Supreme Court to Consider Whether the SEC Has Authority to Seek Disgorgement in Federal Court Actions: Will the Court Further Prune the SEC’s Enforcement Powers?

On November 1, 2019, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Liu v. SEC to decide whether the Securities and Exchange Commission can obtain disgorgement as an equitable remedy in federal court enforcement actions.

The certiorari grant in this case is unusual, because the circuit courts that have considered the issue have all agreed that the SEC can obtain disgorgement from a district court exercising its equitable authority. Depending on how the Court rules, this case could have major consequences for the SEC’s enforcement program and even for the inherent equitable powers of Article III courts.

To read the full alert memo, click here.