On August 25, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to Form ADV and to several rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act) (collectively, the Amendments). The SEC adopted the...more
On April 6, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its Final Fiduciary Duty Rule. The effective date for the rule is June 7, 2016, which is 60 days after its Federal Register publish date of April 8. The rule takes...more
On March 31, 2016, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a white paper on the growing intersection between financial services and technology. The OCC stated that "[w]hile banks continue to innovate, rapid...more
Each year, both the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issue guidance concerning their regulatory priorities for the coming year. This year, FINRA...more
3/2/2016
/ BSA/AML ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Exchange-Traded Products ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Liquidity ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Popular ,
Private Placements ,
SEC Examination Priorities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Over the past several months, confidentiality provisions included in settlement agreements, employment or independent contractor contracts, or in other documents, have come under increased scrutiny in the financial industry....more
7/10/2015
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Independent Contractors ,
KBR (formerly Kellogg Brown & Root) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Whistleblowers
Each year, the SEC Office of Compliance Inspections and Examination's National Exam Program (NEP) issues a letter communicating to investors and registrants the areas that the staff perceives to present heightened risks. This...more
On January 2, 2014, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued its 2014 Annual Regulatory and Examination Priorities Letter (Priorities Letter). This letter is issued annually to highlight new and existing...more