On January 13, 2020, the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari to an appeal of a June 2019 order from the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that dismissed an action seeking to invalidate certain...more
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a suit by the Tennessee, Georgia and New York Republican parties challenging the constitutionality of an MSRB extending pay-to-play prohibition to municipal advisors. The Court...more
For financial institutions subject to federal pay-to-play rules (SEC Rule 206(4)-5 for investment advisers, MSRB Rule G-37 for municipal bond underwriters and municipal advisors, and CFTC Rule 23.451 for swap dealers),...more
On October 24, 2016, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced in Regulatory Notice 16-40 that its pay-to-play and related recordkeeping rules, FINRA Rules 2030 and 4580, will take effect on August 20,...more
The SEC announced August 25 that it approved FINRA’s pay-to-play rules governing placement-agent or solicitor broker-dealers and was “prepared” to approve the extension of MSRB Rule G-37 to municipal advisors as well....more
This SRO gamesmanship is making a mockery of governing. The latest is the SEC’s position that it didn’t take any action on the new MSRB Rules extending pay-to-play prohibitions to municipal advisors, so it can’t be sued...more
Last week, Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee for U.S. president, selected Governor Mike R. Pence of Indiana as his running mate for vice president. The selection of Governor Pence might have implications under the SEC’s...more
On July 15, 2016, Donald Trump announced that he selected Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate. Contributions to the Trump/Pence campaign are now subject to prohibitions and restrictions under the...more
SEC Enforcement Action against Private Equity Fund Adviser - On June 1, 2016, the SEC announced that a private equity fund adviser and its principal owner agreed to pay more than $3.1 million to settle SEC charges that,...more
On April 12, the Tennessee Republican Party filed a petition in the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking to invalidate the SEC’s approval of new rules extending the MSRB’s long-standing “pay-to-play” prohibitions to new...more
On February 17, 2016, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) announced in Regulatory Notice 2016-06 that its draft amendments to Rule G-37 on political contributions, and related amendments to Rules G-8 and G-9 on...more