As referenced in the opening scene of the 2023 Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, Prometheus, the Greek god of forethought, is best known for stealing fire from the gods to give to humanity. As punishment, Zeus had Prometheus...more
Two new rules that significantly expand who may be required to register as a "dealer" or a "government securities dealer" were adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 6, 2024. As a result of this...more
Katten's Financial Markets and Funds Quick Take is a monthly newsletter highlighting key noteworthy developments potentially affecting financial markets and funds....more
2/15/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
CFTC ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Services Industry ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK
Katten's Financial Markets and Funds Quick Take is a monthly newsletter highlighting key noteworthy developments potentially affecting financial markets and funds....more
Katten's Financial Markets and Funds Quick Take is a monthly newsletter highlighting key noteworthy developments potentially affecting financial markets and funds....more
12/14/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
EU ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Markets ,
Machine Learning ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Stablecoins ,
UK
Katten's Financial Markets and Funds Quick Take is a monthly newsletter highlighting key noteworthy developments potentially affecting financial markets and funds....more
9/18/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
China ,
Cryptoassets ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fund Managers ,
Loans ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
NFTs and the Enduring Allure of Digital Collectibles -
This is the first article of a series by Katten attorneys examining non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and various novel legal issues raised by NFTs, including in copyright...more
FINRA Updates its Sweep on Social Media Influencers, Customer Acquisition and Related Information Protection -
On February 28, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) provided an update for its sweep on Social...more
Katten Named Leader in Blockchain and Cryptocurrency in Chambers FinTech 2023 Guide -
Katten announced that the firm had attained a superior ranking in the Chambers FinTech 2023 guide. Katten was recognized as a leader in...more
New DOL Rule Enables Consideration of ESG Factors in Investing, Plus the SEC Continues its ESG Enforcement Push in the Absence of Final SEC Rules -
On November 22, the US Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule...more
12/14/2022
/ Block Trades ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Personal Data ,
Private Investment Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK
SEC Advertising Rules – Client Resource Center -
November 4 was the compliance date for the new rule governing advertising and solicitation activities by investment advisers. The new rule substantially revises decades old...more
11/14/2022
/ Advertising ,
Cybersecurity ,
Electronic Communications ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Investment Adviser ,
New York ,
Outsourcing ,
Pay Transparency ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
WhatsApp
The SEC Remains in Search of and Is Looking for Finders -
Much has been written on the topic of finders and arrangers of securities transactions, including when a person or entity acting as a finder (i.e., someone who...more
On July 27, 2022, FINRA filed a proposed rule change with the SEC to make it easier for brokers to work from home. The proposed rule will add a category termed a “Residential Supervisory Location” under FINRA Rule 3110...more
8/16/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
FinTech ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Funds ,
Mergers ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Spoofing ,
UK
Regulatory Alert! A Joint Audit Committee Reminder to FCM Legal and Compliance Personnel -
The Joint Audit Committee (JAC) is a club of futures exchanges, in their capacities as selfregulatory organizations (SROs). Under a...more
Katten’s Financial Markets and Funds Quick Take is a monthly newsletter highlighting key noteworthy developments potentially affecting financial markets and funds.
...more
5/12/2022
/ Banking Sector ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Climate Change ,
Comment Period ,
Cryptoassets ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
FDIC ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Proposed Rules ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Katten’s Financial Markets and Funds Quick Take. Each month, Quick Take will highlight key noteworthy developments potentially affecting financial markets and funds.
...more
Key Points -
- New proposed SEC rules would expand who may be considered a dealer or a government securities dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
- If the proposed new rules are adopted, a large group of...more
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently issued a Regulatory Notice (Notice) reminding firms of their obligations with respect to best execution and payment for order flow....more
COVID-19 fallout continued to dominate the financial services industry during the past few weeks, prompting ongoing adherence to business continuity and other contingency plans by market participants and new relief by...more
My View: Since the first edition of what has become Bridging the Week on February 23, 2013, I have tried on an almost weekly basis to summarize legal and regulatory developments that I thought might be of interest to persons...more
Key Points -
- This Katten Advisory focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on regulatory compliance obligations of financial firms operating in the United States, with a focus on securities and derivatives industry...more
3/21/2020
/ Business Continuity Plans ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
CFTC ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
National Futures Association ,
Relief Measures ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
World Health Organization
Last week, financial services firms and regulators worldwide continued to anticipate and try to mitigate potential issues related to the expected increase in remote working in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unrelatedly, the...more
Last week, international regulators began issuing guidance and/or relief to impacted firms in response to the spread of COVID-19. The impact of this novel coronavirus has already begun materially to affect operations and...more
3/10/2020
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
CFTC ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Response ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Infectious Diseases ,
National Futures Association ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supreme Court of India ,
Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs)
A proprietary trading firm was sanctioned by a sixth futures-industry regulator for purported spoofing trades by one of three employees many years ago. For the employees’ aggregate alleged misconduct, the firm was first...more
3/3/2020
/ Bitcoin ,
Broker-Dealer ,
CFTC ,
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
ETFs ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Proposed Rules ,
Sanctions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Spoofing
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposed to revise its position limits regime by increasing to 25 (from nine) the number of commodity derivatives contracts subject to federal limits; by augmenting the number of...more
2/4/2020
/ California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Capital Raising ,
CFTC ,
Commodities ,
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) ,
Commodity Futures Contracts ,
Cybersecurity ,
Derivatives ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
OCIE ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)