Thomson Reuters Session 1: Investment Management, Hedge Funds and Registered Mutual Funds: What's Happening Now?
On December 15, 2023, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (“ISDA”) published its legal opinion (the “ISDA RMI Opinion”) as to the enforceability under the law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands of...more
This client alert addresses three aspects of security-based swap (SBS) regulations recently issued by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) that are relevant to commercial end users, funds, and other financial end users:...more
On March 15, 2021, ISDA published the ISDA 2021 Security-Based Swaps (SBS) Top-Up Protocol (the SBS Top-Up Protocol). The SBS Top-Up Protocol enables SBS dealers (SBSDs) and other market participants to comply with certain...more
Swap contracts, famously described as the financial equivalent of “weapons of mass destruction,” have continued to evolve since their heyday leading up to the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Most swaps use the standardized...more
BROKER-DEALER - FINRA Warns Investors of Potential Stock Fraud in Wake of Hurricane Dorian - The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently released an investor alert cautioning investors of potential...more
In a continuing effort to address the advent of narrowly tailored credit events (NTCEs) in the CDS market, ISDA is now preparing for the implementation of the changes designed to deter market participants from running these...more
In response to a request from the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight issued no-action relief that will permit swap...more
On July 19, 2018, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) published a white paper entitled "Initial Margin for Non-Centrally Cleared...more
Because of the implementation of new regulatory requirements relating to both variation and initial margin for swaps, swap documentation for many market participants is about to become much more complicated....more
March 1, 2017, is the scheduled implementation date applicable for all insurance companies for the mandatory posting of variation margin to their swap dealer counterparties under U.S. margin rules. Although the...more
The scheduled implementation date applicable for most financial end users for the mandatory posting of variation margin to their swap dealer counterparties under U.S. margin rules is March 1, 2017. In most cases, the U.S....more
CFTC Delays Reduction in Swap Dealer De Minimis Exception Threshold - On October 13, 2016, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved an Order delaying for one year the reduction of the threshold for determining...more
On August 16, 2016, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA) published the ISDA 2016 Variation Margin Protocol (VM Protocol). The VM Protocol will help market participants implement the new variation...more
Novo Banco and CDS – A Post-Mortem - The 2014 ISDA Credit Derivatives Definitions updated the previous set of credit derivatives definitions to, among other things, include a credit event for “Governmental Intervention.”...more
Under the Margin Rules, swap dealers and major swap participants that do not have a prudential regulator (Covered Swap Entities, or CSEs) would be required to collect and post initial margin for uncleared swaps with financial...more
In this issue: - Bylaw of Delaware Corporation Providing for Exclusive Forum in North Carolina Upheld - FINRA Board to Consider Rule Proposals Regarding Private Trading Platforms - CBOE and C2 in...more
In this issue: - ISS Launches New Equity Plan Data Verification Portal - ISDA Publishes Protocol for 2014 Credit Derivatives Definitions - FinCEN Issues Advisories for US Financial Institutions -...more
There were a number of new developments with respect to the cross-border application of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) requirements for swaps in the latter part of 2013. This...more
We recently passed the first rolling 12-month period for determining which entities will surpass the CFTC’s de minimis swap dealing levels and thus be “swap dealers” under the Dodd-Frank Act. So, who are they?...more
In late June 2013, the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a no-action letter extending the period for certain corporate end-users of foreign exchange (FX) derivative transactions to comply with the trading...more
Investment advisers with clients (including funds or separate accounts) that use swaps are reminded to have such clients sign up to the ISDA March 2013 DF Protocol (the “March DF Protocol”) by July 1, 2013....more
The CFTC business conduct rules require swap dealers to disclose the material risks of a particular swap to a counterparty, which may include market, credit, liquidity, foreign currency, legal, operational, and any other...more
By May 1, all counterparties must have provided their registered swap dealers with legal classifications and representations to allow the swap dealers to comply with the CFTC’s External Business Conduct Rule (EBCR). After the...more
Beginning May 1, 2013, many new business conduct regulations adopted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”) will begin to...more
Managers Who Use Swaps Should Act Now - Managers of funds and separately managed accounts that use swaps are reminded that they (or their clients) must complete the DF Protocol Adherence Letter and DF Protocol...more