A recent flurry of insider-trading cases brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission have demonstrated that the regulator has indeed stepped up its enforcement efforts in this area.
Several weeks ago, the SEC filed charges against former Oracle vice president Christopher Balkenhol. According to the Commission, Balkenhol learned about secret merger negotiations from his wife, who worked at Oracle as the lead executive assistant to the chief executive officer and two co-presidents. The SEC stressed that it has not alleged that Balkenhol’s wife knew about his illicit trades, but only that Balkenhol breached a duty not to misuse confidences obtained for his or her own gain.
