Podcast - Trends Affecting the Grocer and Retail Space
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – SEC’s OCIE exam priorities
States Sue SEC in Ongoing Fight Over Reg BI
SEC Activity with Fixed Income and Credit Funds
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) staff recently announced that the Division of Investment Management (the “Division”) will no longer require registered closed-end funds that invest in private funds...more
Since the enactment of the Investment Company Act 85 years ago, the asset management industry has grown from $2 billion in assets to more than $39 trillion in assets. Under existing Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)...more
The Irish government has been supportive of the development of the financial services sector in Ireland and this extends to fintech. The government’s strategy for the development of Ireland’s international financial services...more
Hong Kong regulators recently brought criminal enforcement actions against virtual asset trading platform JPEX and individuals associated with the platform. This case has become the first opportunity for local authorities to...more
A US court recently handed down a landmark ruling addressing the question of whether the crypto token XRP falls under the definition of “security”. The US court ruled that the same crypto token may be classified differently...more
ANTITRUST AND COMPETITION - New Dawn Raids in the Luxury and Fashion Sector in the European Union - On 18 April 2023, the European Commission (Commission) conducted unannounced inspections (i.e., dawn raids) at the premises...more
The regulatory authority of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) over the cryptocurrency industry has recently been challenged on a couple of fronts. One involves a lawsuit filed by the SEC against a Utah-based...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - Recent SEC Leadership Changes - On January 10, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced the appointment of Cristina Martin Firvida as director of the Office of the Investor...more
On February 15, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed a significant transformation of Rule 206(4)-2 (the “Custody Rule”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) into a new...more
Online cryptocurrency promotion—and promotion on social media in particular—has garnered national media attention in recent months. First, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it had entered into a...more
As might be expected, FINRA appears to be aligning itself with the SEC in its assertion of jurisdiction over investments that may not, at the end of the day, be deemed securities. ...more
The plan directs the agency to develop a robust regulatory framework to prevent market misconduct, as SEC officials’ public comments keep advancements in technology high on the agenda. On August 25, 2022, the Securities...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - SEC - Leadership Changes On April 14, 2021, the U.S. Senate voted to approve President Biden’s nomination of Gary Gensler as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) through June...more
In 2020, the price of gold has jumped over 30 percent from $1,517 per ounce on January 3, 2020 to over $2,000 per ounce on August 6, 2020. The spike in the price of gold isn’t yet at the level reached in the 2017 Bitcoin boom...more
Interest in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies of companies and their impact on the wider community has continued to increase amongst institutional investors, retail shareholders and the media during the...more
The compliance date of June 30, 2020, is looming for U.S. broker-dealers subject to Regulation Best Interest (Reg. BI) and broker-dealers and investment advisers required to prepare and provide relationship summaries pursuant...more
On January 7, the SEC’s Office of Compliance, Inspection and Examination (OCIE) issued its annual list of examination priorities for 2020. Among the items identified was a focus on “FinTech”, a broad category of activities...more
On October 24, 2019, the European Supervisory Authorities ("ESAs"), consisting of the European Securities and Markets Authority, the European Banking Authority, and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority,...more
Anyone who has sat through a talk by financial regulators is undoubtedly familiar with the refrain from the individuals that they do not speak for the Commission and that the opinions offered are their own. Even with that...more
U.S. Developments - VanEck and SolidX to Offer Bitcoin ETF to Qualified Institutional Buyers - On September 3, 2019, VanEck Securities Corp. and SolidX Management LLC announced that they are seeking to use Rule 144A of...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed a new rule and related amendments designed to streamline and enhance the regulatory framework for "fund of funds" arrangements....more
On January 22, 2019, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) issued its annual letter describing its current risk monitoring and examination priorities. See FINRA, Risk Monitoring and Examination Priorities...more
On December 20, 2018, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued its 2019 examination priorities letter. OCIE releases examination priorities...more
As the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enters the third year of the Trump administration, its regulatory and enforcement goals remain largely unchanged. At the direction of Chairman Jay Clayton, the SEC continues to...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) has issued its examination priorities for 2019. In it, OCIE points out that its examination program covers some 13,200...more