On May 4, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton and Rebecca Olsen, Director of the SEC’s Office of Municipal Securities, issued a statement entitled “The Importance of Disclosure for our Municipal Markets”1...more
On March 16, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott granted the Office of the Attorney General’s request for a temporary suspension of certain open meeting statutes. This temporary suspension allows for telephonic or...more
On August 20, 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced it adopted amendments to Rule 15c2-12 of the Securities Exchange Act (“Rule 15c2-12”). Rule 15c2-12 requires brokers, dealers, and municipal...more
On June 29, 2018 Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden of the Southern District of Mississippi entered judgments against Malachi Financial Products, Inc., and its president and sole shareholder, Porter B. Bingham, for alleged...more
7/12/2018
/ Conflicts of Interest ,
False Billing ,
MSRB ,
Municipal Advisers ,
Municipal Bonds ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Public Finance ,
Registration ,
Rule G-17 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Violations
On May 9, 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") announced it charged a registered municipal advisor (the "MA Firm") and its owner (the "MA Owner") with defrauding their client, a Texas school district, in...more
5/14/2018
/ Breach of Duty ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Municipal Advisers ,
Municipal Bonds ,
Rule G-17 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act
On February 15, 2018, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) published Notice 2018-03, requesting comment on draft frequently asked questions and proposed responses (“FAQs”). The draft FAQs address duties of...more
On February 7, 2018, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) published its 2018 examination priorities. OCIE’s examination priorities are...more
2/13/2018
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
MSRB ,
Municipal Advisers ,
OCIE ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Qualification Standards ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The SEC charged registered municipal advisor Malachi Financial Products, Inc. and its principal Porter B. Bingham with violations of Sections 15B(a)(5) and 15B(c)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and...more
1/8/2018
/ Aiding and Abetting ,
Breach of Duty ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
MSRB ,
Municipal Advisers ,
Municipal Bonds ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Registration ,
Rule G-17 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Violations
The impact of tax reform is on the minds of many. While there are currently many unknowns, municipal issuers and conduit borrowers (collectively, “obligated persons”) should consider whether changes in tax law could impact...more
12/6/2017
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
EMMA ,
Investors ,
Materiality ,
MSRB ,
Municipal Securities Issuers ,
Municipal Securities Market ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Tax Reform ,
Voluntary Disclosure
On November 7, 2017, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued a risk alert that described the staff’s observations from over 110 examinations...more
On September 12, 2016, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) began offering the Municipal Advisor Representative Qualification Examination (the “Series 50 Exam”). Municipal advisor professionals must pass the...more