From Paper to Digital: The California DMV's Leap Into Blockchain Technology — The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Nonprofit Quick Tip: State Filings in Washington and Oregon
Nonprofit Quick Tip: Nevada and Arizona Nonprofit Corporation Registration and Annual Filings
Navigating the Dual Track M&A/IPO– Part One
Trademark Series: Use-based trademark protection
Trademark Series: Building a global brand
The Ska / DuClaw Trademark Dispute Over EUPHORIA, Trademark Lessons for the Craft Brewer
A new development has emerged in the series of changes to the regulation of finders (i.e., persons that receive compensation for making an introduction leading to a securities transaction) and mergers and acquisition brokers...more
On March 29, 2023, a new exemption from SEC registration for brokers providing services in mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) transactions officially went into effect. The exemption, outlined in Section 501 of the Consolidated...more
In its March 2021 Regulatory Notice 21-10, FINRA announced that it has updated the form that FINRA members use to file offering documents and related information regarding their participation in private placements. See FINRA...more
We were recently reminded of how difficult it is to re-register for a position in the securities industry after being barred. See https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2021/ia-5682.pdf. On February 9, 2021, the United...more
On July 18, 2018, the SEC ramped up its oversight of alternative trading systems (“ATSs”) by adopting a series of rule amendments imposing public disclosure requirements on ATSs that trade NMS (“National Market System”)...more
Industry participants are well-advised to review their practices to ensure compliance with the Advisers Act, and the SEC’s and SEC’s Staff’s interpretations of when registration as a broker-dealer is required....more
Early this month the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released final rules (the “Registration Rules”) for the registration of security-based swap dealers (“SBSDs”). The Registration Rules, released more than...more
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) is the largest independent, not-for-profit regulator of securities firms conducting business in the United States. FINRA is authorized by the United States Congress to...more
Background - “Matchmaking sites,” also referred to as “matchmaking platforms,” have come to play a more significant role in capital formation in recent years. A matchmaking site generally relies on the Internet in...more
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. settled an action with the SEC centered on violations of the broker registration provisions, a failure to file suspicious activity reports or SARS and the sale of unregistered penny stock shares. The...more
Recently, the SEC approved FINRA’s proposed new Rule 3110(e) relating to background investigations of registered persons. FINRA Rule 3110(e), which replaces NASD Rule 3010(e) and goes into effect on July 1, 2015, streamlines...more
In recent years, questions have been raised in many quarters about how brokers with questionable backgrounds have been able to move among firms and remain in the industry. FINRA has responded by enhancing a broker-dealer’s...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rule requiring member firms to strengthen their background investigation of applicants seeking registration. ...more
The SEC recently sanctioned another foreign bank for conducting cross-border brokerage activities without being registered. Since 2009, the SEC has sanctioned a number of foreign firms for failing either to register as a...more
Let’s do some compare and contrast, starting with a fairly unremarkable case the SEC filed in the Northern District of Texas on November 20th. In that action, the Commission sued the father-son duo of Paul and Jeffrey Downey...more
Last week, the North American Securities Administrators Association withdrew its support for S. 1923 which, if enacted, would exempt “M&A brokers” from the broker registration requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of...more
The SEC recently issued a no-action letter that allows private company M&A brokers who satisfy specific criteria to avoid registering as broker-dealers with the SEC. Historically, an intermediary in a private M&A transaction...more
SEC Chair Mary Jo White outlined a broad market structure proposal that would require high-frequency traders to register with the SEC as dealers and that could signal the end of the dealer-trader distinction....more
The SEC charged a non-U.S. multi-national financial institution with a large U.S. presence with violating federal securities laws by providing brokerage and investment advisory services to U.S. clients without registering...more
The staff of the Division of Trading and Markets of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") recently issued a No-Action Letter[1] that should reduce significantly the registration burdens upon certain brokers and...more
On January 31, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an important no-action letter in which the staff of the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets declared that it would not recommend enforcement action...more
Another example of the Commission’s new and evolving ad hoc admissions policy emerged from the settlement of an administrative proceeding with Credit Suisse Group AG. In the Matter of Credit Suisse Group AG, File No. 3-15763...more
On February 3, 2013, the Security and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Division of Trading and Markets publically issued a significant no-action letter advising that M&A brokers do not need to register as broker-dealers to...more
On January 31, 2014, the Division of Trading and Markets (the “Division”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) issued a no-action letter (as revised on February 4, 2014, the “No-Action Letter”) that permits...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Trading and Markets (Division) issued no-action relief on January 31, in response to a request from attorneys on behalf of firms effecting securities transactions in...more