The crypto space has witnessed significant activity over the last year and is expected to continue generating new litigation risks in 2024 and beyond. The volatility of cryptocurrency values, the complex nature of the technology, the lack of regulation, and lack of understanding by regulators all contribute to this trend. Crypto-related actions span a wide spectrum, involving regulatory issues to claims brought by individuals or as class actions.Continue Reading Crypto & Digital Assets
Regulatory
SEC Finalizes Rule Requiring Securities Loan Reporting
On October 13, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted new rule 10c-1a (the “Rule”), which establishes broad reporting requirements of the terms of securities loans to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) for public dissemination. Aimed at increasing transparency in the securities lending market, the Rule will significantly increase compliance obligations in the securities lending industry, and many market participants will likely require extensive operational upgrades to prepare for compliance. Certain details of reporting obligations will be the subject of FINRA rulemaking, and participants should be prepared to review and provide comment on what is proposed.Continue Reading SEC Finalizes Rule Requiring Securities Loan Reporting
SEC Proposes Rules Limiting the Use of Artificial Intelligence by Registered Investment Advisers and Broker-Dealers
On July 26, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proposed new rules targeting the use of predictive data analytics and artificial intelligence (“AI”) by registered investment advisers (“RIAs”) and broker-dealers.[1] The new proposed rules focus on the potential for conflicts of interest and the possibility that newer, more complex analytics models (including those using AI) might optimize decision making for RIAs and broker-dealers by placing those firms’ interests above the interests of their clients.[2] The proposed rules would require RIAs and broker-dealers to: (i) evaluate whether their use of technologies “that optimize for, predict, forecast or direct investment-related behaviors or outcomes” create such a conflict of interest, and (ii) either stop using or address the effects of tools that place a firm’s interests before the interests of clients. RIAs and broker-dealers will also will be required to adopt policies to ensure compliance with the new proposed rules.[3] Continue Reading SEC Proposes Rules Limiting the Use of Artificial Intelligence by Registered Investment Advisers and Broker-Dealers
FINCEN’s Corporate Beneficial Ownership Reporting Rule: Significance for Investment Advisers
On September 30, 2022, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) of the Department of the Treasury adopted a final rule (the “Final Rule”) to implement the beneficial ownership reporting requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), as part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020. The CTA and Final Rule require a range of U.S. entities, and non-U.S. entities registered to do business in the United States, to report information on their underlying beneficial owners who are individuals to FinCEN. Notably, certain investments advisers exempt from registration and subsidiaries of private fund clients of investment advisers will be subject to these reporting requirements.
Continue Reading FINCEN’s Corporate Beneficial Ownership Reporting Rule: Significance for Investment Advisers
SEC Brings Rare Litigated Enforcement Action for Violation of Regulation FD
On March 5, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed a lawsuit in federal court against AT&T, Inc. (“AT&T”) for violating Regulation FD, and also charged three of AT&T’s Investor Relations executives with aiding and abetting this violation.[1] Reg FD (which stands for “Fair Disclosure”) prohibits companies from selectively disclosing material nonpublic information to certain categories of individuals, including analysts and investors, and is intended to promote full and fair disclosure of such information in order to ensure that all investors have equal access to potential market-moving information.[2]
Continue Reading SEC Brings Rare Litigated Enforcement Action for Violation of Regulation FD
Colombian Corporate Regulatory Authority Expands Application of Compliance and Transparency Program Guidelines
The Colombian Corporations Commission (La Superintendencia de Sociedades) (“Superintendencia”) has issued Resolution 100-006261, which requires the overwhelming majority of companies that are supervised by the Superintendencia and engage in international transactions to adopt and implement a compliance program – called a Business Transparency and Ethics program – by April 30, 2021. The program must be designed to prevent and detect violations of anti-bribery laws, in accordance with 2016 guidance.
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Ready to Pounce: Regulators Are Intensifying GDPR Enforcement
After what appears to be a period of relative leniency in 2018/19, enforcement actions for violations of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) have since intensified. In 2020, according to publically available information, supervisory authorities across the EU and the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) have issued over EUR 170 million worth of fines combined[1], with six of the top ten individual fines imposed being issued in 2020[2].
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U.S. Regulatory Challenges For Chinese Companies: The COSCO Case Study
Cleary Gottlieb and Tiantong & Partners 天同律师事务所 continue their collaboration to produce joint analyses regarding some of the current U.S. regulatory challenges for Chinese companies. This fourth analysis is based on a case study of U.S. sanctions imposed against China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), one of the world’s largest shipping companies, and considers sanctions risk…
U.S. Regulatory Challenges for Chinese Companies: The Bank of China Case Study
Cleary Gottlieb and Tiantong & Partners 天同律师事务所 continue their collaboration to produce joint analyses regarding some of the current U.S. regulatory challenges for Chinese companies. In light of renewed interest in China on the topic of U.S. long-arm jurisdiction, this third analysis reviews lessons learned on civil personal jurisdiction from cases involving the Bank of…
CFTC Issues Final Interpretive Guidance on Actual Delivery for Digital Assets
On March 24, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) released its Final Interpretive Guidance on Actual Delivery for Digital Assets (“Final Interpretation”), addressing longstanding questions regarding which digital asset transactions could be deemed “retail commodity transactions” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Final Interpretation comes two years after the CFTC issued proposed interpretive guidance (“Proposed Interpretation”).
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