Ross Mandell Begins a New Life

Ross Mandell, a former broker and the owner of Sky Capital LLC and Sky Capital Holdings Ltd. was released from federal home confinement in early January of this year. He isn’t letting grass grow under his feet: he… Read More

SEC Periodic Reporting

Companies become subject to the SEC’s periodic reporting requirements in several ways, including by filing a registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or pursuant to the  Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The SEC’s periodic reporting… Read More

Reg A+ Securities Offerings and FAST Act

Prospective For Underwriters & Broker-Dealers: Due Diligence Considerations Unlike traditional Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”), there is no potential liability for issuers under Section 11 of the Securities Act in connection with Regulation A+ offerings. Sellers in Regulation A+… Read More

FORM S-1 REGISTRATION STATEMENTS – WHAT COMPANIES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORM S-1 & GOING PUBLIC

Form S-1 Benefits & Going Public When a company sells shares, the shares must be covered by an effective registration statement or exempt from the Securities & Exchange Commission’s registration statement requirements. Form S-1 is the most commonly… Read More

Investor Relations 101 – The Securities Laws & Stock Promotion

What Is Investor Relations? Investor relations or stock promotion involves disseminating information about a public company to increase its stock price and/or trading volume. The person who publishes this information is sometimes referred to as a “Stock Promoter”,… Read More

SEC Obtains Final Judgment Against Kevin Dills – Joseph Padilla Sentenced in Criminal Case

On March 19, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered final judgments against California resident Kevin C. Dills and two entities that Dills controlled, Bright Star International, Inc. and Life Sciences Journeys, Inc. In… Read More

Going Public & Exchange Act Registration For Foreign Issuers

Foreign companies going public in the United States must file a registration statement covering a class of securities pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) if the class of securities will be listed… Read More

OTC Markets 101 – The Basics of Listing – OTCQB

OTC Markets Group (“OTC Markets”) requires companies seeking quotation of their securities on the OTCQB® Venture Stage Marketplace (“OTCQB”) to have an initial and ongoing $0.01 per share minimum bid price, submit an initial OTCQB application, pay annual fees,… Read More

DTC Eligibility Q&A

The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”), through its subsidiaries, provides clearing, settlement and information services for securities. DTCC’s subsidiary, the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), was created to improve efficiencies and reduce risk in the clearance and settlement… Read More

Direct Public Offerings Q&A By Securities Lawyer 101

Going public transactions can be structured in numerous ways. The going public process is complicated and intricate, and it is important to have an experienced securities attorney to help your company navigate it and deal with the Securities… Read More

Form S-1 Registration, Filing and Requirements, Form S-1 and Going Public Lawyers

Private companies going public should consider Form S-1 filing requirements when contemplating their securities offering.  Private companies seeking to raise capital often file a registration statement on SEC Form S-1 to meet certain requirements of the Financial Industry… Read More

Form 10 Registration Statements Q & A

Form 10 is a Registration Statement used to register a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”). This article addresses common questions we receive from clients about Form 10… Read More

Hamilton & Associates Law Group: Regulation A+ White Paper

Regulation A+ White Paper www.securitieslawyer101.com   This publication is intended to provide information of general interest to the public and is not intended to offer legal advice about specific situations or problems. Hamilton & Associates Law Group, P.A…. Read More

Form S-1 Registration Statement Attorneys – Going Public Lawyers

Private companies going public should consider Form S-1 filing requirements when contemplating their securities offering.  Private companies seeking to raise capital often file a registration statement on SEC Form S-1 to meet certain requirements of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority when going public. Upon filing,… Read More

Toxic Funders: Unregistered Dealers, Short Sellers, or Both?

