Karpoff, Jonathan M.; Lee, D. Scott; Martin, Gerald S. - In: Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis 43 (2008) 03, pp. 581-611
We examine the penalties imposed on the 585 firms targeted by SEC enforcement actions for financial misrepresentation from 1978–2002, which we track through November 15, 2005. The penalties imposed on firms through the legal system average only $23.5 million per firm. The penalties imposed by...