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
In a series of settlements announced this year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) penalized several broker-dealers for allegedly failing to file...more
On August 25, 2023, Justice Wendlandt of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a ruling in Robinhood Financial, LLC v. Secretary of the Commonwealth which upheld the legality of the fiduciary duty standard imposed...more
The bane of every start-up company is the never-ending quest to raise capital for its operations. Newly (and not so new) formed companies seemingly would do anything to raise funds. Over the course of many decades, these...more
My friend and former colleague, Brian Rubin, publishes annually his analysis of FINRA Enforcement cases, spotting trends in terms of the number and types of matters it brings, the sanctions meted out, etc. It is an excellent...more
Almost three years ago, in Reg Notice 18-08, FINRA wisely (but, nevertheless, still a bit late to the party) proposed to revise its own prior guidance regarding the troublesome intersection between outside business activities...more
The longer I do this, the more apparent it becomes just how little anything changes. Sure, some things do change, a little. Rule numbers may get updated, as Rule 2310 becomes Rule 2111. Things that once may have been done...more
Let’s take a step back from Covid-19 news, for a moment, which, rightfully, has dominated the news and everyone’s collective conscience, and focus on something that has been pervasive in the broker-dealer world for much, much...more
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) is the principal law that regulates broker-dealers in the United States. The Exchange Act governs transactions in securities markets and regulates persons who effect such...more
In October 2005, we wrote an article titled “Cooperation, Only More So: What It Takes to Receive Credit for Cooperating with NASD.” The title came from a line in the movie Casablanca. In it, Rick (Humphrey Bogart) is asked...more
In connection with the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed Regulation Best Interest, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has asserted (with some case law support from the SEC) that its...more
As investor interest in cryptocurrencies has picked up, government agencies and non-governmental organizations tasked with protecting investors are taking a harder look at these virtual investment products. While the...more
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) recently issued a notice requesting comments on the effectiveness and efficiency of its Rules 3270 (Outside Business Activities of Registered Persons) and 3280 (Private...more
The proposed consolidated rules bifurcate the representative-level examination program and introduce greater flexibility in obtaining and maintaining registrations. On March 8, 2017, the Financial Industry Regulatory...more
Fines pertaining to violations of federal securities laws and certain FINRA rules may not be deducted. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in low-level advice recently announced its position that certain fines paid to...more
Regulatory Developments - FSOC Rescinds GE Capital's SIFI Designation - On June 29, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) announced that it had voted unanimously to “rescind its determination that...more
On April 7, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) approved the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's (“FINRA”) proposal to amend NASD Rule 1032 (Categories of Representative Registration) to require...more
On April 7, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved amendments to NASD Rule 1032(f) which will require registration as Securities Traders of associated persons who are primarily responsible for the design,...more
In November 2014, FINRA proposed to adopt NASD Rule 2711 as new FINRA Rule 2241, with several modifications, to address conflicts of interest relating to equity research analysts and research reports (“Rule 2241”). FINRA...more
Everything old is new again. On January 1, 2016, the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) – now owned by Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. – will be taking back some of the regulatory responsibilities it yielded to the Financial...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved two Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules that apply to equity and debt research. FINRA Rule 2241 adopts, with modifications, NASD Rule 2711 as a FINRA rule and...more
SEC/CORPORATE - House Passes Disclosure Modification and “4(a)(1)(1/2)” Bills - On October 6, the US House of Representatives passed the Disclosure Modification and Simplification Act of 2015 (H.R. 1525), which, if...more
OCIE Issues Risk Alert Relating to Structured Note Sales - Earlier this year, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (the “OCIE”) indicated branch offices and structured products as two of its...more
The new rules retain many of the current rules’ core requirements, but expand certain obligations and impose requirements on debt research activities for the first time. On August 26, 2015, the Financial Industry...more
Regulatory Developments - CFTC Issues Proposed Amendments to Swap Data Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements for Cleared Swaps: On Aug. 19 the CFTC announced that it had voted to propose amendments to existing...more
On July 31, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority filed a proposed rule change with the Securities and Exchange Commission to adopt FINRA Rule 3210 (Accounts At Other Broker-Dealers and Financial Institutions) in the...more