Securities Compliance Services for Oklahoma Investors
If you’re planning to make a significant securities investment, a business owner preparing to offer securities against the value of your company, or a corporate executive preparing to establish a securities compliance program, it’s important to enlist the assistance of an Oklahoma securities compliance attorney to ensure your approach to securities investment and reporting is in accordance with Oklahoma state and U.S. federal guidelines.
Securities can take the form of stocks, mutual funds, certificates of interest, profit-sharing agreements, or bonds that signify investments by individuals and entities in a common venture, with the expectation of making a profit. The value of investment securities depends on the assets and earnings of the issuer or the voting power that accompanies such claims in addition to the issuer’s financial strength, products and services, management experience, market conditions and competitive environment. Securities laws regulate how the value of entities is disclosed to potential investors.
At the federal level, securities registration and exchange is governed by a series of regulations, beginning with The Federal Securities Act of 1933, that regulate the public offering and sale of securities in interstate commerce. Shortly thereafter, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and prohibited the offer or sale of a security not registered with the SEC in addition to requiring full security-related information disclosure to prospective investors.
Through the decades following, additional laws and regulations have been enacted to appropriately define securities offerings and protect investors from fraud or abuse. The most recent of these regulations was the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which imposed new disclosure requirements when companies file their financial reports.
In Oklahoma, the registration of securities is intended to provide accurate and clear disclosure of information about the issuer and the securities it intends to sell. The intent of this disclosure is to assist an investor in making an informed decision that meets his or her goals. Oklahoma securities law prohibits the inclusion of false or misleading information in a securities registration under penalty of fine, imprisonment, civil penalty or administrative sanction. Exemptions to the registration of securities are outlined in Section 401 of the Oklahoma Securities Act.
Registering and selling securities in compliance with Oklahoma and federal laws is a complex process that shouldn’t be undertaken without the assistance of a knowledgeable securities attorney. At The Hershewe Law Firm, our securities lawyers are available for a complimentary consultation to discuss your securities compliance questions or guide you in developing a securities compliance program for your business.
