In February, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to review the fiduciary rule for brokers that President Obama’s Labor Department adopted. The federal rule would expand the definition of “investment advice” in the retirement context and require brokers to provide advice that is in the consumer’s best interest. … Continue Reading
On Thursday, July 27, regulators and industry professionals gathered in Washington, D.C. to discuss the current regulatory environment, cybersecurity, and other hot topics at the SEC and FINRA’s 2017 National Compliance Outreach Program for Broker-Dealers. The panelists, including SEC Commissioner Michael Piwowar, FINRA President and CEO Robert Cook, and Susan Axelrod, the Executive Vice President of … Continue Reading
On March 8, 2017, in Somers v. Digital Realty Trust Inc., No.15-cv-17352 (9th Cir., March 8, 2017), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s denial of the defendant’s motion to dismiss a whistleblower claim brought under the Dodd-Frank Act’s (“DFA”)’s anti-retaliation provision. In a 2-1 decision, the majority endorsed the approach of … Continue Reading
Koichiro Ohashi, shareholder in the Tokyo office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP will participate in a program titled, “A taste of FinTech From 2 Angles … and 2 Sides of The World” on March 14 in Luxembourg. The discussion will address the challenges and opportunities of Fintech in Luxembourg and Japan.… Continue Reading
Elaine C. Greenberg, Greenberg Traurig shareholder, will speak at the Practising Law Institute (PLI) Program “Hedge and Private Fund Enforcement & Regulatory Developments 2016” in New York City on Dec. 1. Greenberg will be participating in the session titled “SEC Inspections and Examinations of Private Equity and Hedge Funds.” The seminar provides insights into current … Continue Reading
The Internal Revenue Service (the Service) issued guidance last month that will, practically speaking, make it slightly more difficult for entities to qualify as regulated investment companies (RICs) for federal income tax purposes. Under current law, an SEC registered investment company may qualify as a RIC only if, inter alia, (i) 90 percent of its … Continue Reading
Greenberg Traurig is proud to host and participate in the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA) and the Futures Industry Association of Japan (FIAJ) program “Cloud Computing Services Usage by the Financial Services Industry – Business Models and Regulatory Approach” in the GT Tokyo office on Nov. 1, 2016. GT Shareholders Koichiro Ohashi and Lori Nugent … Continue Reading
On Aug. 12, 2016, the World Economic Forum in Davos issued a report that predicts that distributive ledger systems, or blockchains, could enable banks to offer cheaper, faster and more secure services, without using bitcoin or other virtual currencies for transactions, according to the New York Times. Distributed ledger technology, or blockchain, is a system … Continue Reading
On July 27, 2016, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (FinCEN) issued a press release announcing new Geographic Targeting Orders (GTOs) applicable to certain U.S. title insurance companies and their subsidiaries and “agents” (collectively, the Targeted Title Insurance Companies). The new GTOs go well beyond those that were initially … Continue Reading
On July 13, 2016, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) announced its 2016 Share Class Initiative (the Initiative). The Initiative is focused on addressing the perceived risk that registered investment advisers may be providing conflicted advice to their clients when recommending investments in mutual fund share classes. For example, OCIE staff is … Continue Reading
The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) issued its annual report at the end of June, the sixth since the FSOC began issuing reports under Dodd-Frank. Notably, however, this was the first report to address the emergence of Fintech. In particular, the FSOC highlighted distributed ledger systems and marketplace lending as developing sources of concern. The … Continue Reading
The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) has released its 2016 Annual Report, which was unanimously approved by its voting members on Tuesday, June 21, 2016. The FSOC is required by Congress to report on their activities annually. The Dodd-Frank Act created the FSOC in order to properly identify risks that may pose challenges in the … Continue Reading
In connection with the Press Release announcing a Rule Proposal regarding adoption of written business continuity and transition plans by SEC-registered investment advisers (see our blog post on the topic), the Division of Investment Management also distributed a Guidance Update (No. 2016-04) discussing BCPs for registered investment companies (RICs). RICs have been expected to address … Continue Reading
Greenberg Traurig co-sponsored a unique event bringing together leading fintech companies from Atlanta and Israel. Led by Atlanta shareholder, David Schulman, the event was aimed to match Atlanta-based international fintech corporations with cutting-edge Israeli technology companies in the field, including companies that offer card processing, electronic billing, and multi-channel solutions to the banking industry, as … Continue Reading
On June 23, 2016 the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) hosted the Forum on Responsible Innovation in the Federal Banking System in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of industry stakeholders gathered to discuss “Responsible Innovation,” fintech, and the role of the OCC in regulating the financial industry as it evolves. The forum addressed reaction … Continue Reading
There is no doubt that the regulation of financial technology (fintech) companies is on the rise. Fintech companies broadly mean companies that provide products, services and technology where traditional banking and financial services leave off and technology takes off. Though all of the federal banking agencies and other agencies will play a vital role in … Continue Reading
As it previously signaled it would do, on June 14, 2016, the SEC issued an Order (available here) increasing the net worth threshold for qualification as a “qualified client” under Rule 205-3 under the Advisers Act from $2 million to $2.1 million (the SEC did not adjust the assets under management of the adviser threshold, … Continue Reading
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed rules to implement a provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (Budget Act) that allows robocalls (i.e., calls made with an automatic telephone dialing system or calls with an artificial or prerecorded voice) to be used for the purpose of collecting a debt owed to or guaranteed … Continue Reading
FINRA has issued a regulatory notice (RN 16-18) regarding new Rule 2273, which requires member firms, when hiring a new broker from the competition, to send an “educational communication” to that broker’s customers if and when those customers move or seek to move their assets to the hiring firm. The new rule, which was recently … Continue Reading
As shown in a recent Texas case involving a financial technology (FinTech) business, the rapid advance of online professional services is colliding with states that impose sales tax on cloud computing or data processing. With limited exceptions, states generally do not impose sales tax on most professional services; however, some states are casting their nets … Continue Reading
On April 25, 2016, the SEC issued a no-action letter to the Investment Advisers Association clarifying its views on the application of Rule 206(4)-2 under the Advisers Act (the Custody Rule) to situations involving a sub-adviser in an investment advisory program for which a related person qualified custodian is the primary adviser and the primary … Continue Reading
On April 13, 2016, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal (Third District) issued its en banc opinion in Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Indenture Trustee for American Home Mortgage Investment Trust 2006-2 v. Beauvais, __ So. 3d __, No. 3D14-575 (Fla. 3d DCA Apr. 13, 2016), holding that “dismissal of a foreclosure action accelerating … Continue Reading
Nearly all U.S. broker-dealers are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA regulates, and provides oversight and guidance for its member firms. When a broker-dealer becomes a FINRA member, they enter into a membership agreement which, among other things, specifies which financial products and services the broker-dealer is permitted to offer to its … Continue Reading
Greenberg Traurig was a proud sponsor of CFSA’s 16th Annual Meeting Conference that was held in the Paradise Island Bahamas from March 7-10, 2016. Gil Rudolph, Shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s Washington, D.C. and Phoenix office, participated as a speaker in the panel session titled “Compliance Management: Vendor Relationships and Data Security.” Conference attendees were provided … Continue Reading
