On October 16, 2023, the Division of Examinations (the “Division”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) published its annual Examination Priorities for 2024 (the “Exam Priorities”). Consistent with the...more
2023 MID-YEAR REVIEW - In the first half of 2023, several rule changes have been proposed by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including changes to...more
On September 14, 2022, the SEC announced a settled administrative order, also dated September 14 (“Order”), imposing penalties, including a $100,000 fine, on a registered broker (the “Broker”) for failing to (1)...more
On September 13, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced a settlement with investment advisory firm Buckman Advisory Group LLC (“Buckman Advisory”) and its CEO Harry Buckman Jr. to settle...more
Last week, the SEC entered orders against three underwriters for failing to comply with Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) Rule 15c2-12. These actions serve as a good reminder for compliance checks and...more
On May 4, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) released a public statement from Chairman Jay Clayton and Rebecca Olsen, Director of the SEC’s Office of Municipal Securities (“OMS”), titled, “The...more
In the fourth quarter of 2019 and beginning of 2020, the municipal securities industry saw new regulatory activity relating to the announcement of examination and enforcement priorities in the new year, the private placement...more
On August 20, 2018 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted amendments to 17 CFR 240.15c2-12, commonly referred to as “Rule 15c2-12”, which deals with continuing disclosure obligations. According to the SEC’s...more
On June 29, 2018 Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden of the Southern District of Mississippi entered judgments against Malachi Financial Products, Inc., and its president and sole shareholder, Porter B. Bingham, for alleged...more
The SEC charged registered municipal advisor Malachi Financial Products, Inc. and its principal Porter B. Bingham with violations of Sections 15B(a)(5) and 15B(c)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and...more
On September 13, 2017, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (the “MSRB”) published a market advisory on selective disclosure (the “Notice”). The stated purpose of the Notice is to “increase awareness” of selective...more
On March 15, 2017, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published for public comment proposed amendments to the Municipal Disclosure Rule, Rule 15c2-12 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The proposed...more
SEC Proposed Amendments to Rule 15c2-12 - On March 1, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed amendments to Rule 15c2-12 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that would add two new events that...more
On March 1, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published for comment proposed amendments to Rule 15c2-12 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) that would expand the list of events triggering...more
On March 15, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission” or “SEC”) published in the Federal Register for comment proposed amendments to Rule 15c2-12 (the “Rule”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934...more
On March 1, 2017, the Securities Exchange Commission voted in open meeting to propose amendments to Rule 15c2-12 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 adding two event notices to the current fourteen required in...more
This SRO gamesmanship is making a mockery of governing. The latest is the SEC’s position that it didn’t take any action on the new MSRB Rules extending pay-to-play prohibitions to municipal advisors, so it can’t be sued...more
On June 13, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accepted the settlement offers made by two firms and three executives charged with using deceptive business practices in dealing with five school districts. As...more
The SEC instituted proceedings August 6 to allow additional time – and analysis – of the MSRB’s proposed Rule G-42 establishing broad conduct standards for municipal advisors. The Order essentially buys more time for the SEC...more
Rule G-44, proposed earlier this year by the Municipal Securities Regulation Board (MSRB) and approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this month, requires that municipal advisors develop internal supervisory...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) temporary stay on its final municipal advisor rules under Section 15B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) expires July 1, 2014. Accordingly, municipal...more
On September 27, 2012, Goldman Sachs agreed to pay $12 million to settle claims with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) alleging that one of its employees engaged in a pay-to-play scheme. The scheme, as described...more