blau lehman argued decided january petitioner stockholder corporation stock registered national securities exchange sued securities exchange act recover behalf corporation one directors partnership member profits realized purchase sale partnership stock corporation within period less six months petitioner alleged partnership deputed director represent interests corporation board directors reason inside information caused partnership purchase stock corporation district found allegations supported evidence partnership bought stock solely basis corporation public announcements without consulting director accordingly denied judgment partnership director full amount resulting profits awarded judgment director proportionate share partnership profits transactions without interest appeals affirmed respects held judgment affirmed pp findings courts disputed factual issues clearly erroneous conclusions law sustained pp partnership neither officer stockholder corporation held liable director pp findings courts accepted preclude finding partnership actually functioned director corporation partner deputized partnership perform director duties partnership pp fact defines person including partnership require entire partnership held liable insider merely one members director corporation extend coverage include partnership director member pp courts properly held director liable profit realized profits earned partnership transactions pp denial two courts interest amount director held liable neither unfair inequitable require upset morris levy argued cause filed briefs petitioner whitney north seymour argued cause respondents tide water associated oil company briefs benjamin milner robert carlson allan conwill special leave argued cause securities exchange commission amicus curiae urging reversal briefs solicitor general cox john davis walter north ellwood englander david ferber bruce bromley filed brief american society corporate secretaries amicus curiae urging affirmance justice black delivered opinion petitioner blau stockholder tide water associated oil company brought action district behalf company securities exchange act recover interest short swing profits profits earned within six months period purchase sale securities alleged realized respondents tide water securities dealings respondents lehman brothers partnership engaged investment banking securities brokerage securities trading account joseph thomas member lehman brothers director tide water complaint alleged lehman brothers deputed thomas represent interests director tide water board directors within period six months thomas representing interests lehman brothers director tide water reason special inside knowledge affairs tide water advised caused defendants lehman brothers purchase sell shares stock tide water realizing profits thereon inure recovered tide water case tried district judge without jury evidence showed lehman brothers fact earned profits transactions tide water securities thomas director company charges deputization wrongful use inside information lehman brothers evidence conflict first testimony respondent thomas succeeded hertz another lehman partner board tide water hertz joined tidewater company thinking going interests lehman brothers suggested thomas successor partly interest lehman also testimony however thomas aside mentioned time time partners people thought tide water attractive investment good management never discussed operating details tide water affairs member lehman brothers lehman bought tide water securities without consulting thomas wholly basis public announcements tide water common shareholders thereafter convert shares new cumulative preferred issue thomas know lehman intent buy tide water stock initial purchases made upon learning purchases immediately notified lehman must excluded risk purchase profit loss subsequent sale disclaimer accepted firm foregoing testimony district found evidence firm lehman brothers deputed thomas represent interests director board tide water actual use inside information lehman brothers bought tide water stock solely basis tide water public announcements without consulting thomas basis findings district refused render judgment either partnership thomas individually profits determined lehman brothers realized holding law well settled mere fact partner lehman brothers director tide water time lehman brothers short swing transaction stock tide water sufficient make partnership liable profits thereon thomas held liable profits realized partners firm short swing transactions rattner lehman precise question passed upon rattner decision supp petitioner apparently seeks us decide questions presented though proven allegations complaint lehman brothers actually deputized thomas represent interests director tide water advice counsel based special inside knowledge tide water affairs caused lehman brothers buy sell tide water stock trial found otherwise appeals affirmed findings inferences perhaps drawn evidence support petitioner charges examination record makes clear us findings two courts clearly erroneous moreover agree commission courts determinations disputed factual issues conclusions law rather findings fact must therefore decide whether lehman brothers thomas absolute liability pay profits made lehman tide water stock dealings even though thomas sitting tide water board represent lehman even though profits made partnership initiative independently advice inside knowledge given director thomas first language purport impose extraordinary liability person fiduciary unless director officer beneficial owner percentum class equity security registered national securities exchange lehman brothers neither officer stockholder tide water petitioner commission contend lehman partnership treated director although admittedly literally designated one contended lehman director doubt lehman brothers though partnership purposes director tide water function deputy since act provides person means partnership director means director corporation person performing similar functions respect organization whether incorporated unincorporated consequently lehman brothers director tide water petitioner complaint charged lehman actually functioned director thomas deputized lehman perform director duties lehman findings two courts accepted preclude holding thomas lehman brothers entity director tide water next argued intent defining person including partnership treat partnership inseparable entity thomas one member inseparable entity insider contended whole partnership considered insider obvious intent commission apparently realizes merely make clear partnership treated entity statute must affords reason construing word director though read partnership director member fact congress provided partnership treated entity right likewise offers support argument congress wanted partnership subject responsibilities financial burdens members carrying individual business activities petitioner commission contend policy grounds lehman partnership held liable even though neither director officer stockholder conceding interpretation justified literal language plainly limits liability directors officers stockholders