PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Raising Capital 101: A Securities Podcast - What Makes it a Securities Offering?
The Legal Tightrope: Surviving Parallel Investigations
Navigating Government Contracts: Diana Shaw on Oversight and Whistleblower Protections
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
On July 1, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a new registration framework for registered index-linked annuity (RILA) contracts. RILA contracts allow investors to allocate purchase payments to one or more...more
A September report of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) on broker-dealer compliance with the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) finds...more
After years of relative silence related to variable annuity exchanges on the regulatory front, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced last week settled charges against RiverSource Distributors, Inc...more
On January 8, 2021, without admitting or denying the findings, VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc., (VALIC) entered into a settlement with FINRA Enforcement, through an Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) where the factual...more
On March 11, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted new Rule 498A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and related form and rule amendments. The new rule and amendments are intended to modernize...more
As spring begins, and after many years of fertilizing and watering by industry representatives, the SEC has adopted comprehensive reforms to its disclosure requirements for variable annuities (VAs) and variable life insurance...more
On March 23, 2020, the SEC issued an order (the “Order”) granting registered open-end funds and insurance company variable annuity separate accounts expanded capability to borrow from their affiliates to satisfy redemption...more
On March 11, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) adopted a new prospectus disclosure framework, including new rules, rule amendments and registration statement form amendments, for...more
New Streamlined Disclosure Approach for Variable Contracts - Yesterday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted Rule 498A – the long-awaited variable contract summary prospectus rule. The new rule represents...more
Recently, the SEC’s Office of the Investor Advocate released its report on its fiscal 2019 activities. The report cites staffing challenges that have impaired the ability of the SEC’s Ombudsmen to respond to matters brought...more
In Release No. 33-10618 (Mar. 20, 2019), the SEC adopted amendments (the “Amendments”) that consolidate, conform, and otherwise refine numerous requirements applicable to filings with the agency. ...more
On October 30, the SEC voted to propose modernized disclosures for variable annuities and variable life insurance policies. The proposal would permit...more
Executive Summary - In a significant step toward improving variable insurance product (“VIP”) disclosure, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), on October 30, 2018, proposed a new rule (the “Summary Prospectus...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced on October 30, 2018 that it had voted to issue a proposed rule and form amendments1 that would allow insurers offering variable annuity and/or variable life insurance...more
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) recently proposed a new disclosure framework for SEC-registered variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (together, variable contracts) that...more
On October 30, the SEC voted to propose modernized disclosures for variable annuities and variable life insurance policies (“variable insurance products” or “contracts”), including the use of an optional summary prospectus....more
Once again, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) has made variable insurance products an exam priority....more
Regulators Demand Third-Party Risk Management - While third-party risk management has been a required component of an effective enterprise risk management program for many years, the topic is receiving elevated attention...more
SEC staff in December issued a Guidance Update that provides significant flexibility regarding how mutual funds and variable annuities (VAs) reflect multiple charge structures in their SEC registration statements....more
President Trump’s nominee for SEC Chairman, Jay Clayton, could speed authorization of the variable annuity (VA) summary prospectus and related layered disclosure and shortened underlying fund report to shareholders. Doing so...more
A recent SEC no-action letter gives broker-dealers more time to perform suitability and other reviews when opening certain customer accounts. The firms requesting the letter were affiliated with three different insurance...more
Soooooo . . . about that whole Brexit thing. A UK High Court has ruled that Britain’s EU withdrawal cannot move forward without the approval of Parliament, setting off more uncertainty and what’s expected to be a series of...more
On May 5, 2016, the IRS issued Notice 2016-32, 2016-21 I.R.B. 1, which affords relief with respect to the application of the diversification requirements of IRC § 817(h) to variable life insurance and annuity contracts...more
Below is a summary of recent investment management developments that affect registered investment companies, private equity funds, hedge funds, investment advisers, and others in the investment management industry. ...more
On January 11, the SEC announced its Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations’ (OCIE) 2016 priorities. New areas of focus include liquidity controls, public pension advisers, product promotion, and two popular...more