Until recently, broker-dealers operating in the United States weren’t subject to a fiduciary standard when dealing with their retail clients.
The passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010 included a provision enabling the...more
Canadian Bail-in and TLAC Rules: Impact on Structured Notes Offered in the United States -
Introduction -
In June 2017, the Canadian government released draft regulations relating to “bail-in instruments” issued by...more
On June 29, 2017, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a Request for Information (“RFI”) in connection with its examination of the Final Fiduciary Rule, which was published on April 8, 2016, and became applicable on June 9,...more
Implementing the DOL Fiduciary Rule -
Background -
On June 9, 2017, key provisions of the fiduciary rule adopted by the Department of Labor (“DOL”) will become applicable for most broker-dealers, as well as many...more
U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds SEC’s Backtesting Finding -
In a 2016 case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, a former investment adviser lost a petition to review and vacate the decision of an SEC...more
On January 13, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a second set of guidance on its new fiduciary rules, which are scheduled to become effective on April 10, 2017. The guidance was issued in the form of FAQs...more
Structured Products Legal and Regulatory Conference: November 2016 -
In November 2016, Morrison & Foerster LLP sponsored Risk magazine’s annual structured products legal and regulatory conference in Washington, D.C. ...more
On October 27, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued initial guidance on its new fiduciary rules, which are scheduled to become effective on April 10, 2017. The guidance was issued in the form of FAQs and is...more
10/31/2016
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Adviser ,
Financial Institutions ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Recruitment Incentives ,
Retirement Plan
On October 27, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued initial guidance on its new fiduciary rules, which are scheduled to become effective on April 10, 2017. The guidance was issued in the form of FAQs and is...more
10/28/2016
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Adviser ,
Financial Institutions ,
Incentive Compensation ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Principal Transaction Exemption ,
Retirement Plan
Brexit and Structured Products: A Framework for Considering Disclosures -
The U.K.’s recent referendum to withdraw from the European Union has affected virtually all segments of the financial industry. The structured...more
8/13/2016
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Distributors ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
ETFs ,
EU ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Markets ,
Fraud ,
Manufacturers ,
Negligence Standard ,
Referendums ,
Required Communications ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Structured Financial Products ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
On April 6, 2016, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued its final conflict of interest regulations, which significantly expand who is considered a fiduciary when dealing with a retirement account. The new regulations,...more
Earlier this week the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its long-anticipated final regulation (the “Regulation”) defining who is a fiduciary as a result of giving investment advice to plans subject to ERISA, to participants or...more
Last month, the Department of Labor (the “Department”) issued an Interpretive Bulletin 2015-011 (the “Bulletin”) clarifying the extent to which the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) permits fiduciaries...more