argued expand cover partnerships director member order carry congressionally declared purpose preventing unfair use information may obtained beneficial owner director officer reason relationship issuer failure argued leave large unintended statute one substantially eliminating great wall street trading firms statute operation firms claimed able evade act take advantage inside information available members insiders countless corporations merely trading inside information among various partners argument petitioner commission seems go far suggest forfeiture profits extended include persons realizing short swing profits either act basis inside information possibility inside information one may agree petitioner commission present persuasive policy arguments act broadened way prevent unfair use information effectively accomplished leaving act require forfeiture profits specifically designated congress suffer losses broadening categories persons liabilities imposed language considered rejected congress passed act drafts provisions eventually became made unlawful director officer stockholder disclose confidential information regarding registered securities also made profits received anyone insider unlawful disclosure made recoverable company congress refuse give content urged put interpretation knowledge second circuit appeals refused rattner case apply lehman brothers circumstances substantially like congress left act far record shows interpretation view commission intervened last year case indeed rattner case appeals relied part commission rule required report amount holdings amount holdings partnership commission since changed rule require disclosure partnership holdings official release explaining change stated new rule intended modification principles governing liability transactions section set forth case rattner lehman congress might amend commission present policy arguments presented us think congress proper agency change interpretation act unbroken since passage change made second petitioner commission contend thomas required individually pay tide water entire profit lehman brothers realized ground partnership law entire undivided amount therefore realized nly holding liable entire profits realized firm urged effective prophylactic stated statutory policy fully enforced liability determined neither general partnership law adding prophylactic effect congress clearly prescribed section leaves room judicial doubt director pay company profit realized transactions emphasis added nothing fiction say thomas realized profits earned partnership member error refuse hold thomas liable profits make third contended courts erred failing allow interest recovery thomas share partnership profits section says nothing interest one way said kindred situation interest recovered according rigid theory compensation money withheld given response considerations fairness denied exaction inequitable board commissioners courts denied interest say denial either unfair inequitable require us upset affirmed footnotes purchase sale question lehman brothers participated underwriting tide water bonds thomas handled lehman course matter discussed tide water affairs members lehman compliance rules forms thereunder see note infra thomas filed sec reports lehman transactions tide water stock disclaimer transactions courts defendants claimed lehman profits found much less since determination complained necessary pass contentions two courts contended thomas disclaimer participation partnership transactions realized profits also even realize profits amount less found see opinion judge swan dissenting part express view questions since thomas judgment challenged see stat stat stat commission brief says therefore member partnership holds directorship knowledge consent firm entirely reasonable consider partnership director purposes section insider purposes officer director stockholder see cook feldman insider trading securities exchange act harv rev mosser darrow lehman civil aeronautics board app cited commission comparable situations throw little light issues case cases involved different facts different statutes statutes different language purpose history statute thus sess provided shall unlawful director officer owner securities owning record beneficially per centum class stock issuer security registered national securities exchange disclose directly indirectly confidential information regarding affecting registered security necessary proper disclosed part corporate duties profit made person unlawful disclosure shall made respect transaction transactions registered security within period exceeding six months disclosure shall inure recoverable issuer unless person shall reasonable ground believe disclosure confidential made performance corporate duties emphasis added see seventeenth annual report securities exchange commission eighteenth annual report reports submitted congress securities exchange commission release september rule amended effective march delete requirements partner report amount issuer securities held partnership substance rule still contained commission instructions forms used making reports required justice douglas chief justice concurs dissenting today substantially eliminate great wall street trading firms operation judge clark stated dissent appeals result follows wide dispersion partners investment banking firms among major corporations lehman partners boards today ruling firm make rich harvest inside information act covers partner need account distributive share firm profits inside information partners keeping balance mutilation act partnership director within meaning profit realized words used includes profits merely portion partnership realized inside information basis reason saying partnership director purposes act rattner lehman judge learned hand said prepared say partnership considered director adding purposes common law treat firm jural person view partnership might director within meaning deputed partner represent interests yet formal designation significant informal approval everyone knows investment alliances consciously constructed increase profits bankers partnership law debate long raged whether partnership entity aggregate pursuit profitable even new york aggregate theory recognizes partnership may considered entity purposes easier make partnership director purposes hold opposite section speaks every person director person defined include inter alia partnership thus purpose subject partnership provisions need turn strained reading section root present problem scope degree liability arising fiduciary relations modern times liability strictly construed new york appeals speaking chief judge cardozo meinhard salmon held joint adventurer higher standard insist upon today many forms conduct permissible workaday world acting arm length forbidden bound fiduciary ties trustee held something stricter morals market place honesty alone punctilio honor sensitive standard behavior developed tradition unbending inveterate uncompromising rigidity attitude courts equity petitioned undermine rule undivided loyalty disintegrating erosion particular exceptions wendt fischer thus level conduct fiduciaries kept