Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 provides that, “if in [the SEC’s] opinion the public interest and the protection of investors so require, the Commission is authorized by order to (A) summarily to suspend trading in any security (other than an exempted security) for a period not exceeding 10 business days.”
In Orders date February 15, the SEC relied on this rule to suspended trading in three penny-stock companies — Cherubim Interests Inc., PDX Partners Inc., and Victura Construction Group Inc. The SEC’s press release explained that recent press releases from the three companies claimed that they acquired AAA-rated assets from a subsidiary of a private equity investor in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology among other things. According to the SEC’s orders, there are questions regarding the nature of the companies’ business operations and the value of their assets.
Author
David Zaslowsky
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David Zaslowsky is partner in the Litigation Department of Baker McKenzie's New York office. He helps companies solve complex commercial disputes in arbitration and litigation, especially those involving cross-border issues and Section 1782 discovery. David has a degree in computer science and, as a result, has worked on numerous technical-related disputes, including, most recently, those involving blockchain and artificial intelligence. In April 2025, Attorney Intel named David one of the top 25 blockchain lawyers in the country. He is the editor of the Firm's blockchain blog and co-editor of the firm's International Litigation & Arbitration Newsletter. David has been included for a number of years in the Chambers USA Guide and Chambers Global Guide for his expertise in international arbitration. He also sits as an arbitrator and is on the roster of arbitrators for a number of arbitral institutions. David sits on the Board and chairs the governance committee of the New York International Arbitration Center, and is a founding member of the International Arbitration Club of New York. For over 35 years, he has written and spoken often on the subjects of arbitration and international litigation.