Maya Pillai
Trust, but verify. This is a common methodology in the audit world and was even mentioned by the SEC Acting Chief Accountant Paul Munter in his statement on “The Auditor’s Responsibility for Fraud Detection.” [1] He commented, “[T]he mindset of ‘trust but verify’ may represent potential bias if it is anchored in the belief that management is honest and has integrity.” Well, that is bold. We all want to believe that management has nothing but the purest intentions. But, what happens when this spotlight turns on the investor? Does the same principle exist?
Section 3(a)(11) of the Securities Act, known as the “intrastate offerings exemption,” provides small businesses with options to procure financing. [2] Rule 147, the “safe harbor” rule under § 3(a)(11), lists objective criteria with which companies must comply. [3] The newly loosened exemption, Rule 147A, permits issuers to make offers to out-of-state residents, as long as sales are only made to in-state residents and allows for a company to be incorporated out-of-state when its principal place of business remains in-state. [4] (The limited framework of the SEC’s interpretation of § 3(a)(11) precludes issuers under Rule 147A from offering securities to out-of-state residents.) [5] Deregulation is good, right? Well, it depends. Based on my study of these changes—and the caution given by Munter— the provision permitting issuers to rely on representations by investors to display their in-state status should be reconsidered.
This criterion removes a key due diligence requirement for issuers. That isn’t really that important, right? Let’s look at current events. One of the many reasons for the downfall of Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) was the loosening of regulatory requirements. Had SVB still been subject to regular stress tests, portfolio misrepresentation would likely have been noted much earlier. Relying only on an investor’s representation to satisfy the in-state requirement shows the issuer conducts no additional “test” to verify residency. As such, the issuer is more likely to fail. Therefore, additional measures should be put in place under Rule 147A for issuers to confirm the veracity of a purchaser’s residency. Once again, trust, but verify.
Why is due diligence necessary? Especially in the financial sector, institutions can “uncover any potential risk … of doing business with a specific organization or individual by analyzing information from a variety of sources.” [6] Due diligence takes on many forms and consists of a wide range of processes. Knowing the individual or organization from whom you receive money helps ensure every party complies with the applicable rules and regulations to avoid exposure to liability, such as imprisonment and fines. There is also a non-tangible consequence: reputational risk. Financial institutions, like law firms, rely heavily on their name and reputation. Public perception holds a significant amount of weight (notice who the sponsors are at the next golf tournament or non-profit fundraiser you attend). If a financial institution receives a fine or shuts down for non-compliance, that makes headlines around the world. (And, of course, reactions are evident in the stock markets.) Nonetheless, the big institutions (e.g., Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Charles Schwab, etc.) manage to stay afloat, despite bad press. Maybe the banks took a page from Kanye West when he said, “Bad publicity is still publicity.”
There should be preventative measures from the issuer to prevent investors from making false representations about their in-state status.
Rule 147A’s language currently reads,
Sales of securities pursuant to this section shall be made only to residents of the state or territory in which the issuer is resident, as determined pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, or who the issuer reasonably believes, at the time of sale, are residents of the state or territory in which the issuer is resident. [7]
There is the word, “reasonably.” Does the SEC provide further guidance on the rule? Yes, at the end of paragraph (d), a note states, “Obtaining a written representation from purchasers of in-state residency status will not, without more, be sufficient to establish a reasonable belief that such purchasers are in-state residents.” [8]
Once again, with the term “reasonable,” but now we gain a clearer picture. While the investor’s written representation is expected to be truthful, this is not always guaranteed. Perhaps the SEC should revise the guidance note for paragraph (d) to read, “Obtaining a written and truthful representation from purchasers of in-state residency status will not, without more, be sufficient to establish a reasonable belief that such purchasers are in-state residents.”
This feels a little better. However, these changes introduce a new uncertainty when evaluating a generally recognized valid measure to confirm a truthful representation from an investor. Remember, “trust, but verify!” A residency affidavit (which must be notarized) would certainly suffice,
“It has been verified that on the ___ day of _____, 202_, John Smith’s principal residence is at 123 Main St, Charlotte, NC 28204. The following documents have been presented to corroborate John Smith’s residency: [.]”
In addition to one’s driver’s license containing an investor’s current address, the following documents should also be considered in verifying an investor’s principal residence: (1) most recent mortgage statement or lease agreement; (2) most recent utility statement; (3) vehicle insurance card from your most current policy; and (4) most recent property tax receipt. An investor’s most recent credit card statement may not be the best because the statement could be addressed to your billing address, which may differ from your principal residence address. Even a W2 or 1099 from the most recent tax year could list a different address if you moved after those tax documents were created and provided to you.
Although partial to the suggestions above, I would be remiss if I did not also question whether the reasonable belief standard is best suited for the securities industry. [9] From tort law, a reasonable belief is the belief that an ordinary person would hold under like circumstances as those faced by the person in question. It is worth noting that the SEC does not explicitly define “reasonable belief.” (For this essay, I assume the SEC adopted the tort law definition of this term.) In Rule 147A, reasonable belief is merely supported by obtaining a written representation from the investor regarding their residency. [10] The individuals at these financial institutions tasked with reviewing the representations from purchasers are not your average teller or loan officer at Chase or Wells Fargo. These due diligence/compliance employees are held to a higher standard by their employers because of their expected understanding of the applicable rules and regulations for intrastate offerings. The fate of an entire company rests in the hands of those tasked with reviewing the necessary documents. If a single investor is not an in-state resident, then the entire offering is no longer in compliance with the exemption under Rule 147A. [11]
In his concluding remarks, Munter reiterated, “[T]he value of the audit and the related benefits to investors, including investor protections, are diminished if the audit is conducted without the appropriate levels of due professional care and professional skepticism.” [12] It is clear that the entire offering depends upon the accuracy of the audit. With such high stakes, this should be a more defined process. Trust, but verify.
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[1] Paul Munter, The Auditor’s Responsibility for Fraud Detection, SEC (Oct. 11, 2022), https://www.sec.gov/news/statement/munter-statement-fraud-detection-101122.
[2] Intrastate offerings, SEC (Apr. 6, 2023), https://www.sec.gov/education/smallbusiness/exemptofferings/intrastateofferings.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Joe Green, SEC Adopts New Rules to Facilitate Intrastate Crowdfunding, LinkedIn (Oct. 28, 2016), https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sec-adopts-new-rules-facilitate-intrastate-joe-green/.
[6] What is Customer Due Diligence (CDD)?, SWIFT, https://www.swift.com/your-needs/financial-crime-cyber-security/know-your-customer-kyc/customer-due-diligence-cdd (last visited Aug. 7, 2023).
[7] Intrastate sales exemption, 17 C.F.R. § 230.147(A) (2021).
[8] Id.
[9] Amanda M. Rose, The “Reasonable Investor” of Federal Securities Law: Insights from Tort Law’s “Reasonable Person” & Suggested Reforms, 43 Iowa 77, 79 (2017) .
[10] Covington & Burling LLP, SEC Enhances Exemptions for Local Offerings, Covington (Dec. 1, 2016), https://www.cov.com/-/media/files/corporate/publications/2016/12/sec_enhances_exemptions_for_local_offerings.pdf.
[11] Alan Palmiter, Securities Regulation, (8th ed. 2021).
[12] Munter, supra note 1.