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
On January 28, 2019, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) launched its 529 Plan Share Class Initiative (the Initiative) to encourage member firms to self-report potential violations of rules governing 529...more
During the past several years, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has settled more than a dozen cases where the SEC alleged (with the firms neither admitting nor denying the charges) that investment advisers...more
1/28/2019
/ 12b-1 plan ,
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Form ADV ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Transaction Fees
The Share Class Initiative -
On February 12, 2018, the Division of Enforcement of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the Share Class Selection Disclosure Initiative (Initiative), which informed SEC...more
Last week, on September 11, 2018, a number of “firsts” occurred in the prosecution of cryptocurrency-related activities. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought its first-ever enforcement action involving a...more
In the aftermath of the April 24, 2018, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) statement announcing its penalty against Altaba Inc., formerly Yahoo! Inc. (Yahoo!), for failing to timely report a massive data breach,...more
5/7/2018
/ Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Settlement ,
Verizon ,
Yahoo!
On February 12, 2018, the Division of Enforcement of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the Share Class Selection Disclosure Initiative (Initiative) to encourage SEC registered investment advisers...more
September 2017 saw no respite from the relentless pace of cyber developments, not only from the perspective of rapidly evolving attacks, but also from the perspective of dynamic federal and state regulatory moves. In...more
As the football season was winding down, on January 4, 2017, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published its 2017 Annual Regulatory and Examination Priorities Letter. According to FINRA President and CEO,...more
Emphasizing the critical importance of cybersecurity to registered investment companies (RICs), including insurance separate accounts and business development companies, and to investment advisers, the SEC’s Division of...more
On February 3, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a Risk Alert prepared by its Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) that summarizes the results of a sweep of more than 100 broker-dealers...more
Confirming that auditor independence continues to be a regulatory priority, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) issued orders on December 8,...more
On December 1, 2014, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Consolidated Supervision Rules will take effect. The Consolidated Supervision Rules, which were approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange...more
To ensure that broker-dealers (BDs) do not inadvertently facilitate an unlawful distribution of securities, the Securities and Exchange Commission has long required BDs to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” into the circumstances...more
On September 22, 2014, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced the largest-ever whistleblower award, more than double last year’s record-breaking award. According to the Order, the award, which will likely...more
On July 22, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) proposed Rule 2081, which prevents firms or associated persons from conditioning settlement or...more
On June 3, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) issued a whistleblower award to two individuals who had provided information leading to a successful SEC enforcement action. The whistleblower...more
On May 12, Judge James Lawrence King of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed with prejudice the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) case against five defendants in an action...more
Few topics are as hot as cybersecurity. Recent high-profile data breaches at national retailers have made cybersecurity a frequent topic on Capitol Hill and an issue of growing concern to average Americans. Not surprisingly,...more
4/23/2014
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Security Act ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Governance Standards ,
Investment Adviser ,
Regulation S-P ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
U.S. Treasury
On January 31, 2014, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Trading and Markets issued a No-Action Letter (Letter)1 that allows a private business broker (M&A Broker) to receive transaction-based...more
On January 28, 2014, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) issued a Risk Alert entitled: Investment Adviser Due Diligence Processes for Selecting...more
Originally published in Thomson Reuters - Securities Regulation Law Journal - Winter 2012.
Faced with the possibility of litigating against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Financial Industry...more
Originally published in the Investment Adviser Association Newsletter on December 3, 2012.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently issued guidance (Guidance) stating that it will now accept requests...more