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Mutual Funds Investment Adviser Fiduciary Duty

Carlton Fields

The Mysterious Boundary Beyond Which “Personal” Relationships Jeopardize a Director’s Independence

Carlton Fields on

In a recent enforcement action, the SEC concluded that the relationship between James Craigie and an officer of Church & Dwight Co. fatally undermined Craigie’s status as an “independent director” of the company under New...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Pleading Breaches of Fiduciary Duties in Class Proceedings: Court of Appeal Keeps the Bar Low in Ontario

Stikeman Elliott LLP on

In Boal v International Capital Management Inc.(“Boal”), the Ontario Court of Appeal (the “Court”) considered the pleading requirements for certification of a breach of fiduciary duty cause of action. In holding that it was...more

Harris Beach Murtha PLLC

SEC Examination Priorities for 2024

Harris Beach Murtha PLLC on

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations announced its examination priorities for fiscal year 2024 on October 16, 2023. The timing of the announcement is significant because it is the...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Hire an advisor when you get an employee

I’m still amazed when I find participant-directed 401(k) plans without a financial advisor. While I understand how solo 401(k) plans don’t have an advisor because individuals think they can do it on their own, it makes no...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

You need a financial advisor

I am still how often I find participant-directed 401(k) plans without a financial advisor. While I understand how solo 401(k) plans don’t have an advisor because individuals think they can do it on their own. I have a solo...more

Goodwin

In First Published Appellate Decision Addressing Gartenberg Factors Since Jones v. Harris, U.S. Court of Appeals Rejects...

Goodwin on

On March 30, 2020, 10 years to the day after the Supreme Court issued its decision in Jones v. Harris, 559 U.S. 335 (2010), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued the first published federal appellate decision...more

Vedder Price

Court Dismisses Plaintiffs’ Excessive Fee Claim against Mutual Fund Adviser following Trial

Vedder Price on

On September 27, 2019, following a two-week bench trial, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed an action brought by mutual fund shareholders under Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

SEC Division of Investment Management Releases FAQs Regarding Disclosure of Financial Conflicts Related to Investment Adviser...

The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Investment Management released frequently asked questions (FAQs) on October 18, 2019, which discuss certain compensation arrangements and related...more

Perkins Coie

SEC Scrutiny of Advisers’ Share Class Selection, Revenue Sharing and Disclosure Practices Continues Apace

Perkins Coie on

Over the past several years, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement activity has eroded the stability of the once-standard lineup of share classes available to mutual fund investors. Starting with...more

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

SEC Sues Investment Adviser for Nondisclosure of Revenue Sharing Agreement Details

On Aug. 1, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) charged Commonwealth Equity Services LLC, dba Commonwealth Financial Network (Commonwealth), a registered independent investment adviser to private clients (but not...more

Blank Rome LLP

Regulatory Update and Recent SEC Actions - July 2019

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REGULATORY UPDATES - Investors Continue to Press Regulators for Disclosure of Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) Risks...more

K&L Gates LLP

Court Grants Summary Judgment to Defendant Investment Adviser in Section 36(b) Excessive Fee Lawsuit

K&L Gates LLP on

In a strong opinion, a federal court in the Southern District of New York recently dismissed a suit alleging that the defendant charged “excessive” fees to a mutual fund....more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Best Practices for Plan Sponsors #8

Best Practices: Lessons Learned from Litigation—the Anthem Case - I am writing two series of articles that together are called “The Bests.” One is about Best Practices for Plan Sponsors, while the other is about the Best...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

ERISA Newsletter - First Quarter 2018

Proskauer Rose LLP on

Despite the change in seasons, there appears to be no change in the pace of complex and class action ERISA litigation. Investments in defined contribution plans—both 401(k) and 403(b) plans—continue to be the leading target...more

K&L Gates LLP

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Grants Summary Judgment in “Manager of Managers” Excessive Fee...

K&L Gates LLP on

On March 13, 2018, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois entered summary judgment for Harbor Capital Advisors, Inc. (“Harbor”) in consolidated actions brought under Section 36(b) of the...more

Goodwin

Rejecting Subadvisory Fee Comparison, Federal District Court Enters Summary Judgment for Investment Adviser and Administrator in...

Goodwin on

On March 9, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio entered summary judgment for defendants in an action brought under Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The plaintiffs in the action...more

Goodwin

Federal District Court Dismisses Mutual Fund Excessive Fee Lawsuit

Goodwin on

On February 14, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan issued a decision dismissing a complaint brought under Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, that...more

Vedder Price

Investment Services Regulatory Update - February 2018

Vedder Price on

New Rules, Proposed Rules, Guidance and Alerts – SEC STAFF GUIDANCE AND ALERTS - SEC Staff Issues Guidance on Cryptocurrency-related Holdings - On January 18, 2018, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Investment...more

Carlton Fields

Mutual Fund Advisers Win Again on Section 36(b) Claims

Carlton Fields on

Following a four-day bench trial, New Jersey District Judge Renee Bumb granted judgment to defendant Hartford mutual fund advisers on "excessive fee" claims brought by fund shareholders under Section 36(b) of the Investment...more

Carlton Fields

Court Applies “Fiduciary Exception” to Mutual Fund Trustees’ Attorney-Client Privilege

Carlton Fields on

In Kenny v. Pacific Inv. Mgm’t Co. LLC (W.D. Wash.), a federal judge recently ruled that a mutual fund’s independent trustees must produce certain documents that the trustees had redacted or withheld based on attorney-client...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

"Another Mutual Fund Adviser Prevails at Trial in Excessive Fee Litigation"

Following a four-day bench trial, Judge Renee Marie Bumb of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled in favor of an adviser on claims brought under Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act by investors...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

U.S. District Court: Fund Trustees Cannot Rely on Attorney-Client Privilege in Section 36(b) Case

A federal district court has ordered mutual fund trustees to produce privileged documents to a plaintiff who sued an investment adviser accused of charging excessive investment advisory fees. The November 21, 2016 order may...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Investment Management Update

Ballard Spahr LLP on

Investment Adviser AXA Wins Excessive Fee Trial - A federal judge in New Jersey has ruled in favor of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company (AXA Equitable) and its wholly owned subsidiary, AXA Equitable Funds Management...more

Carlton Fields

AXA Prevails at First Post-Jones v. Harris Excessive Fee Trial

Carlton Fields on

In its 2010 opinion in Jones v. Harris, L.P., the United States Supreme Court embraced the so-called Gartenberg standard for assessing an investment adviser’s fiduciary liability for excessive mutual fund fees under Section...more

Goodwin

How the DOL’s Impartial Conduct Standard Affects Exemptions Used by Financial Services Companies

Goodwin on

In conjunction with its issuance in April 2016 of a new regulation redefining the concept of “investment advice” for purposes of fiduciary status under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code, the Department of Labor amended a...more

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