PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Raising Capital 101: A Securities Podcast - What Makes it a Securities Offering?
All Things Investigations: Anchored in Fraud: Mike DeBernardis and Shayda Vance on Austal USA’s Scandal
The Legal Tightrope: Surviving Parallel Investigations
Navigating Government Contracts: Diana Shaw on Oversight and Whistleblower Protections
From Court to Code: Smart Contracts and Arbitration
Episode 335 -- The New DOJ Whistleblower Program
Navigating Emerging Privacy Issues in Financial Services — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Implications of the SEC Cybersecurity Disclosure Rule
Corruption, Crime and Compliance: SEC Suffers Dismissal of Claims in Solarwinds Securities Fraud Case
Episode 334 -- District Court Dismisses Bulk of SEC Claims Against Solarwinds
The Woody Report: The Solar Winds Dismissal
In That Case: Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy
Corruption, Crime and Compliance: Deep Dive into The SEC’s Settlement with R&R Donnelly on Cybersecurity Controls
Episode 332 -- Deep Dive into SEC’s Internal Controls and Cybersecurity Settlement with R&R Donnelly
The Justice Insiders Podcast: Jarkesy’s Implications for the Administrative State
DE Under 3: OFCCP Must Shut Down its Administrative Court Prosecutions as a Result of SCOTUS’ SEC Jury Trial Case Decision
Dogecoin’s Day in Court
Unpacking the Lummis-Gillibrand Payment Stablecoin Act: Implications for the Digital Asset Industry — The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Podcast: Is Cryptocurrency a Security (like an orange grove)?
Navigating the Regulatory Waters: The SEC's Wells Notice to Uniswap and its Impact on DeFi — The Crypto Exchange Podcast
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
On March 18, 2024, FINRA announced that it has fined a broker-dealer $850,000 in connection with the firm’s program to pay individuals with followings on social media sites (i.e., “influencers”) to promote the firm in social...more
In this issue, we cover regulatory developments from the fourth quarter of 2023 impacting the investment management sector, including the use of shareholder rights plans as an alternative to state control share statutes....more
The SEC’s Division of Examinations (EXAMS) published its report on 2024 Examination Priorities on October 16, 2023. The 2024 Examination Priorities continue to reflect an examination program that is vigorous and broad...more
Promoting securities, cryptocurrency, and other investment opportunities is fraught with legal risks. Individuals who engage in promotional activities must ensure that they have a clear understanding of the federal laws and...more
FINRA has offered a gift to member firms and fund managers just in time for the holiday season — but like a new puppy, the gift comes with a lot of responsibility. FINRA filed a proposed rule change to amend FINRA Rule 2210...more
The proposed amendment seeks to modify the existing framework of FINRA Rule 2210 to accommodate the use of certain projections and targeted returns. On November 13, 2023, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority...more
The regulation of broker-dealer communications is delegated to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA), while investment adviser advertisements are regulated directly by the US Securities and Exchange...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
The 2023 elections are a little over a month away, and hopefully, if your corporation holds or seeks state and local government business, you have been regularly reminding your directors, officers, and other employees about...more
In September, the Securities Exchange Commission’s new Cybersecurity Rule for reporting public companies became effective. The SEC Cybersecurity Rule applies to public companies and generally requires (1) disclosure of...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
Hermione Granger (yes, from Harry Potter) is famously attributed with the following quote: “I’m going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled.” Unfortunately,...more
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has acted on its promise to bring Reg BI to life, announcing last week that it has expelled member firm SW Financial, as well as disciplined its CEO and majority-owner,...more
On February 7, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations announced its fiscal year 2023 examination priorities. This year, the Division continues its focus on protecting investors by prioritizing...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
Perhaps in anticipation of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s four rulemakings on order execution and handlings, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Examinations (Division) released a risk alert (Risk Alert) on November...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently adopted substantial amendments to shareholder reports used by investment companies, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) (collectively, funds)...more
FINRA recently hosted a conference call with its smaller members covering Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS compliance. FINRA’s resounding message was that there is “no one-size-fits all” approach to Reg. BI...more
SEC staff recently served up a juicy staff bulletin covering the standards of conduct for broker-dealer and investment adviser conflicts of interest. The staff bulletin includes 13 Q&As categorized into five different...more
The Commission’s rule writing calendar may be about to have a meltdown. The agency is considering a number of significant rule writing-proposals covering important areas. A number of those proposals are controversial,...more
When it comes to making sure financial data is safe and meets compliance regulations, understanding the different regulatory bodies and how they affect your organization is a vital first step. Two of the most common...more
Katten’s Financial Markets and Funds Quick Take is a monthly newsletter highlighting key noteworthy developments potentially affecting financial markets and funds. ...more
As a fitting cap to a busy month, on March 30, the SEC Division of Examinations announced its 2022 Examination Priorities. These priorities are consistent with the recent activities of the SEC more generally, as exemplified...more