On September 9, 2024, the SEC announced settled enforcement actions against seven companies for violating the SEC’s whistleblower rules.[1] Specifically, the SEC alleged that the companies had provisions in various kinds of agreements with employees, including employment, separation, and settlement agreements, that purport to restrict, and thereby could potentially discourage, employees and other signatories from reporting information to government investigators or participating in a whistleblower award.Continue Reading SEC Enforcement Sweep Reaffirms Focus on Anti-Whistleblower Provisions in Employee Agreements
David Fredrickson
David Fredrickson draws on his nearly three decades of experience at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to advise clients on capital markets, securities regulatory compliance, corporate governance, public accounting, and securities enforcement matters.
Prior to joining Covington, David held a number of senior roles in the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance and the Office of the General Counsel. Most recently, he served as Senior Legal Advisor to the Deputy Director of the Division of Corporation Finance, where he advised the Deputy Director for Legal and Regulatory Policy. David advised senior SEC officials on complex legal issues and risk management, including serving as primary legal advisor to rulemaking teams implementing the Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, and JOBS Acts. His experience encompasses a broad spectrum of transactional and securities compliance and interpretative matters, including advising on issues related to digital assets, SPACs, shareholder proposals, proxy solicitations, Regulation FD, and financial reporting. David led the team that developed the legal framework for SEC oversight of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). David also regularly assessed legal issues raised by recommendations from the Division of Enforcement.