Lawrence E. Ritchie Lawrence E. Ritchie

Wells Fargo officials reach $240 million settlement over unauthorized accounts

On February 28, 2019, a $240 million (U.S. dollar) settlement reached between Wells Fargo executives and directors and the bank’s U.S....

CSA and IIROC propose regulatory framework for cryptoasset trading platforms

On March 14, 2019, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) published a...

Apple lawyer charged with insider trading

The recent insider trading case of a former senior lawyer at Apple Inc. serves as a reminder that those tasked with upholding a company’s...

Recent guilty plea demonstrates that criminal liability for corruption may extend to corporate officers

On February 1, 2019, former SNC-Lavalin CEO Pierre Duhaime pleaded guilty to breach of trust for his role in connection with the bribery scheme...

OSC seeks to reduce regulatory burden in step with Ontario Red Tape Initiative

The Ontario Securities Commission announced on January 14, 2019 that its Burden Reduction Task Force, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance,...

Mixed results in British Columbia white collar enforcement proceedings

Two high-profile cases in late 2018 demonstrate both the potentially grave consequences of securities law violations and the difficulties prosecutors...

Individual defendant receives three-year sentence for Canadian corruption conviction

On December 17^th, 2018, Quebec’s Superior Court of Justice sentenced Yanaï Elbaz, a former senior manager of the McGill University...

OSC approves $30 million settlement with Katanga over financial misstatements and failure to disclose DRC risks

Reflecting the trend toward increasing monetary penalties, the Ontario Securities Commission (the “OSC”) accepted an eye-popping $30...

White-collar crime enforcement

While 2018 may not have seen a significant uptick in “on the ground” securities and white-collar enforcement activity.

Alberta Securities Commission implements whistleblower program

On November 20, 2018, the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) announced the creation of its whistleblower program and the Office of the Whistleblower...