Reports of Evidence of Material Violations

On February 6, 2003, the Commission adopted a rule that imposed an "up-the-ladder" reporting requirement when attorneys appearing and practicing before the Commission become aware of evidence of a material violation by the issuer or any officer, director, employee, or agent of the issuer. An issuer may choose to establish a qualified legal compliance committee ("QLCC") as an alternative procedure for reporting evidence of a material violation. The collection of information is, therefore, an important component of the Commission's program to discourage violations of the federal securities laws and promote ethical behavior of attorneys appearing and practicing before the Commission. The collection of information provides a means for issuers to make sure that they are apprised of necessary information concerning evidence of violations by officers, directors, employees or agents of the issuer.

The latest form for Reports of Evidence of Material Violations expires 2021-11-30 and can be found here.