SEC v. Sourlis

In these consolidated appeals, defendant Virginia K. Sourlis challenges the district court's judgment in an enforcement action brought by the SEC in connection with public offerings of unregistered shares of stock of defendant Greenstone. The district court granted a motion by the SEC for summary judgment on issues of liability, holding Sourlis--an attorney who wrote a January 11, 2006 opinion letter ("Sourlis Letter") relating to one of the offerings--liable for violating section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), 15 U.S.C. 77e; violating 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act"), 15 U.S.C. 78j(b), and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, 17 C.F.R. 240.10b-5; and aiding and abetting violations of section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5, in violation of section 20(e) of the Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. 78t(e). The Superseding Final Judgment orders Sourlis to pay a total of $57,284.83 as a civil penalty, disgorgement, and prejudgment interest, and permanently bars her from participating in so-called "penny stock" offerings. The court found no error in the district court's determinations of liability and no abuse of discretion in its remedial order. Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment in Nos. 14-2301 and 15-3978. The court dismissed as moot the SEC's cross-appeal in No. 14-2937. View "SEC v. Sourlis" on Justia Law