From Court to Code: Smart Contracts and Arbitration
Episode 335 -- The New DOJ Whistleblower Program
Navigating Emerging Privacy Issues in Financial Services — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Implications of the SEC Cybersecurity Disclosure Rule
Corruption, Crime and Compliance: SEC Suffers Dismissal of Claims in Solarwinds Securities Fraud Case
Episode 334 -- District Court Dismisses Bulk of SEC Claims Against Solarwinds
The Woody Report: The Solar Winds Dismissal
In That Case: Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy
Corruption, Crime and Compliance: Deep Dive into The SEC’s Settlement with R&R Donnelly on Cybersecurity Controls
Episode 332 -- Deep Dive into SEC’s Internal Controls and Cybersecurity Settlement with R&R Donnelly
The Justice Insiders Podcast: Jarkesy’s Implications for the Administrative State
DE Under 3: OFCCP Must Shut Down its Administrative Court Prosecutions as a Result of SCOTUS’ SEC Jury Trial Case Decision
Dogecoin’s Day in Court
Unpacking the Lummis-Gillibrand Payment Stablecoin Act: Implications for the Digital Asset Industry — The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Podcast: Is Cryptocurrency a Security (like an orange grove)?
Navigating the Regulatory Waters: The SEC's Wells Notice to Uniswap and its Impact on DeFi — The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Will Resiliency Carry the Digital Asset Sector Through 2024: Federal Legislative Developments and OFAC Consent Orders — The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Compliance into the Weeds: The WACKO Enforcement Action Involving BF Borgers
Meeting the Proposed SEC Climate Disclosure Requirements
Understanding the Whistleblower Pilot Program in the Southern District of New York
The stay of the effective dates of the amended fiduciary regulation and amended exemptions means that the “old” fiduciary regulation (the 5-part test) and the amended exemptions continue in effect indefinitely. As a result,...more
Now that the Private Fund Adviser Rules have been chucked into the dustbin of history, should investment advisers expect the SEC staff to give them the benefit of the doubt on expense allocation? Not likely. This is a...more
Crypto Offerings Launch by Major Investment Bank, Asset Manager and Insurer - According to a recent report, a major multinational investment bank and financial services firm is now allowing its investment advisors to pitch...more
Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp. (AGM) merged into Assured Guaranty Inc. (AG) on August 1, 2024. Issuers with outstanding bonds insured by a policy from AGM need to ensure a material event notice is timely filed on EMMA...more
The streak of good news in D&O litigation risk ends this year, with a rise in class action filings and bigger settlements. But the D&O market is still soft, so staying on top of the evolving risk landscape will help you...more
On July 1, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced new rules for registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) and registered market-value adjustment annuities (MVAs). The new rules will significantly impact...more
Today, Lynda A. Bennett and Heather Weaver of Lowenstein’s Insurance Recovery Group sit down with Yelena Dunaevsky, Senior Vice President, Transactional Insurance, at Woodruff Sawyer to talk about the current state of SPAC...more
8 Reasons to Buy D&O Insurance 1. Attracting New Directors: D&O insurance makes board seats more attractive. 2. Investor Requirements: Some venture capital and private equity firms require that their portfolio companies...more
In 2023, legislatures in five “Southeastern Conference” states passed statutes creating options for employers to voluntarily provide paid family and medical leave (PFML) through insurance benefits purchased from the private...more
These folks often go through some version of the Kubler-Ross stages of grief, including denial (“The SEC must be confused!”), anger (“This is an abuse of power!”), bargaining (“With this one weird trick, we can convince the...more
Recently, in response to a request from the Committee of Annuity Insurers, the staff in the Chief Counsel's Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Division of Investment Management issued a no-action letter...more
As they go through their initial public offering (IPO) and the subsequent merger & acquisition (M&A) process, special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) face many regulatory, legal, and business hurdles. Obtaining the...more
The climate change landscape for insurers has changed dramatically this past month. There are multiple developments insurers should keep in mind – and not just the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent adoption...more
Reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) are in effect beginning January 1, 2024. Under the CTA, many US entities will be required to provide the personal information of their beneficial owners to the...more
Funds Not Caged by SEC Names Rule Amendments: Roaming Room Remains - The SEC recently adopted amendments to its investment company “names” rule that apply to most SEC-registered funds, including underlying funds in which...more
The Superior Court of Delaware has held that collateral estoppel bars an insured company from relitigating whether, under a second excess follow-form D&O policy, an SEC letter and order (collectively the “SEC Matter”)...more
Suitability in the sale of annuity products has been a topic of state regulation since at least 2003 - well before the federal focus on “Best Interest.” State insurance regulators have overseen the sale of annuities to ensure...more
The U.S. Department of Labor has released its package of proposed changes to the regulation defining nondiscretionary fiduciary advice and to the exemptions for conflicts and compensation for investment recommendations to...more
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: Beginning on January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) goes into effect. The CTA imposes new federal reporting requirements on most organizations formed or doing business in the United States....more
On October 30, 2023, the US Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") announced that it filed charges against SolarWinds Corp. ("SolarWinds" or the "Company") and its Chief Information Security Officer ("CISO") in connection...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted a new short position and short activity disclosure requirement under Rule 13f-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Under Rule 13f-2, an...more
In my last post, I explained why a full-blown Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation often results in legal fees and expenses that run well into seven or eight figures. (Again, this is just for legal costs at...more
Private equity firms are facing increased disclosure requirements and new restrictions on giving certain investors special treatment. Are current market policies sufficient to limit exposure in this new environment?...more
The softening D&O market has continued into 2023, with 91% of our clients experiencing a cost reduction in their renewal in the first half of the year. Self-insured retentions have also continued to fall. The soft market is a...more
A recent California district court addressed the question of whether, for insurance coverage purposes, a SOX whistleblower claim is a “securities claim,” and answered that question in the affirmative. Skye Bioscience v....more