Ripple Vs. SEC Saga: CLO Provides Clarity On Next Steps In Lawsuit

As Ripple Labs navigates its legal dispute with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the firm’s Chief Legal Officer (CLO) Stuart Alderoty has weighed in on the general misunderstanding on the lawsuit’s future course, providing transparency on the subject.

Ripple CLO Addresses Confusion Surrounding The Case

The Ripple CLO Stuart Alderoty provided clarity on the case after identifying certain inaccuracies in an X post made by cryptocurrency influencer Crypto Eri concerning the next steps of the lawsuit, particularly the final pretrial conference expected to take place by April 16.

The influencer had highlighted a portion of the Southern District of New York Civil and Criminal Proceeding Calender that revealed that the final pretrial is scheduled for the aforementioned date, calling on multiple attornies like Bill Morgan to share insights on the information.

Addressing the update, the Ripple CLO noted that the information is false, noting that by April 22, Ripple will submit its response to the regulatory watchdog’s request for penalties, and the SEC will have until May 6 to respond to the move. He further refuted the claims because there will be no final pretrial conference as the SEC has withdrawn the accusations against the firm’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, and co-founder, Chris Larsen.

The post read:

Seeing some confusion on the next steps with the SEC vs. Ripple case. To clarify – Ripple will file its response to the SEC’s request for penalties by April 22 and the SEC has until May 6 to reply. There is no final pretrial conference because the SEC dismissed the charges against Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larson.

US CryptoLaw, established by Deaton Law Firm, also confirmed there won’t be a trial since those cases were dismissed. Furthermore, the law firm claims the calendar is outdated since it was established prior to the SEC dismissing its case against Garlinghouse and Larson. CryptoLaw also drew attention to attorney James Filam’s post highlighting key dates regarding the remedies briefing, urging Eri to always rely on Filan for accurate information.

Lawsuit Based On Unregistered Securities Offering

The agency continues to pursue a final judgment against Ripple for alleged violations of Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933, along with penalties totaling around $2 billion. It is worth noting that the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple and the two executives originated in 2020. 

Specifically, the claims made by the SEC center on the payment firm’s alleged unregistered security offering of XRP in institutional sales. Additionally, Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larson were accused by the commission of encouraging and assisting these sales. 

In time, the case took a dramatic twist when the SEC dropped the allegations against the executives in October last year. Consequently, the lawsuit’s course has since changed by the dismissal, and the crypto community began debating what that meant for Ripple.

Alderoty’s insights provide guidance and transparency as the firm navigates the regulatory situation, especially with Ripple’s future uncertain. His clarity highlights the company’s dedication to clear communications and tactical handling of the complex legal issues it encounters.