News & Events – Bates Research

On June 11, 2021, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released a Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions containing the latest official list of the SEC’s regulatory rulemakings. The list includes proposed items the agency will undertake in the near future, which reflect the emergent priorities of the independent agency’s Chair Gary Gensler, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021. In this article, Bates takes a look at a few of the proposed items positioned for regulatory action this year.

In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on June 6, 2021, former SEC Chair Jay Clayton and former Undersecretary of the Treasury Brent McIntosh warned against the “serious risk of both overregulation and underregulation” of cryptocurrencies. They were responding to a rapidly changing financial marketplace in which innovative and complex digital products and services have become mainstream. They were also responding to recent statements by legislators, administrators and regulators advocating for a more comprehensive framework of government intervention to protect consumers and investors from price volatility and the fraud and money laundering that has proliferated across digital platforms. In this article, we review some of the recent pronouncements concerning cryptocurrency regulation, including the latest considerations on the development of a U.S. central bank digital currency.

As we previously relayed in Part 1 of this article, the honeymoon period in which firms needed to show merely a “good faith” effort at compliance with Reg BI and Form CRS requirements has come to an end. The SEC and FINRA have made clear that the regulators are moving to the next, more aggressive examination phase to ensure compliance with the new standard. Part 2 of our article focuses on commentary from FINRA’s 2021 Annual Conference concerning Reg BI and what firms should expect during examinations in Phase Two.

The honeymoon period in which firms needed to show merely a “good faith” effort at compliance with Regulation Best Interest (“Reg BI”) and Customer Relationship Summary Form (“Form CRS”) requirements has come to an end. At a recent session on Reg BI and Form CRS Observations during FINRA’s 2021 Annual Conference, speakers from the SEC and FINRA made clear that the regulators are moving to the next, more aggressive examination phase to ensure compliance with the new standard. In this two-part article, Bates examines regulator comments and expectations, and what firms can expect in Phase Two. In Part 1, we look at developments concerning Form CRS.

In a sign of ramped-up concern, FINRA urged members to ensure that cybersecurity programs and practices are in place to protect customers from online account takeover attempts. The regulator also issued Notices reminding firms to follow disclosure and other rules on pre-dispute arbitration agreements and asking market participants for comments on any rules that may create unintended barriers to diversity and inclusion in the broker-dealer industry.

Read our latest Bates AML & Financial Crimes: In Brief publication, bringing industry leaders important AML and Financial Crimes news and updates, including spotlights on our Bates AML & Financial Crimes staff and experts, on-demand AML webinars and other training, and thought leadership resources to support your professional success.

In its April 2021 Investment Adviser Section Report highlighting 2020 activities, the North American Securities Administrators Association ("NASAA") promoted the November 24, 2020 adoption of two model rules: a broad rule on compliance to ensure that advisers cover the full range of investor concerns in their written policies and procedures, and a long-debated proposed rule on continuing education to ensure that advisers are knowledgeable of current regulatory requirements and best practices. The report also offers information on a newly developed Cybersecurity Checklist for Investment Advisers. In this article, Bates examines these new rules in light of NASAA's annual report and continuing guidance.

In December 2020, the Department of Labor adopted regulations on investment advice for retirement accounts under ERISA, providing a class exemption for persons who are fiduciaries under ERISA and allowing them to receive compensation and engage in otherwise prohibited transactions on behalf of retirement investors, employee benefit plans and investment advice providers. The regulation has a long regulatory history and became effective on February 16, 2021. On April 13, 2021, the DOL issued guidance to address detailed implementation questions. In addition, on April 14, 2021, the DOL issued cybersecurity guidance for ERISA plan sponsors, fiduciaries and record-keepers, as well as for plan participants and beneficiaries. In this article, Bates takes a closer look and reviews the new DOL guidance, including details to guide your implementation and the cybersecurity protocols for your firm to follow.

