Securities Enforcement. Corporate Investigations. Financial Regulation.
Independent analysis of the laws, regulations, investigations, and enforcement actions shaping modern financial markets.
BRAEDEN ANDERSON
Braeden is one of the top securities lawyers in the country and was recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America in the Financial Services Regulation Law and Securities Regulation categories. This honor is awarded to only the top 2% of attorneys in the United States and is based on a comprehensive peer-review survey.
Braeden helped lead Gesmer Updegrove to recognition in The Legal 500 United States for Corporate Investigations & White Collar Crime, Tier 3, and Finance: Fintech, Tier 4.
Braeden is active in the U.S. securities enforcement community through Securities Docket, where he has served on the 2025 and 2026 Advisory Boards and contributed video commentary through the Weekly Update.
Braeden was named the #1 United States author in FinTech in Mondaq’s Spring 2025 Thought Leadership Awards, reflecting the national reach and influence of his writing on fintech, securities regulation, and digital asset policy.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins Announces Sweeping Cuts and Contract Reviews: What This Means for Market Regulation and Enforcement
In his first major address to the agency, newly appointed SEC Chair Paul Atkins informed staff this week that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has experienced a 15% reduction in workforce, with more changes to come. The remarks, delivered during a town hall at SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C., mark a sharp pivot in tone and direction for the Commission under the Trump administration’s broader government downsizing initiative, led in part by billionaire adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Super Micro Subpoenaed by DOJ and SEC Following Short Seller Allegations: What This Means for AI Market Investors and Compliance Officers
San Jose-based Super Micro Computer, a prominent supplier of high-performance AI server hardware, disclosed this week that it has received subpoenas from both the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The subpoenas, served in late 2024, are part of an apparent response to allegations first raised by the now-defunct short seller Hindenburg Research in August of last year.
FOIA Docs Show NY AG Wanted ETH Declared a Security
In a striking revelation from documents obtained through Coinbase’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) efforts, the New York Attorney General’s Office asked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2023 to declare Ether (ETH) a security in support of its lawsuit against crypto exchange KuCoin. The request, made during the tenure of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, was ultimately declined.
SEC Unmasks $91M Ponzi Scheme in Texas: Three DFW Residents Charged in Sweeping Fraud Case
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed sweeping civil charges against three Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) residents for orchestrating an alleged $91 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 200 investors. The defendants—Kenneth Alexander II, Robert D. Welsh, and Caedrynn E. Conner—now face allegations of violating the antifraud and registration provisions of federal securities laws through a complex network of deceptive investment vehicles.
Civitas Resources Faces Securities Class Action After 18% Stock Drop: What Investors and Public Companies Should Know
Civitas Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CIVI), a prominent player in the U.S. oil and gas sector, now finds itself at the center of a securities class action lawsuit following a sharp 18% decline in its stock price. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (captioned Lin v. Civitas Resources, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-03791), alleges violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, spotlighting misstatements concerning production capabilities and capital expenditures.