On June 23, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) entered an administrative order (the “Order”) that, among other things, fined a broker-dealer (“BD”) $208,912 for alleged violations of Rule 21F-17(a), which relates to individuals reporting possible securities laws violations to the Commission (a.k.a., whistleblowers).

Practice Tip: While the Order was entered against a broker-dealer, Rule 21F-17(a) applies to all entities subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction (e.g., public companies, broker-dealers, and investment managers). Indeed, the Commission has previously sanctioned public companies and investment advisers for violations of Rule 21F-17(a).

Read more here for both a summary of the Order’s findings, and take-aways for legal and compliance practitioners who support firms that are subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction.