Payment for Order Flow (PFOF) and Gamification: Your Questions Answered
Summer Enforcement Action Review; Raising Money in a Pandemic - Investment Management Roundtable Discussion
Investment Management and Private Funds Roundtable – June 2020
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – FinTech initiatives
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – Fiduciary investment advice: The patchwork emerges
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – SEC enforcement
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – Complying with new SEC rules for broker-dealers
Investment Management Roundtable Discussion – Regulatory and Enforcement Update
Regulation Best Interest Videocast Series: Establishing An Investment Platform Post-Regulation BI
Investment Management Update - Focus on Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
At the start of this month, FINRA ordered Merrill Lynch to return nearly $1.5 million to its customers. FINRA determined that Merrill reps recommended that customers purchase products in brokerage accounts rather than...more
On June 27, 2024, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) issued Regulatory Notice 24- 09 (the “Notice”) reminding member firms that FINRA’s rules and the securities laws apply to the use of artificial...more
FINRA, as part of its targeted exam of member firms’ social media practices for gaining new customers, recently announced an $850,000 fine against M1 Finance LLC (“M1 Finance”) stemming from promotional social media posts...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) have, in two separate recent settled enforcement actions involving off-channel communications (“OCC”), imposed fine...more
In a regulatory notice published on January 23, 2024, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced the adoption of two proposed rules, both of which impact how member firms and associated persons approach...more
This amendment builds on FINRA’s recent willingness to relax the prohibition on the use of projections and targeted returns in the marketing materials broker-dealers deliver to institutional investors and qualified...more
FINRA's new enforcement head, Bill St. Louis, recently appeared on FINRA Unscripted, a FINRA podcast where he discussed his vision for FINRA's Enforcement Department as well as certain key regulatory issues that are under...more
FINRA Rule 3110(c)(1) requires broker-dealers to conduct onsite inspections of their offices of supervisory jurisdiction (OSJs), branch offices and non-branch locations. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, FINRA adopted...more
In January 2024, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) reported a staggering rate of potentially inaccurate and misleading information in broker-dealer crypto asset communications. The Regulator revealed that...more
KEY TAKEAWAYS - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the first spot Bitcoin ETFs, also known as an exchange-traded product (ETP.) With the SEC now permitting spot Bitcoin ETFs, brokers must become...more
FINRA recently published its 90-page 2024 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report (Report) providing member firms with insight into six primary topics: Financial Crimes, Crypto Asset Development, Firm Operations, Communications...more
...SEC Adopts Amendments to Fund Names Rule - On September 20, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Fund Names Rule) as well...more
On October 16, 2023, the Division of Examinations (the “Division”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) published its annual Examination Priorities for 2024 (the “Exam Priorities”). Consistent with the...more
Federal regulators have cracked down on the use of texts messages and messaging platforms for business communications, using their broad authority to root out record retention violations, resulting in significant fines and...more
In light of the DOJ’s most recent guidance on the use of personal devices and third-party messaging applications by corporate personnel, this White Paper addresses issues and challenges that companies are facing in this area...more
Editor's Note - The following newsletter provides a roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements taken by a federal and/or state financial services regulatory agency,...more
The SEC has proposed new rules designed to regulate potential conflicts of interest associated with broker-dealers’ and investment advisers’ use of certain AI-related technologies in their interactions with investors. The...more
In today's fiercely competitive business landscape, financial services companies, like their counterparts in other industries, rely on advertising and digital marketing strategies to create brand recognition, promote their...more
Last month, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took a refreshed look at how broker-dealers are complying with anti-money laundering rules. What auditors discerned — as detailed in their July 31 risk alert — is...more
Agencies Issue Final Guidance on Third-Party Risk Management - On June 6, the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and OCC issued final joint guidance (the Guidance) pertaining to banking organizations’ risk management of third-party...more
The SEC continues its overhaul of cybersecurity, cyber incident reporting, and privacy controls and requirements for industry registrants, their services providers, and corporate America generally. On March 15, 2023, the SEC...more
This Memorandum is intended to remind you of certain U.S. annual requirements that may be applicable to your business and is divided into five sections. All investment advisers (whether or not registered with the Securities...more
Allegations of unauthorized trading claims present significant risks for investment brokers and brokerage firms. In addition to investor arbitration with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), brokers and...more
On September 27, 2022, the SEC announced that it had sanctioned 15 Broker-Dealers and one affiliated RIA for widespread recordkeeping violations of Section 17(a)(1) of the Exchange Act and Rule 17a-4(b)(4) thereunder...more
Cybersecurity and technology governance remain a top area of focus for the SEC and FINRA, as the regulators continue to concentrate on improving the overall cybersecurity posture and resiliency of the financial sector. FINRA...more