Conversation with Former SEC Chief Economist Dr. Jessica Wachter on Investment Management Rulemaking at the Commission – PE Pathways
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Raising Capital 101: A Securities Podcast - What are the Different Ways Securities Can Be Offered and Sold? (Part 2)
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Raising Capital 101: A Securities Podcast - What Laws Affect Securities Offerings?
The Preferred Return Podcast | Spin-outs and New Fund Sponsors
AdvisorEsq Podcast Series - Episode 8 - Executive Insights: Succeeding as a COO at an RIA Firm
SEC’s New Cyber Rules for Publicly Traded Companies — The Consumer Finance Podcast
A 2024 Economic Outlook - Troutman Pepper Podcast
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - New Federal Rule Aims to Hold Investment Advisors to a Higher Standard
PLI's inSecurities Podcast - The Dangers of Regulation by Enforcement
Cornerstone Research Experts in Focus: Jules van Binsbergen
Podcast Episode 189: Adding Context to Compliance and Color To Your Legal Practice
Top-Tier Data Centers in Underserved Markets - TAG Infrastructure Talks Podcast
ESG and SEC Enforcement in 2022
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME! PART II - Embracing the Magic of Private Placement Life Insurance and Private Placement Variable Annuities
Three Timely Benefits Items Everyone Should Know
Cutting Costs With Employee Benefit Plans (Part 4 of 5) – Retirement Plan Costs
Investment Management and Private Funds Roundtable: TALF 2020 and PPP Update
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – The annuity regulatory landscape
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – Advisers Act regulatory agenda
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – Fiduciary investment advice: The patchwork emerges
On August 7, 2025, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Annuity Suitability (A) Working Group issued draft safe harbor regulatory guidance with a comment period that ends on September 22, 2025. The draft...more
by Alex Smith The Supreme Court recently issued a decision regarding the pleading standards for ERISA prohibited transactions claims in a case involving Cornell’s 403(b) plan to resolve a federal circuit court split. Under...more
401(k) financial advisors are often handicapped by the fact that the nature of their position requires them to have an ERISA background when they don’t. It’s hard to fake an ERISA background when you don’t and it’s pretty...more
The DOL’s EBSA has a number of programs that can restore benefits to plans and participants. Those include: - Civil investigations. - Criminal investigations. - Informal compliant resolutions. - Correction programs. ...more
Last week, Judge Reed O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, issued the first-of-its-kind ruling on the merits pertaining to environmental, social, and corporate governance (“ESG”) investing...more
Effective 17 June 2024, the US Department of Labor (DOL) adopted comprehensive amendments to Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 84-14, also known as the “QPAM exemption” (Exemption)....more
Gone With the Wind? Closed-End Funds Risk Extinction - Shares of SEC-registered closed-end funds (CEFs) have long held significant potential advantages for some investors. For example, unlike shares of mutual funds...more
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor issued its long-awaited retirement security rule, also known as the fiduciary rule, broadening the definition of who is an “investment advice fiduciary” under the Employee...more
The stay of the effective dates of the amended fiduciary regulation and amended exemptions means that the “old” DOL fiduciary regulation (the 5-part test) and the existing exemptions continue in effect indefinitely....more
On April 2, 2024, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued an amendment establishing new rules (New QPAM Rules) for what is commonly referred to as the "QPAM Exemption." The QPAM Exemption is the main exemption relied upon by...more
The Federation of Americans for Consumer Choice v. Department of Labor case was the first case challenging the Department of Labor’s 2024 retirement security rule defining who is an investment advice fiduciary. It was...more
Under recently finalized federal regulations (commonly referred to as the “Fiduciary Rule”) that were scheduled to become effective on September 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor intended to expand the fiduciary...more
The DOL’s fiduciary regulation was scheduled to become effective this September 23. The exemptions were scheduled to become partially effective this September 23 and fully effective September 23, 2025....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Orders issued by the Eastern District of Texas on Thursday July 25 and the Northern District of Texas on Friday July 26 indefinitely delayed the September 23, 2024 effective date of the Department of...more
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released final rules that are intended to protect retirement savings from disloyal or dishonest recommendations from investment advisors. The new rules treat an investment...more
The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a new regulation defining fiduciary “investment advice” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as amended, and Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of...more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final regulations broaden the definition of fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to include more investment advisors. However, the eight hundred pages of...more
On April 25, 2024, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published in the Federal Register its final regulation on its "fiduciary rule" (the "Final Regulation") clarifying when fiduciary status under the Employee Retirement Income...more
On April 25, 2024, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) issued a final rule, the “Retirement Security Rule,” that significantly alters the definition of a “fiduciary” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act...more
The Department of Labor ("DOL") recently issued a regulatory package that includes a final rule updating ERISA's definition of an investment advice fiduciary and amending certain related prohibited transaction exemptions...more
The Department of Labor’s final definition of “investment advice” fiduciary regulation makes many more individuals fiduciaries under both the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code. Where for...more
Commonly referred to as "excessive fee" litigation, class actions that allege retirement plan investments charge too much and earn too little have increased over the past two decades. Excessive fee cases are difficult to...more
Last Lap in SEC RILA Rulemaking Critical Unresolved Issues - Congress directed the SEC to adopt a new registration statement for registered indexed annuities (RILAs) by the end of June. Several months ago, the SEC...more
On April 25, 2024, the Department of Labor published its final regulation defining fiduciary status for investment advice and the related exemptions—PTE 2020-02 and 84-24. The exemptions provide relief from prohibited...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently issued final, new regulations (the “rules”) regarding who is considered an investment advice fiduciary that are slated to become generally effective on September 23, 2024, as well...more