On May 17, 2023, Prometheum Ember Capital LLC (Prometheum Ember Capital), a subsidiary of Prometheum Inc., received approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to operate as a special purpose broker-dealer (SPBD) for digital assets. Prometheum Ember Capital is the first SPBD allowed to operate as a broker-dealer…

A holding subjecting Term Loan Bs to securities regulation would have a profound effect on the $1.4 trillion market for syndicated term loans and on financial institutions at a time of limited liquidity. …
Continue Reading Are Syndicated Term Loans Securities Under Reves v. Ernst & Young? 2nd Circuit Solicits SEC Views

This GT Alert provides a general overview for investors interested in acquiring or investing in the assets of failed depository institutions and requirements and restrictions applicable to private investors’ participation in the FDIC’s bid process.

Click here to read the full GT Alert.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in November 2022 released a targeted exam letter pertaining to communications for crypto products and services. The relevant period for this exam is July 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2022, unless otherwise noted. FINRA defines “crypto asset” as assets “issued or transferred using distributed ledger or blockchain technology.” This…

On March 28, 2022, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a press release regarding two proposed rules, Rules 3a5-4 and 3a44-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Act). These proposed rules intend to further define the phrase “as part of a regular business” to identify certain activities that would cause a firm to…

On Oct. 26, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Examinations issued a Risk Alert in which it identified observations from examinations under its registered investment company initiative, first announced in 2018. The Risk Alert summarized examination conclusions from funds in six categories, although the staff noted that its observations “can assist all…

The Division of Examinations (the Division) (formerly known as the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, or OCIE) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its annual list of 2021 Examination Priorities on March 3, 2021.

Many of the Division’s 2021 examination priorities, including focus on conflicts of interest for brokers and…

On Jan. 13, 2021, the Division of Investment Management staff (Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) issued a no-action letter advising that it would not recommend enforcement action to the Commission under Section 17(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act), and paragraphs (b)-(f) of Rule 17f-2 thereunder, if certain registered…

On Oct. 7, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) held an open meeting and issued a notice proposing a conditional exemption from securities broker-dealer registration under Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for “finders” who assist entrepreneurs and issuers in raising capital through private placements sold to accredited investors (the

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On Sept. 25, 2020, the SEC issued a No-Action Letter to FINRA, in response to a previously issued Joint Statement by the SEC and FINRA. This No-Action Letter detailed how broker-dealers could operate alternative trading systems that trade digital assets without garnering enforcement action from the SEC for not meeting the custody requirements required under…