On August 8, 2023, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) announced that 11 Wall Street firms (10 broker-dealer firms and one dually-registered investment adviser) agreed to settle charges for failing to properly maintain and preserve electronic communications relating to firm business. This included text messages and other messages sent through applications contained on personal devices of employees and not subject to firm record retention systems (referred to as “off-channel communications”). The announcement underscores that regulatory scrutiny of recordkeeping obligations remains a high priority for the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. Specifically, the SEC continues to focus on holding registered entities accountable for failing to maintain and preserve off-channel communications pursuant to statutory requirements. As part of the settlements, the firms agreed to pay combined penalties of $289 million, admit liability, and implement improvements to their respective compliance policies and procedures.Continue Reading Regulatory Scrutiny of “Off-Channel” Communications Continues: 11 Wall Street Firms Agree to Pay the SEC $289 Million in Civil Money Penalties for Recordkeeping Violations