In Short -
The Situation: Congress recently amended the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") to exempt certain "M&A brokers" from registration as broker-dealers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange...more
California's new Digital Financial Asset Law ("DFAL") will impose a variety of regulatory requirements on digital asset companies and cryptocurrency exchanges. Governor Newsom is expected to sign the DFAL into law, and new...more
In "Digital Assets Defined: How Lummis-Gillibrand Will Shape the Coming Fintech Debate," we provided a high-level overview of the Responsible Financial Innovation Act (the "Bill") and examined some of its significant...more
In Short -
The Situation: In a federal district court complaint against Archegos Capital Management, LP ("Archegos"), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") has asserted jurisdiction over what many view as...more
The SEC's Proposal -
On March 28, 2022, the SEC released a rulemaking proposal (the "Proposal") for new rules to clarify the meaning of certain terms in the statutory definitions of "dealer" and "government securities...more
4/5/2022
/ Proposed Rules ,
Registration Statement ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Dealers ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Traders
The SEC's Proposal -
On January 26, 2022, the SEC released a rulemaking proposal that, among other things, would expand the definition of "exchange" under Rule 3b-16 of the Exchange Act. ...more
The SEC is considering new rules that would require public position reporting and other requirements for security-based swaps.
On December 15, 2021, the SEC proposed three rules under the Securities Exchange Act to...more
12/22/2021
/ Capital Markets ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Equity Securities ,
MSBSPs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Security-Based Swaps ,
Swaps
Unless otherwise exempted, entities engaging in SBS dealing activity in the immediately preceding 12 months, as of the Counting Date and thereafter, must register as an SBS dealer if the SBS positions connected with its SBS...more
The Situation: The SEC has brought another in a growing list of whistleblower cases critical of entities for potentially attempting to impede an individual from communicating with the agency. In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall...more
More than a year ago the world fell victim to a global pandemic that would change life in ways that could never have been predicted. In the early stages of the pandemic, we published a White Paper directed at financial...more
The Situation: The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations ("EXAMS") released a Risk Alert on March 29, 2021, reminding broker-dealers of their obligation to comply with anti-money laundering ("AML")...more
The Situation: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") Division of Examinations (the "Division") issued its 2021 examination priorities ("2021 Exam Priorities").
The Result: The 2021 Exam Priorities set...more
3/19/2021
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Investment Adviser ,
Municipal Advisers ,
OCIE ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Regulation SCI ,
Retail Investors ,
SEC Examination Priorities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The Situation: President Joe Biden nominated Gary Gensler, former Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") under the Obama administration, for Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). ...more
On February 26, 2021, the SEC's Division of Examinations released a Risk Alert to make digital asset market participants aware of recurring issues that have arisen in the course of recent examinations, and provide notice of...more
On February 24, 2021, Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Acting Chair Allison Herren Lee issued a Statement on the Review of Climate-Related Disclosure in which she directed the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance...more
The Situation: The term "accredited investor" under the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") is used to establish the eligibility of investors to participate in offerings conducted under the most frequently used private...more
The Situation: Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act created an insolvency framework for the orderly liquidation of large financial companies, including SEC-registered broker-dealers, if certain financial distress and systemic risk...more
The Situation: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations ("OCIE") has continued to operate via off-site examinations and remote working...more
On August 5, 2020, FINRA published Regulatory Notice 20-26, summarizing the results of a survey FINRA conducted of a representative cross-section of member firms, including firms with significant trading volumes or positions...more
Recent measures from U.S. lawmakers and Nasdaq to impose additional requirements on U.S.-listed China-based companies could have wider implications.
On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Holding Foreign...more
7/13/2020
/ China ,
China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Foreign Governments ,
Listing Standards ,
Nasdaq ,
NYSE ,
PCAOB ,
Popular ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
The Situation: The SEC's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations ("OCIE") intends to examine registrants to assess preparation for the expected discontinuation of LIBOR and the transition to alternative reference...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has granted a temporary exemption from broker registration for certain activities by municipal advisors.
On June 16, 2020, the SEC issued a temporary conditional...more
As of June 30, 2020, all broker-dealers with retail customers must comply with Reg BI, and all broker-dealers and investment advisers must comply with Form CRS requirements with respect to their retail customers/investors....more
The situation: Investors are increasingly focused on environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") factors when opening investment accounts and/or making investment decisions.
The result: Most guidance regarding ESG...more
The Situation: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations ("OCIE") issued its 2020 examination priorities ("Exam Priorities").
The Result: The Exam Priorities...more
1/27/2020
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Cybersecurity ,
ETFs ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
MSRB ,
Municipal Advisers ,
Mutual Funds ,
OCIE ,
Regulation SCI ,
Retail Investors ,
Robo-Advisors ,
SEC Examination Priorities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Self-Regulatory Organizations