Wall Street Girds for China Bribery Probe as Share Sales Beckon

Wall Street hiring in Asia is coming under increasing scrutiny in the wake of a U.S. criminal investigation into whether JPMorgan Chase & Co. employed children of China’s elite in violation of anti-bribery laws.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked several global investment banks for information about their hiring practices, according to four people familiar with the letters. The inquiry includes the leaders in international share sales by Chinese companies over the last five years: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley, according to two of those people, who asked not to be identified because the review is confidential.