UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Before the
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Release No. 71119 / December 18, 2013
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING
File No. 3-14909
In the Matter of
OPPENHEIMERFUNDS, INC.,
and
NOTICE OF PROPOSED
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
AND OPPORTUNITY FOR
COMMENT
OPPENHEIMERFUNDS
DISTRIBUTOR, INC.,
Respondents.
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Rule 1103 of the Securities and Exchange
Commission’s (“Commission”) Rules on Fair Fund and Disgorgement Plans, 17 C.F.R.
§ 201.1103, that the Division of Enforcement has submitted to the Commission a
proposed plan for the distribution of monies placed into a Fair Fund established in the
above-captioned matter.
On June 6, 2012, the Commission issued an Order Instituting Administrative
and Cease-and-Desist Proceedings Pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act of
1933, Section 15(b)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Sections 203(e) and
203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and Sections 9(b) and 9(f) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial
Sanctions and a Cease-and-Desist Order against Oppenheimerfunds, Inc. (“OFI”) and
Oppenheimerfunds Distributor, Inc. (collectively, “Respondents”) (the “Order”)
(Securities Act Rel. No. 9329 (June 6, 2012)). As set forth in the Order, prior to and
during the height of the 2008 financial crisis, Respondents made misrepresentations
regarding two fixed income mutual funds managed by OFI: Oppenheimer Champion
Income Fund and Oppenheimer Core Bond Fund. The Order required OFI to pay
disgorgement of $9,879,706, prejudgment interest of $1,487,190, and a civil money
penalty of $24 million for a total of approximately $35.4 million. The Order also
created a Fair Fund pursuant to Section 308(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as
amended.
OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT
Pursuant to this Notice, all interested parties are advised that they may obtain a
copy of the Proposed Plan of Distribution from the Commission’s public website,
http://www.sec.gov. Interested parties may also obtain a written copy of the Proposed
Plan of Distribution by submitting a written request to Nancy Chase Burton, Esq.,
United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington,
DC 20549-5631. All persons who desire to comment on the Proposed Plan of
Distribution may submit their comments, in writing, no later than thirty (30) days
from the date of this Notice:
1. To the Office of the Secretary, United States Securities and Exchange
Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549-1090;
2. By using the Commission’s Internet comment form
(http://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin.shtml); or
3. By sending an e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov.
Comments submitted should include “Administrative Proceeding File Number 314909” in the subject line. Comments received will be publicly available. Persons
should submit only information that they wish to make publicly available.
THE DISTRIBUTION PLAN
The Fair Fund is comprised of the amounts of disgorgement, prejudgment
interest and civil monetary penalties paid by OFI, plus any accumulated interest, less
any federal, state, or local taxes and fees and expenses. The Proposed Plan of
Distribution provides for injured investors to receive monies from the Fair Fund
pursuant to a two phase process. First, injured investors will be allocated their share
of the advisory fees paid by each fund during the applicable recovery periods.
Second, injured investors will be compensated, on a pro rata basis, for the decline in
value of their investment in fund shares after benchmark indexing. The Fair Fund is
not intended to compensate investors for losses they incurred because of fluctuations
in securities markets that are unrelated to Respondents’ conduct.
The Proposed Plan of Distribution follows a modified notice and claims
process. The Fund Administrator, Epiq Class Actions & Claims Solutions, Inc.
(“Epiq”), also acted as the Class Action Administrator in two class actions which
arose out of similar violations alleged in the Order. The Proposed Plan of
Distribution authorizes the Fund Administrator to use the claims information
submitted in those class actions. The class actions recovery periods were longer than,
but completely subsume, the recovery periods in this action. Consequently the
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Proposed Plan of Distribution allows for the identification by Epiq of “Class Action
SEC Authorized Claimants” who will automatically be deemed eligible claimants
under the proposed plan. All other claimants will need to file a proof of claim form in
order to establish their eligibility to participate in the Fair Fund.
By the Commission.
Elizabeth M. Murphy
Secretary
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This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.