement of various SEC actions against Goldman including fraud charges brought in relation to a collateralized debt obligation in April, 2010. Both Goldman and the SEC face challenges in tailoring a deal that would be satisfactory to their respective constituencies.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will pay attorney Gary Aguirre $755,000 to settle a wrongful-termination suit. Aguirre maintains he was fired by the SEC after requesting an interview with John Mack, now chief executive of financial services firm Morgan Stanley, while investigating alleged insider-trading at hedge fund Pequot Capital Management.

The article reports that over a two-year period the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved with little scrutiny applications to sell shares in the U.S. from several Russian and Ukrainian startup firms with meager assets or operating experience. In eight such instances the applicants were aided in their SEC filings by law firm Dean Law Corp. of Seattle, Washington.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged investment firm ICP Asset Management and its chief executive, Thomas Priore, with civil-securities fraud in connection with collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) managed by ICP. Priore and ICP are alleged to have breached their fiduciary responsibilities to clients by advantaging some over others in CDO transactions.

The article reports that the U.S. and Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating the role of hedge fund Magnetar Capital LLC in the collapse of the market for collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) amid a financial crisis. Magnetar bought CDOs as well as credit-default swaps to hedge them, and made substantial profits when the CDOs plunged in value.

The article reports that computer maker Dell Inc. chief executive Michael Dell's negotiations with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to settle alleged violations of securities laws could result in greater disclosure about rebates his firm received from the technology company Intel Corp. Intel's rebate practices have been the target of antitrust litigation in several nations including the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.

This article discusses how Bart Chilton's views on the energy industry could become law. Chilton, a member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, has long felt that an influx of pension and institutional investors has contributed to the volatility in the price of a barrel of oil. The new law will set limits on large concentrations by investors in the energy market.

The article discusses events and circumstances surrounding the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) decision to charge Goldman Sachs Group Inc. with securities fraud in connection with a 2007 collateralized debt obligation that it sold. SEC Chair Mary Schapiro felt that her agency needed to prove it could aggressively prosecute alleged wrongdoers.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice have opened a preliminary criminal investigation into whether several large banks including Citigroup Inc., Deutsche Bank, and UBS AG misled investors about mortgage-bond securities. Investigators are gathering evidence and no subpoenas have yet been issued.

The article reports that several major stock exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq have agreed to establish temporary trading limits to mitigate extreme volatility such as was seen on May 6, 2010 when the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly fell nearly 1,000 points. Chief executives of the NYSE, Nasdaq, and other exchanges met with U.S. Securities and Exchange officials to discuss possible safeguards.

The article reports that top executives from several stock exchanges including Duncan Niederauer of NYSE Euronext Inc. and Robert Greifeld of Nasdaq OMX Group will meet with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioner Mary Schapiro to discuss how to prevent a recurrence of a temporary stock-market crash that unfolded on May 6, 2010.

The article reports that while he was employed by Deutsche Bank AG, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement official Robert Khuzami provided oversight for a group of attorneys that was involved in the creation of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). In 2010 Khuzami brought fraud charges against Goldman Sachs Group Inc. related to that firm's involvement in a controversial CDO transaction.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decided to sue investment bank Goldman Sachs over the objections of two Republican commissioners. The action is said to bring a political element to the proceeding. The article notes that the SEC prefers to have a unanimous vote on enforcement actions.

The article reports that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was surprised when it found out that a civil action against the financial firm had been filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Although Goldman Sachs was aware of the investigation, they had expected to be given a chance to resolve the matter before being sued.

The article discusses a report from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) inspector general that maintains the SEC suspected as early as 1997 that financier R. Allen Stanford was engaged in a Ponzi scheme. Former SEC official Spencer Barasch reportedly acted to close down investigative efforts aimed as Stanford on several occasions.

The article discusses a 2003 agreement between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the financial industry aimed at preventing a firm's stock analysts from promoting companies its investment bankers are doing business with. U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III issued a ruling that upheld parts of the pact but weakened others. The SEC apparently never tried to enforce certain conditions of the 2003 accord on an industry-wide basis.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sided with 12 U.S. investment firms in an effort to relax rules concerning meetings between research and investment-banking personnel at the same company. Judge William H. Pauley III upheld the existing rule that requires specific witnesses be present at such meetings, which was established in 2003 to curb certain abusive practices.

The article discusses developments in a suit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Bank of America Corp. (BOA). The SEC said BOA's firing of general counsel Timothy Mayopoulos was unrelated to the latter's concerns about unexpectedly large losses at Merrill Lynch & Co. This view contradicts an assertion by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

The article discusses differences of opinion at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). On several occasions the 5-person SEC panel that approves rule changes has split along partisan lines. Republican SEC appointee Kathleen Casey has accused her organization of pursuing a politically-motivated agenda at times under chairperson Mary Schapiro.