level higher trodden crowd consciously lowered judgment strict prohibitions serve little purpose trustee free authorize others forbidden charge obvious open opportunities devious dealings name others trustee conduct motives man complex equity separate case trustees motive acquiring efficient help motives favoring help reason anticipation counterfavors later come think trustee right right authorize transactions forbidden benefit others behalf trustee equity sought limit difficult delicate tasks concerning trustee precluding transactions reason effect often difficult trace prohibition merely injuring estate profiting position trust occurred far employees concerned undenied forget much history give strict narrow construction brandeis people money spoke office director happy hunting ground investment bankers said goose lays golden eggs considered valuable possession even profitable privilege taking golden eggs laid somebody else goose investment bankers associates enjoy privilege hearings led securities exchange act replete episodes showing insiders exploited personal gain inside information came fiduciaries therefore asset entire body security holders senate report labeled practices predatory operations said among vicious practices unearthed hearings subcommittee flagrant betrayal fiduciary duties directors officers corporations used positions trust confidential information came positions aid market activities closely allied type abuse unscrupulous employment inside information large stockholders directors officers exercised sufficient control destinies companies enable acquire profit information available others see also today allows one partner share feast one places partnership table turn offer feasts companies directors stan rev result dilution fiduciary principle congress wrote act respect dilution possible strained reading law courts given fiduciary principle cordial reception leave congress task restoring edifice erected tear appendix opinion justice douglas petitioner lehman director pan american petitioner joseph thomas director national airlines american export lines petitioner frederick ehrman director continental air lines john hertz director consolidated vultee aircraft corporation companies referred aeronautic field must board approval kind interlocking relationships made unlawful unless approved lehman thomas ehrman hertz others also members lehman brothers partnership previously pointed conducts investment banking business board held individual lehman brothers partner director section company representative another partner director another company relationships thus found exist disapproved involving pan american national pan american american export lines pan american consolidated vultee national pan american national consolidated vultee continental air lines consolidated vultee precisely board concluded lehman brothers partner director air carrier representative represents director director another section company another lehman brothers partner director latter coupled circumstances seeks behalf lehman brothers security underwriting merger negotiation services used company director underwriting security issues conduct merger negotiations constitute substantial part business lehman brothers employed purposes infrequently section companies partners feel free solicit business firm must consider facts case light purpose congress keep developing aviation industry free unhealthy interlocking relationships though purpose must carried statute provides relevant findings point problem dispute underwriting activities lehman brothers substantial part business substantial fees also obtained lehman brothers merger negotiations profits fees shared partners section companies lehman brothers partners directors need use types services partner directors seek business partnership act representatives partnership follows act representatives fellow partners directors air carriers representation within meaning statute thomas use case illustrative lehman brothers partner also director national airlines represent director national airlines lehman another lehman brothers partner director pan american think affirmative answer board disturbed situation comes community interest sharing common benefits partners particular common interest benefits among directors regulated industry respect industry matters partnership link extend merely type business remote aeronautical industry partners directors respect business activities air carriers aeronautical companies enumerated section activities literal representation one partner another partnership business particular partnership business well business aeronautical enterprises partners directors thomas illustrate director national seeks guide company underwriting business lehman brothers acts interest benefit lehman underwriting partner also director air carrier pan american lehman partner lehman director board required separate two personalities say thomas represents partner director case representation regard carrying affairs section companies undoubted representation grows partnership think follows directorships transactions engaged partners concern companies regulated statute partners directors representation within language meaning statute rattner decision rendered time securities exchange commission pursuant regulatory power provided reporting requirement allowed disclose amount equity securities corporation question held partnership representing proportionate interest partnership rule rattner decision rule amended read partner required report respect equity security owned partnership shall include report entire amount equity security owned partnership may elects disclose extent interest partnership partnership transactions cfr cum see loss securities regulation vol pp matter schwartzman app div aff holding partnership legal entity purposes unemployment insurance law mendelsohn equitable life assurance misc holding attorneys partners one person purposes rules civil practice travelers ind unger misc holding partnership regarded legal entity purposes pleading see bernard ratner trucking case far severe impact result urge held partnership criminally liable motor carrier act said congress specifically included partnerships within definition person large number regulatory acts thus showing intent treat partnerships entities note said toucey new york life ins indulging merest fiction suggest doctrine first time asked pronounce eyes open light full consideration obviously firmly part texture law congress effect enacted silence occasion regard silence congress commanding plainly unmistakably spoken words situation congress failed act requested act circumstances congress ordinarily expected act provisions never subject comprehensive legislative reexamination even exceptions referable legislation incidental features statutory schemes removal interpleader acts explicit comprehensive policy act left intact find significance congressional nonaction circumstances find significance none proper approach problem interlocking directorates agency investment banking house expressed judge fahy lehman civil aeronautics board app case involving firm see appendix opinion