In a significant number of directed actions, the SEC has communicated that it intends to move aggressively to encourage ESG investing and to develop frameworks for compliance. The emphasis on ESG-related compliance in the alert follows from the agency’s elevated focus on climate change as an emergent priority. It also stems from a host of moves by SEC Acting Chair Allison Herren Lee on the subject, including the creation of an ESG taskforce, the issuance of investor guidance on ESG funds, and the adoption of a new strategic approach, among others. In this article, we highlight current compliance triggers in the context of recent SEC ESG-related activity.

Federal and state legislation to legalize cannabis and regulate related businesses moved forward this month with a bipartisan reintroduction of the federal Secure and Fair Enforcement (“SAFE”) Banking Act and the passage of a New York law creating a regulatory licensure and taxation framework for producers, distributors, and retailers of marijuana. The implications of these actions are significant. In this article, we look at the New York law and revisit the bipartisan SAFE Act, two efforts that cover the spectrum on cannabis regulation. Learn how these developments might impact your firm and clients.

The new Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), which became law on January 1, 2021, expanded the Bank Secrecy Act regulatory framework, requiring substantial attention to additional regulator guidance and AMLA-related proposed rulemakings. On April 1, 2021, FinCEN issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on beneficial ownership reporting. On March 29, 2021, the SEC Division of Examinations issued a risk alert on AML program compliance, and, in particular, red flag areas where broker dealers can improve their suspicious activity monitoring and reporting. In this article, Bates takes a closer look at these two new AML developments and what it means for your firm.

Recent FINRA activity demonstrates the continuous set of demands on the organization to maintain progress on ongoing initiatives (addressing broker misconduct); keep up with market events (risks associated with social media-driven trading); and continue providing services (arbitration and dispute resolution) during unprecedented conditions (the pandemic). Bates takes a look at FINRA’s new rules and guidance in this article.

On March 10, 2021, the SEC published an alert in which the Office of Investor Education and Advocacy cautioned investors to be wary of buying into so-called Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”) on the basis of endorsements by celebrities. That alert came out only three months after the SEC Division of Corporation Finance issued its own disclosure guidance on the investment mechanism. FINRA also recently weighed in on emerging anti-money laundering risks associated with SPACs. These efforts indicate that the regulators are paying close attention to the increasing—some say frenzied—popularity of SPAC investments during the current market volatility. In this article, Bates takes a closer look at the emerging SPAC risks, heightened regulatory concerns, and regulatory guidance.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations announced its 2021 examination priorities, focusing on climate-related risks, Regulation Best Interest, fiduciary duty for investment advisers, adequacy of disclosures (including for fees and expenses), and attendant risks relating to information security and FinTech, to name a few. In his leadership message, SEC Division of Examinations Director Peter Driscoll described the regulatory and operational challenges of delivering financial services during the pandemic, emergent risks (including on cybersecurity), and the rollout of Reg BI and Form CRS. Bates takes an in-depth look at this, the Division's 2021 priorities, what they could mean for your firm, and how they compare to previous years in our annual chart.

On February 15, 2021, FINRA issued an alert warning firms to pay attention to risks associated with low-priced securities activities. The Notice highlights the basic compliance tools that should be reviewed to address current concerns, including a review of red flag indicators of suspicious activity, adequacy of monitoring systems, and systems for consistent and accurate reporting. In light of their concern that bad actors, looking to take advantage of market urgencies like the COVID pandemic, will continue to perpetrate “pump and dump” and other schemes that exploit those attributes, FINRA underscores the risks of low-priced security transactions as a compliance priority.

Read the article to learn about FINRA's concerns and recommendations for your practice.

The SEC Division of Examinations announced its 2021 examination priorities today, focusing on climate-related risks, conflicts of interest for brokers (Regulation Best Interest) and investment advisers (fiduciary duty), and attendant risks relating to FinTech in its initiatives and examinations. Stay tuned for our annual commentary, coming soon.