Compliance Tip of the Day: COSO Objective 5 – Monitoring Activities
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Raising Capital 101: A Securities Podcast - What Laws Affect Securities Offerings?
Payment for Order Flow (PFOF) and Gamification: Your Questions Answered
Summer Enforcement Action Review; Raising Money in a Pandemic - Investment Management Roundtable Discussion
Investment Management and Private Funds Roundtable – June 2020
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – FinTech initiatives
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – Fiduciary investment advice: The patchwork emerges
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – SEC enforcement
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – Complying with new SEC rules for broker-dealers
Investment Management Roundtable Discussion – Regulatory and Enforcement Update
Regulation Best Interest Videocast Series: Establishing An Investment Platform Post-Regulation BI
Investment Management Update - Focus on Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
FINRA recently sanctioned, through a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC), a broker-dealer for off-channel communications—not because financial professionals texted or used instant messaging when they weren’t...more
On June 11, 2025, FINRA proposed amendments to Rule 3220 (Influencing or Rewarding Employees of Others) (the “Gifts Rule”) that would raise the annual gift limit per recipient to $250 from $100, as well as codifying...more
Let’s say, once upon a time, you worked from home during the pandemic. If so, did you use a variety of communication methods (perhaps switching among different platforms, never sure which camera or microphone would be...more
On May 8, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published a blog announcing that it intends to modify the heightened supervision plans (HSPs) imposed as part of certain broker-dealers’ settlements with the US...more
Welcome to the latest issue of Bracewell’s FINRA Facts and Trends, a monthly newsletter devoted to condensing and digesting recent FINRA developments in the areas of enforcement, regulation and dispute resolution. We dedicate...more
These days, you'd be hard-pressed to find an business that isn't advertising on social media. But when it comes to financial service providers, social media marketing can become a double-edged sword, or worse a compliance...more
On January 27, FINRA accepted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) addressing alleged violations committed by the respondent, retail market maker offering execution services to broker-dealers and member firm...more
These days, artificial intelligence is everywhere we look, and the financial services industry is no different. As AI use increases, regulatory bodies are updating their rules and guidelines detailing how companies should and...more
As of June 1, 2024, FINRA member firms have been able to identify as a “Residential Supervisory Location” (RSL) a “private residence from which an associated person engages in supervisory functions,” so long as certain...more
One of the concerns following the Supreme Court’s ruling in SEC v. Jarkesy was that other agencies may face similar collateral attacks to its administrative proceedings. While the full impact of Jarkesy remains an open...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the Exchanges were active across a host of regulatory issues impacting fintech companies and broker-dealers during...more
The digital revolution has transformed the banking industry. As financial services and associated communications move online, it is more important than ever for institutions to manage and control their online presence....more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) have, in two separate recent settled enforcement actions involving off-channel communications (“OCC”), imposed fine...more
Compliance Update for the week Ending April 5, 2024 - For our clients and compliance colleagues, this weekly update will give you a quick look at the latest regulatory developments. Enjoy!...more
Introduction - On 6 February 2024, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to adopt two new rules that significantly expand the definitions of a “dealer” and “government securities dealer” in Sections...more
...SEC Adopts Amendments to Fund Names Rule - On September 20, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Fund Names Rule) as well...more
On October 30, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued an order (the “Order”) that grants exemptive relief under Rule 15c2-11 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to brokers and dealers that publish...more
Several years before announcing the first “off-channel” communications enforcement action, the SEC and FINRA cautioned broker-dealers and investment advisers about problematic record-keeping practices involving the use of...more
In today's fiercely competitive business landscape, financial services companies, like their counterparts in other industries, rely on advertising and digital marketing strategies to create brand recognition, promote their...more
The following newsletter provides a roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements taken by a federal and/or state financial services regulatory agency, specifically focusing on:...more
In an action filed in 2022 involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and fraud related to certain unspecified securities, an arbitrator granted the respondent broker-dealer’s motion to dismiss pursuant to...more
Registered reps beware: your personal device or messaging account is not the right place to conduct your business affairs, and regulators have made clear that they will not look the other way. In particular, the Financial...more
In February, FINRA provided an update (Update) concerning the targeted exam (Sweep) launched in September 2021 to review firms’ practices concerning customer acquisition through social media channels and the way firms share...more
The SEC recently amended Exchange Act Rule 17a-4 by adopting new recordkeeping requirements for broker-dealers. Most notably, the SEC will no longer require broker-dealers to maintain records in “write once, read many” or...more
SEC Advertising Rules – Client Resource Center - November 4 was the compliance date for the new rule governing advertising and solicitation activities by investment advisers. The new rule substantially revises decades old...more