Reflecting its determination to monitor the crypto markets, the Security and Exchange Commission has renamed the Cyber Unit the “Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit” and is nearly doubling its size from 30 to 50 members, according...more
On February 14, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced a settlement with a crypto lending company in a “first-of-its-kind enforcement action” for failing to register as an investment company under the...more
On February 17, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the first Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) settlement of the year. Seoul-based KT Corporation (KT Corp.), South Korea’s largest...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), under Chairman Gary Gensler, continues to propose rules at a rapid pace. Three of the most recent proposed rules would significantly impact investment advisers by:...more
Throughout 2021, the SEC followed through on its commitment to aggressively enforce the federal securities laws in digital assets markets. These efforts have resulted in the SEC sharpening its focus on cryptocurrency...more
On November 1, 2021, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG), along with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) (collectively, the Agencies)...more
On Oct. 13, 2021, senior officials from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement* convened for a panel discussion at the annual SEC Speaks conference, held virtually for the second consecutive...more
Yesterday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a new “Climate and ESG Task Force” to be housed within its Division of Enforcement and to be led by Acting Deputy Director of Enforcement Kelly L. Gibson. Ms....more
On March 3, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations (EXAMS) (formerly the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) released its 2021 examination priorities....more
Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, 2020 saw an eruption of IPOs by special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), used to raise nearly $79 billion from investors. The Wall Street Journal reports that the trend is...more
On January 1, 2021, the United States Senate joined the House of Representatives in overriding President Trump’s veto, and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) became law. The NDAA was passed chiefly to authorize...more
On December 3, 2020, the SEC announced that FinHub (the Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology) was being upgraded to an independent office. Acknowledging the importance of the all things fintech (emerging...more
What is the Issue?
It may not be “death by a thousand cuts” but it may feel like it, as yet another mutual fund fee issue is being raised by the regulators. FINRA issued a “targeted examination letter” focused on Rights of...more
Senior officials from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement convened at a panel as part of the first entirely virtual The SEC Speaks conference to discuss the SEC’s fiscal year 2020 enforcement...more
FINRA’s examination program has undergone its most significant reorganization in decades. As stated in a press release, Oct. 1, 2018, FINRA’s goal for the reorganization was to “consolidate its Examination and Risk Monitoring...more
On January 7, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) released its 2020 examination priorities. OCIE is prioritizing practices, products, and services that it...more
On Monday, July 8th, FINRA and the SEC took the unusual step of issuing a joint statement on broker-dealer custody of digital asset securities. In doing so, the Staffs of the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets and of...more
Members of the SEC’s Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (“FinHub”) and experts in Fintech came together on May 31st for the SEC’s public forum focusing on distributed ledger technology and digital assets. ...more
On May 26th, the Eleventh Circuit held that declaratory relief and disgorgement sought by the SEC are subject to the 5-year statute of limitations under 28 U.S.C. § 2462, but injunctive relief is not. The court’s holding...more
As we previously reported, in 2012 and 2013 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) changed its longstanding policy of permitting defendants to settle enforcement actions without admitting or denying liability....more
Late last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced its enforcement results for fiscal year 2015, reporting a record number of enforcement actions and the highest amount of fines collected by the SEC to...more
10/29/2015
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Credit Rating Agencies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Statistics ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
High Frequency Trading ,
Mary Jo White ,
Municipal Bonds ,
Retaliation ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Underwriting ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies
On September 24, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a press release announcing proposed amendments to its Rules of Practice governing administrative proceedings. The announcement comes at a critical...more