For a number of years, stock traders and lawyers in the U.S. all believed that the law concerning insider trading was murky at best. No one knew exactly what was or wasn't legal. On December 6th, 2016, the Supreme Court stated that it easily settled this dilemma. It was never doubted that a trader who paid cash to an insider for privileged information was engaging in criminal activity and would face prison. BUT, what about the trader who went golfing with his buddies and got