The article reports that New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has filed civil fraud charges against former Bank of America Corp. (BOA) chief executive Ken Lewis and current BOA executive Joseph Price. Cuomo alleges that BOA shareholders were misled about losses at Merrill Lynch & Co, prior to approving BOA's takeover of Merrill.

The article discusses Henry Hu, appointed by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairwoman Mary Schapiro to head the SEC's Division of Risk, Strategy, and Financial Innovation. Hu has been a professor at the University of Texas in Austin, where he has specialized in examining how financial derivatives could create turmoil in the nation's financial system.

The article discusses developments in an insider-trading case involving Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam. Thomas Hardin, a trader formerly with Lanexa Global Management, is cooperating with U.S. authorities and could provide information that implicates other hedge funds. Rajaratnam, who may have derived up to $50 million in illicit gains, had his request for a bail reduction denied.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating possible insider-trading in connection with several mergers and acquisitions. Merck & Co.'s purchase of Schering Plough Corp., Pfizer Inc.'s acquisition of Wyeth Corp., and Best Buy Co.'s buyout of Napster Inc. are among transactions being scrutinized by the SEC.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued dozens of subpoenas in connection with a widening investigation into possible insider trading. Areas of concern include disclosures of information related to merger activity in the health-care and retail sectors. Recipients of the subpoenas include brokerages and hedge funds.

The article reports that CDR Holdings Inc. executives David Rubin, Zevi Wolmark, and Evan Zarefsky have been indicted on charges lodged by the U.S. Justice Department that they improperly influenced auctions that chose banks to manage proceeds from municipal bond issues. The government alleges that CDR determined who would win auctions before they actually took place.

The article reports that U.S. judge Jed Rakoff has told the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) it should be prepared to try Galleon Group chief executive Raj Rajaratnam on civil insider-trading charges within 5 months. Such a trial could complicate related criminal proceedings of the Justice Department. The SEC could temporarily withdraw its charges until Justice's criminal case concludes.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering new regulations on the securities lending market. Securities lending occurs when financial services industry firms lend securities to financiers engaged in short selling. SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro has expressed concerns about a lack of transparency in securities lending.

The article focuses on Reza Saleh, a longtime employee of financier H. Ross Perot who has been accused of illegal insider trading of securities in a civil action filed by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) related to Dell Computer Corp.'s acquisition offer for Perot Systems Inc. In 1979, Saleh was a key figure in the rescue of two Perot employees who were being held in prison in Iran.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a civil lawsuit against Reza Saleh, an employee of the investment firm Parkcentral Capital Management LP, charging him with illegal insider trading in securities. The SEC alleges that Saleh engaged in trading based on advance knowledge of Dell Computer Corp.'s acquisition of Perot Systems Corp. Saleh's employer is controlled by H. Ross Perot, founder of Perot Systems.

The article discusses implications for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of judge Jed Rakoff's decision to reject a $33 million settlement between the SEC and Bank of America Corp. Such settlements have typically allowed the SEC to signal its willingness to pursue accused wrongdoers without actually having to incur the costs of a trial. Rakoff's ruling could prompt closer scrutiny of future SEC settlements.

The article focuses on a decision by U.S. Federal judge Jed S. Rakoff to throw out a proposed settlement by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with the Bank of America concerning disclosure of controversial bonuses to Merrill Lynch employees. It states that Rakoff's ruling undermines a high-profile case concerning alleged corporate wrongdoing under SEC chief Mary Schapiro. It mentions that Rakoff scuttled the fine because company shareholders would have to pay the fine.

The article reports that the U.S. government has put on the market two homes seized from confessed Ponzi swindler Bernard Madoff. Properties in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida have been listed at $9.9 million and $8.5 million, respectively. Sale proceeds will go towards reimbursing Madoff's victims.

The article discusses a report from the inspector general of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that details failed efforts by the SEC to detect the wrongdoing of convicted Ponzi swindler Bernard Madoff. SEC inquiries into matters related to Madoff occurred as early as 1992. Concerns raised in 2003 by a hedge-fund manager weren't addressed as thoroughly as they should have been.

The article discusses opposition to a proposal by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would make it easier for certain shareholders to nominate corporate directors opposed to management. Exxon Mobile, Comcast, and Procter & Gamble are among firms that have written critical letters to the SEC concerning its "proxy access" proposal. INSET: A 'Reform' or 'Disservice'?.

The article reports that Bank of America Corp. (BOA) denies it misled investors about several billion dollars in bonuses paid to employees of Merrill Lynch & Co., shortly before that firm was bought by BOA. U.S. judge Jed Rakoff has thus far refused to approve a $33 million settlement between BOA and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the matter.