The SEC and your clients

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission isn't out to get chief compliance officers (CCOs): That's the gist of a speech that a top agency official gave recently to a group of compliance professionals.

“The overwhelming majority of the cases we bring involve CCOs who crossed a clear line by engaging in affirmative misconduct or obstructing regulators, or who wore multiple hats,” said Andrew Ceresney, director of the SEC Division of Enforcement, at the annual conference of the National Society of Compliance Professionals on Nov. 4.