the long arm of u.s. law -- u.s. regulation reaches into the city raúl grable hunton & williams...
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The Long Arm of U.S. Law -- U.S. Regulation Reaches into the City
The Long Arm of U.S. Law -- U.S. Regulation Reaches into the City
Raúl Grable
Hunton & Williams LLP
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Securities Regulation, Anti-terrorist Laws and Antitrust Enforcement
U.S. investor interest in London market
Traditional SEC concern with “flow back”
Relative ease of U.S. investor access
Worldwide criminal enforcement of securities laws – NatWest 3 and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
USA Patriot Act, OFAC Regulations
Antitrust enforcement
Increased interest in criminal penalties as enforcement mechanism
UK/US Extradition Treaty, 2003
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Basic Framework of U.S. Securities Laws
Federal statutes enacted after Stock Market Crash of 1929 to protect individual and institutional investors
U.S. Securities Act of 1933 Regulates offerings of equity and debt securities Offerings “registered” with Securities and Exchange
Commission or “exempt from registration” U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Regulates trading of equity and debt securities Companies that “register” equity securities with SEC
are “public companies” Special rules for debt securities and American
Depositary Receipts (ADRs)
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Exemption from SEC Registration
Exemptions available from registration of offerings under the ’33 Act and registration of securities under the ’34 Act
There is no exemption from the anti-fraud rules under the U.S. securities laws
Potential liabilities under U.S. securities laws whenever dealing with U.S. investors
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Maintaining Exemption of Shares from ’34 Act Registration
Even if you have not targeted sales to U.S. investors, they may turn up uninvited
Statutory rule – less than 500 holders of record Exemption for companies with total assets less than
$10 million (non-U.S. companies must also not be quoted on NASDAQ or OTCBB)
Rule 12g3-2 exemption for non-U.S. companies with 300 holders of record or more located in U.S. Must submit periodic reports required by host
country authorities to SEC (deemed not “filed”) No NASDAQ trading of shares or ADRs (other than
grandfathered companies)
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Regulation S Offering Exemption
Safe-harbour regulation for offerings outside the United States
Recognition of some limits to extraterritorial application of U.S. law
“Offshore transaction”
No “directed selling efforts” in U.S.
Offering restrictions
No sales to “U.S. persons”
Distribution and transfer restrictions may apply
Broker U.S. contacts strictly regulated by Rule 15a-6
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Reg. S Offering Exemption (Distribution and Transfer Restrictions)
Category 1 (no distribution restrictions)
Non-U.S. issuer with no “substantial U.S. market interest” (less than 20% of trading in U.S. markets and 55% or more of trading in single other country)
Category 2 (40-day distribution compliance)
Shares of non-U.S. companies registered with SEC or debt of any non-U.S. company or SEC-registered U.S. company
Category 3
All offerings not satisfying either Category 1 or Category 2
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Reg. S Offering Exemption (Category 3 Distribution and Transfer Restrictions)
Category 3 distribution compliance No offers or sales to U.S. persons for one year
(equities of companies not registered with SEC) or 40 days (debt)
Buyer must certify it is not U.S. person or has other SEC exemption
Buyer must agree to limit resales Category 3 transfer restrictions
Mem/Arts or similar restriction on transfers to U.S. persons in absence of registration or available exemption
Share certificates of U.S. companies must bear similar legend restricting transfer
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Regulation D Offering Exemption
Regulation D “safe harbour” criteria
Accredited investors
No general sales efforts
Limitations on resale
Information for investors not meeting “accredited investor” standard
Series of private placements can be “integrated” and considered a public offering
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Reg. D Offering Exemption (Rule 144A)
“Rule 144A Offering” Strictly speaking, Reg. D offering, Rule 144A resales In effect, Rule 144A offering is exclusively to
Qualified Institutional Buyers QIBs automatically qualify as “accredited
investors” under Reg. D – prescriptive list, buyer verification
QIBs have no resale restrictions so long as selling to other QIBs
QIBs have more difficult burden to claim information inadequate
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U.K. Offering to U.S. Investors
Reg. S offering and Reg. D private placement Care with selling channels and offering and
distribution restrictions Resale restrictions – must use paper share
certificates for AIM trading (for time being) Due diligence if Reg. D not restricted to Rule 144A
QIBs Simple U.S. wrapper for U.K. offering circular
Rule 144A “offering” Less burden in tracking resales and buyer due
diligence U.S. wrapper simpler and more standardised
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U.K. Offering to U.S. Investors
Rule 15a-6 restrictions on activities of non-U.S. brokers apply to SEC-registered offerings and private placements alike
Placing arrangements need to reflect Reg. S, Reg. D and (if applicable) Rule 144A warranties from prospective buyers and agreements as to restrictions on resale (i.e., accredited investor or QIB warranties, no sales to non-U.S. persons in absence of SEC registration or exemption from registration)
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Criminal Enforcement of U.S. Securities Laws
Securities laws had criminal penalties from outset
Insider trading (Chiarella and Milken)
Criminal fraud (Skilling, Lay et al.)
Prosecutors also used “wire fraud” statute (18 USC § 1343) and “false statements” statute (18 USC § 1001)
NatWest 3
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
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NatWest 3
Wire fraud instead of securities fraud
“Fraud” against employer
Faxes, e-mails and wire transfers between London and Houston
UK/US Extradition Treaty, 2003
Extradition battle lost
Case set for trial in September 2007
Defendants confined to Houston
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US/UK Extradition Treaty, 2003
Ratified by U.S. Senate, 30 September 2006
Must be an offence in both countries
Even with ratification, treaty is still asymmetrical
U.S. requirements
“Such information as would provide a reasonable basis to believe that . . . offense committed”
Certified by “principal diplomatic or consular officer of the United States” in relevant part of UK
UK requirements
No additional information beyond warrant
Signed by U.S. magistrate and certified by U.S. Department of State
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Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
1977 “Watergate” era anti-bribery law incorporated into ’34 Act
Improper payments or gifts to foreign officials “material” no matter how relatively small
Criminal sanctions
Recent prosecutions
Statoil
Schnitzer Steel
Cooperation does not always avoid criminal penalties
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Anti-terrorist Legislation
USA Patriot Act
Compliance in addition to Sarbanes-Oxley
Office of Foreign Assets Control, Dep’t of the Treasury
Sanctions
Foreign financial institutions are subject
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Extradition and U.S. Antitrust Enforcement
Treaty makes U.S. criminal antitrust enforcement less difficult
Norris – Morgan Crucible in contrast to Tennant – Christie’s
Both price-fixing cases
Recharacterisation of price-fixing as “conspiracy to defraud” – added obstruction of justice
Price-fixing now criminal under Enterprise Act
Morgan Crucible settled criminal case with U.S. Department of Justice without including Mr Norris
Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act, 2004
Corporate penalty raised to $100 million
Individual penalty raised to $1 million and 10 years imprisonment
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The Long Arm of U.S. Law – U.S. Regulation Reaches into the City
Questions and answers