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
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
In 2021, the staff (the “Staff”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) surprised the industry when it issued an interpretation stating that fixed income securities (including asset-backed securities) fall...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
In remarks this week at SEC Speaks, SEC Investor Advocate Rick Fleming mused that the “gamification” of securities trading might pose an undue risk that exploits a potential loophole in Regulation Best Interest (“Reg. BI”)....more
Recently, staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a no-action letter stating that they would not regard "Institutional Family Offices" as retail customers of broker-dealers for purposes of broker-dealers'...more
In a year-end change of course, the SEC identified the minimum steps that broker-dealers must take when acting as custodians of digital asset securities. On December 23, 2020, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)...more
The no-action relief applies to family offices with at least US$50 million in total assets (Institutional Family Offices) and requires broker-dealers seeking to rely on the relief to establish and maintain specific additional...more
U.S. Developments - Legislation - Congress Members Introduce Stablecoin Legislation - On December 2, 2020, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Congressmen Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) and Chairman of Task Force on...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
On April 27, 2018, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Nasdaq, along with certain technology and biotechnology groups, released a policy paper titled “Expanding...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 Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC" or the "Commission") staff issued three no-action letters to help broker-dealers, investment advisers and investment companies comply with the European...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
But do landmines remain? On October 26, 2017, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), following consultation with European authorities, issued three coordinated no-action letters to, in the words of one...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
Last Thursday, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) submitted proposed rules to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) designed to address “financial exploitation of seniors and other...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
Regulatory Developments - Client Alert: SEC Issues New Guidance on Excluding Shareholder Proposals under Rule 14a-8: Goodwin Procter’s Capital Markets practice has released a client alert on the SEC’s Division of...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