In case you were not clear that the Securities and Exchange Commission is serious about enforcing Rule 21F-17, BlackRock is the latest to run the perp walk. The SEC accused the money management giant of improperly using separation agreements that forced employees to waive their ability to obtain whistleblower awards.
The SEC adopted Rule 21F-17, which provides in relevant part:
(a) No person may take any action to impede an individual from communicating directly with the Commission staff about a possible securities law violation, including enforcing, or threatening to enforce, a confidentiality agreement . . . with respect to such communications.
Rule 21F-17 became effective on August 12, 2011.
On October 14, 2011, BlackRock revised its form separation agreement. That agreement did not prohibit former employees from communicating directly with the SEC or any other governmental agency regarding potential violations of law. It did include language requiring a departing employee to waive recovery of incentives for reporting misconduct. Effectively, the agreement removed the financial incentive to be a whistleblower.
Paragraph 5 of BlackRock’s separation agreement in use from October 14, 2011 through March 31, 2016 stated in relevant part:
“To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, you hereby release and forever discharge, BlackRock, as defined above, from all claims for, and you waive any right to recovery of, incentives for reporting of misconduct, including, without limitation, under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, relating to conduct occurring prior to the date of this Agreement.”
Over 1000 departing employees signed separation agreements with this language. BlackRock revised the agreement in March 2016 to remove that provision. BlackRock also produced a “Global Policy for Reporting Illegal or Unethical Conduct” that it distributed to employees and provides yearly training.
In the end, BlackRock a penalty of $340,000.
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