options

The horned one was kind of wondering what ever happened to that whole Apple options thing since the SEC hadn't delivered its final word yet, causing apoplectic fits of hysteria in either the pro- or anti-Apple set.

Turns out it's just another fine job by your Department of Justice! Sleep easy, citizen!

Fortunately (or unfortunately), the SEC isn't waiting around for Elliot Mess to get its act together.

In some cases, the San Francisco [U.S. attorney's] office is moving so slowly that the Securities and Exchange Commission, which ordinarily files civil fraud cases in tandem … Read more

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Tuesday it reached a settlement with IBM, over allegations the industry titan issued misleading statements regarding stock options expenses.

The end result: IBM, without admitting or denying the commission's findings, consented to an order that it cease and desist from "committing or causing violations of these provisions." But more importantly, IBM paid no fine, nor faced any monetary penalty.

What was the beef?

Back in April 2005, IBM said during a conference call with analysts it would begin reporting its stock options as an expense, starting with the first quarter 2005. … Read more

Nancy Heinen, the former general counsel at Apple, filed court papers Friday denying charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission that she orchestrated stock option backdating at the company.

Bloomberg reported that the court papers deny the specific charge that Heinen ordered another lawyer in Apple's legal department to prepare documents authorizing a stock option grant to CEO Steve Jobs with an earlier grant date. However, the documents told a story of a board meeting that never took place, drawing the ire of the SEC and forcing Apple to record charges to reflect the true value of the options. … Read more

Another government agency is taking interest in Research In Motion's accounting practices.

Following its own internal review of the company's stock options awarded to employees, RIM said Wednesday that it has "had contact with the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York upon learning that the U.S. Attorney's office is reviewing the company's stock option grants." RIM says it plans to cooperate with any requests for information.

Earlier this month, RIM announced the Securities and Exchange Commission's informal review of the company's accounting practices had … Read more

The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against Nancy Heinen, the former general counsel at Apple, saying her actions led to "fraudulent" stock option backdating at the company.

But the SEC said it doesn't plan to file any actions against Apple as a company, and simultaneously filed and settled a lawsuit against former chief financial officer Fred Anderson over his alleged participation in the backdating scandal. Fred Anderson's lawyer issued a statement after the lawsuits were announced, saying that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had been informed that the January 2001 grant date would have … Read more

The Securities and Exchange Commission is getting ready to file the first charges in its probe into Apple's stock-option backdating investigation, but it appears CEO Steve Jobs is safe, according to news reports.

The San Jose Mercury News reported Monday that Nancy Heinen, former general counsel at Apple, will be charged this week in connection with the investigation into the backdating of stock options for Jobs and other Apple executives. Apple has said some stock-option awards were backdated--a practice, legal if disclosed, in which a stock-option award is tied to a date when the price was low--but that … Read more