We’ve often written about “toxic” promissory notes or preferred stock and the unregistered dealers who purchase them. These dealers are not the broker-dealers ordinary retail investors have accounts with. They are individuals with companies of their own that… Read More

2024 Form 10K and 10-K Deadlines Chart

  Periodic Report  Large Accelerated Filers  Accelerated Filers  Non-Accelerated Filers  Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2023  February 29, 2024  March 15, 2024  April 1, 2024  Form 10-Q for Fiscal Quarter Ended March 31, 2024  May… Read More

Ibrahim Almagarby Loses Unregistered Dealer Appeal

On February 14, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Southern District of Florida made its ruling in the case of the Securities and Exchange Commission versus Ibrahim Almagarby and Microcap Equity Group, LLC, ruling in… Read More

SEC Obtains Final Judgment against Jeffrey Auerbach for Role in Bribery Scheme

On February 5, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) obtained a final judgment against defendant Jeffrey Auerbach, whom the SEC previously charged for his role in a fraudulent scheme to bribe a stockbroker to buy a… Read More

Rule 144 Legal Opinions and Legend Removal Q&A

Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) requires the offer and sale of securities to be registered under the Securities Act, unless the security or transaction qualifies for an exemption from registration. Rule… Read More

SEC Consent Judgments: Speak Now, or Forever Hold Your Peace

Most investors are likely unaware that they can petition the SEC for new rules or changes to old ones. They can even ask that rules be entirely repealed. All that’s needed is to send a proposal to the… Read More

SEC Rules Affecting Rule 144 Legal Opinions and Shell Companies

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has published releases relating to Shell Companies that affect the use of Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), by shareholders of Shell Companies. In addition,… Read More

SPAC Settles SEC Fraud and Conflict of Interest Charges

On January 25, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Northern Star Investment Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), agreed to settle charges that it made misleading statements in forms filed with the SEC as… Read More

SEC Charges Founder of $1.7 Billion “HyperFund” Crypto Pyramid Scheme Xue Lee (aka Sam Lee) and Top Promoter Brenda Chunga (aka Bitcoin Beautee) with Fraud

On January 29, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC“) charged Xue Lee (aka Sam Lee) and Brenda Chunga (aka Bitcoin Beautee) for their involvement in a fraudulent crypto asset pyramid scheme known as HyperFund that raised… Read More

SEC Charges Aryeh Goldstein, Adar Bays, LLC, and Adar Alef, LLC for Failure to Register; Defendants Agree to Pay $1.25 Million to Settle

On January 23, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced the filing of an enforcement action against Aryeh Goldstein, a resident of Florida and New York, and two entities he controls, Adar Bays, LLC, located in… Read More

Frederick L. Sharp, Luis Carrillo, Courtney M. Kelln, Mike K.G. Veldhuis, and Paul Sexton Indicted for Long-Running Pump-and-Dump Schemes

Four Canadian nationals and one former California attorney, who is believed to be residing in Mexico, were indicted on Jan. 9, 2024 in connection with long-running international securities fraud schemes in which they sold millions of shares in… Read More

Aditya Raj Sharma Indicted for $10 million Investment Fraud

On January 12, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced Aditya Raj Sharma of Maple Grove, Minnesota, had been indicted for defrauding investors and financial institutions out of more than $10 million. According to… Read More

SEC Charges Jonathan Farber, Aarif Jamani, and Brian Keasberry with Securities Fraud

On January 12, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC“) filed charges against Jonathan Farber, Aarif Jamani, and Brian Keasberry for securities fraud. According to the complaint filed by the SEC in the United States District Court… Read More

Siddharth Jawahar Indicted for Running a Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi Scheme

On December 21, 2023, Siddharth Jawahar, 36, a former investment advisor, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on three counts of wire fraud and one count of investment adviser fraud.  The indictment… Read More

Finra Proposes Rule Change for Stricter Limits for Brokers Borrowing From Clients

On Tuesday, January 2, 2024, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) filed a proposed rule with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) seeking to tighten Rule 3240, which governs borrowing and lending between registered financial professionals and… Read More

SEC Charges Florida Real Estate Developer Rishi Kapoor with Perpetuating a $93 Million Fraud

On January 3, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced that it obtained an asset freeze and other emergency relief concerning an alleged $93 million real estate investment fraud perpetrated by Miami-based developer Rishi Kapoor. The… Read More