Having counseled investors through dozens of venture transactions in New York and beyond, I can say with confidence that due diligence isn’t a checkbox exercise. It’s the process of stress-testing every material assertion made during the fundraising process and, just as importantly, surfacing the risks that never made it into the deck.

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The Securities and Exchange Commission announced on July 13, 2021 that it settled fraud charges against a special purpose acquisition company, its sponsor, its sponsor’s CEO and its proposed merger target for making misleading statements about the target’s technology and national security concerns.  Charges against the target’s CEO are proceeding.  The settlement order imposes