As part of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) declared effort to keep pace with a mounting demand for faster, cheaper, and more efficient payments, and the widespread adoption of new technologies, the...more
1/18/2021
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banks ,
Blockchain ,
Comptroller ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Electronic Payment Transactions ,
Federal Savings Associations ,
Financial Institutions ,
Interpretive Letters ,
OCC ,
Popular ,
Stablecoins
On October 28, 2020, the SEC adopted a new regulatory framework for derivatives use by registered investment companies. New Rule 18f-4 applies to mutual funds other than money market funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs),...more
On November 13, 2020, the SEC announced that it had settled actions against several investment advisory firms and firms dually-registered as broker-dealers and investment advisers. These actions relate to unsuitable sales of...more
On October 28, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton, together with the directors of three SEC divisions, issued a joint statement relating to complex financial products. The statement...more
On October 7, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a new fund of funds rule. New Rule 12d1-4 is designed to streamline and enhance the existing regulatory framework under which registered funds of funds...more
So far in 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has brought fifteen enforcement actions in the offerings of digital assets space. Three of these actions do not involve fraud; rather, they allege solely...more
9/24/2020
/ Blockchain ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Online Gaming ,
Payment Tokens ,
Section 5 ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud
On August 26, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to the definitions of “accredited investor” in Rule 501(a) under Regulation D and “qualified institutional buyer” in Rule 144A under the...more
A recent federal district court ruling in a criminal anti-money laundering case suggests that the transmission of virtual currency on behalf of another person requires a state money transmission license—even if the state’s...more
Developments in virtual currency regulation have been top-of-mind with recently announced initiatives from the New York Department of Financial Services. Companies engaging in virtual currency activity should also, however,...more
On June 23, 2020, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) published a Risk Alert identifying common deficiencies and compliance issues it has observed in examinations of registered investment...more
On May 27, 2020, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management (the “Division”) issued a new statement (the “Staff Statement”) addressing the intersection between state control share acquisition statutes and the...more
On May 4, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it was providing temporary, conditional relief to established small businesses impacted by COVID-19 that will facilitate their ability to pursue...more
On April 21, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proposed new Rule 2a-5 (the “Proposed Rule”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”) to address valuation practices of...more
Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted measures intended to enhance the protection of retail investors who engage financial professionals to assist them with investments. Regulation Best Interest...more
On March 30, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a no-action letter stating that the staff of the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets would not recommend enforcement actions against broker-dealers that...more
On March 25, 2020, the SEC issued exemptive orders replacing prior orders granting temporary relief from certain provisions of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940...more
On March 23, 2020, in response to business disruptions caused by the spread of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued an exemptive order (the “Order”) under the Investment Company...more
On March 24, 2020, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) issued its final interpretive guidance (the “Interpretation”) concerning the meaning of “actual delivery” in the context of retail commodity transactions...more
On March 23, 2020, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) announced that it will conduct its examinations of SEC registrants through correspondence, unless it is absolutely necessary to be on-site....more
On March 20, 2020, in response to business disruptions caused by the spread of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued an exemptive order under the Securities and Exchange Act of...more
Like all of us, the SEC and its staff are moving rapidly to address changes to normal procedures required in the face of COVID-19. In response to questions recently raised by the Investment Advisers Association (IAA) on...more
On March 13, 2020, in light of business disruptions resulting from the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and current actions by registrants to protect the health of their employees, clients and the public, the SEC...more
Before closing the books on 2019, registered investment advisers and funds should take a look back at the activity undertaken by the SEC and its staff in the past year and carefully consider steps to be taken to implement new...more
On November 4, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed amendments to both the advertising rule and the cash solicitation rule under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). Neither rule —...more
We start this issue with a feeling of déjà vu all over again. Decisions made during the mortgage crisis are back in the news with a powerhouse legal ruling and the Treasury’s initial thinking on how to turn back time. First,...more
9/12/2019
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration ,
BSA/AML ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collection ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Fair Lending ,
FDIC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
GAO ,
HUD ,
Libor ,
Money Laundering ,
No-Action Letters ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Secured Overnight Funding Rate (SOFR) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
SHIELD Act ,
TCPA ,
Volcker Rule