SEC Disgorgement Lives to See Another Day After Supreme Court’s Liu v. SEC Ruling

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On June 22, 2020, in Liu v. SEC, the Supreme Court affirmed in an 8-1 ruling that the Securities and Exchange Commission may continue to pursue disgorgement awards under the federal securities law provided that the award is capped at the defendant’s net profits, and further, provided that the award is made for the benefit of wronged investors. In so holding, the Court struck a middle ground by narrowly preserving one of the most powerful enforcement mechanisms available to the agency but limiting the awards more closely than the awards the SEC has sought over the years.

IRS Issues Proposed Regulations for Tax on Nonprofit Executive Compensation

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The Internal Revenue Service has issued proposed regulations describing the rules regarding the 21 percent excise tax on compensation over $1 million and excess parachute payments paid by tax-exempt organizations to certain covered employees. The proposed regulations affect certain tax-exempt organizations, government entities, and certain entities that are treated as related to those organizations.

Federal Circuit Throws Shade on TTAB’s Treatment of Color Trademarks

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Pink insulation, green tractors, robins-egg blue jewelry boxes—they all have something in common: recognizable colors that many associate with products. But can colors be registered as trademarks and, if so, when? On April 8, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit provided welcome guidance for trademark owners and practitioners on the nuanced area of protecting trademarks consisting solely of colors.

DOJ Updates Guidance on the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs

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The Department of Justice-Criminal Division recently updated its internal guidance to federal prosecutors for evaluating corporate compliance programs. Despite the lack of major substantive changes, the updated guidance encourages prosecutors to take the risk profile of corporations into account when evaluating its compliance programs.