Topics To Avoid In Holiday Conversation: Religion? Politics? Work!

Traditional wisdom suggests avoiding politics and religion as conversation topics over the holidays.  An autumn spate of SEC enforcement actions suggests a third conversation topic should be avoided:  events at work.  In August, we wrote about the dangers associated with confiding material nonpublic information to friends and family, cautioning that insider trading and tipping investigations, public disclosure of personal information, and civil or criminal charges could result.  Since then, additional examples have emerged.  To highlight the importance of not talking about nonpublic work events with friends and family this holiday season, we focus on SEC allegations involving three individuals who became ensnared in insider trading and tipping investigations as a result of what appear to have been innocent conversations with trusted loved ones.