On August 14, 2024, the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri declared unconstitutional two anti-ESG disclosure rules issued by the Missouri Securities Division and applicable to broker-dealers and...more
Yesterday, Judge Bough (W.D. Mo.) issued a decision barring the recent anti-ESG rules Missouri had promulgated that prohibited investment advisers from utilizing ESG factors when making investment decisions (absent written...more
A federal district court in Missouri recently denied a motion to dismiss the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s (“SIFMA’s”) challenge to Missouri Securities Division rules that require financial firms and...more
On August 10, 2023, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) – a leading Wall Street industry association – filed suit to enjoin new Missouri regulations requiring investment advisors (“IA’s”) and...more
Expiration of SEC Staff’s No Action Letters Providing Relief to Broker-Dealers Regarding MiFID II Research Requirements - On July 3, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) let expire a long-standing...more
The staff of the US Securities and Exchange Commission division of Investment Management announced that it would allow its October 26, 2017 no-action letter to SIFMA to expire on July 23, 2023—raising questions about the...more
I attended the four-day SIFMA Compliance and Legal seminar last week, and there were a bunch of interesting soundbites from regulators that folks might find interesting. The challenge at these conferences is always...more
The SEC recently solicited comments regarding broker-dealer and investment adviser “digital engagement practices” (DEPs), features commonly referred to as the “gamification” of trading. The request follows the GameStop...more
Shearman & Sterling is pleased to announce the publication of the SIFMA investment-grade bond optional redemption model provision. After assembling a working group of investment banks operating in the U.S. and global capital...more
Last year the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) approved Regulation Best Interest (“Reg BI”). Reg BI requires broker-dealers and their associated persons to act in “the best interest” of a retail customer when...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Releases Its 2019 Priorities - On January 22, 2019, FINRA released its Annual Risk Monitoring and Examination Priorities Letter, which highlighted the...more
New Rules, Proposed Rules, Guidance and Alerts – SEC STAFF GUIDANCE AND ALERTS - SEC Staff Issues Guidance on Cryptocurrency-related Holdings - On January 18, 2018, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Investment...more
On October 26, 2017, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, European Commission and the UK Financial Conduct Authority released, in a coordinated manner, a series of significant orders and guidance to address some of the...more
The staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stated in August that it intends to permit the expiration of rule 206(3)-3T (Rule) under the Investment Adviser Act of 1940 (Advisers Act). The SEC originally...more
The SEC has launched a dedicated team to oversee FINRA, according to remarks by Marc Wyatt, Director of the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”). Congress has vested the SEC with the power to...more
Final rule reflects some concessions, but its broad scope and compliance costs will cause financial services advisers to re-evaluate their business models. On April 6, 2016, the US Department of Labor (the DOL) released...more
The White House recently announced the Department of Labor’s (DOL) highly anticipated final fiduciary/conflict of interest rule and exemptions intended to ensure that retirement savers get investment advice in their best...more
Earlier this month, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) released its “Proposed Best Interests of the Customer Standard for Broker-Dealers” – an alternative to the U.S. Department of Labor’s...more
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) issued a memorandum (the “Memorandum”) with guidance for registered broker-dealers and investment advisers on various non-exclusive means of verifying an...more
On June 23, 2014, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) issued a memorandum (the “Memorandum”) containing guidance for broker-dealers and investment advisers with respect to verifying the status...more
On June 23, 2014, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) published a memo outlining several specific methods for verifying accredited investor status that SIFMA believes would satisfy the...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission has extended a no-action letter dated February 12, 2004 (the 2004 Letter) from the Securities Industry Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) that permits broker-dealers, subject to...more