Broker-dealers

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On December 5, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission consented to modifications to the Global Research Settlement applicable to settling firms, which has been in place since the aftermath of the dot‑com bubble bursting. The Settlement contains an Addendum with undertakings that address conflicts of interest between research and investment banking. The Addendum includes a…

On November 17, 2025, the staff of the Division of Trading and Markets (the “Staff”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued no-action relief permitting a registered representative-owned personal services entity (“PSE”) to receive transaction-based compensation (“TBC”) without registering as a broker-dealer (“BD”) pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of…

Under new SEC leadership, the Division’s 2026 Examination Priorities reflect a modified approach, following a reevaluation of the Division’s risk-based priorities, and a renewed focus on several traditional risk areas (including Regulation Best Interest, adherence to fiduciary standards of conduct, complex products and the Broker-Dealer Financial Responsibility Rules) as well as continued attention to emerging …

At the recent 2025 U.S. Treasury Market Conference, Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda provided an update on the implementation of the Treasury Clearing Rules. In his remarks, Commissioner Uyeda said the SEC is focused on resolving regulatory ambiguities and addressing unforeseen issues associated with the implementation of the rules. He noted …

On September 7, 2025, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) approved amendments to its Statement of Policy Regarding Real Estate Investment Trusts (the “REIT Guidelines”), which were last amended in 2007. The proposed amendments were last put forth for public comment by NASAA on March 25, 2025.

The REIT Guidelines contain requirements for non-traded…

On September 5, 2025, the Staff of the Division of Trading and Markets of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission granted no-action relief that allows members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) to rely on the Central Registration Depository system (“CRD”) to satisfy their record retention requirements under Rule 17a-4 under the Securities…

The U.S. government has been steadily tightening rules relating to who can benefit from clean energy incentives.  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is the latest step, and it makes one thing crystal clear:  if your company has ties to certain foreign governments, your access to federal tax credits could be at risk and…

On September 4, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s spring 2025 rulemaking agenda (the “Agenda”) was made publicly available (see here).  Chairman Paul Atkins previewed the Agenda, which widely diverges from the Commission’s fall 2024 rulemaking agenda, in a simultaneously-released statement (the “Statement”), declaring that “[t]he items on the agenda represent the Commission’s renewed…

On August 6, 2025, the Staff of the Division of Trading and Markets of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released an updated set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) addressing the application of Rule 15c3-3a to cleared US Treasury securities.  While these responses reflect only staff views and are not an SEC rulemaking, they provide…

Webinar | August 11, 2025
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT
Register here.

Tokenized bonds are one asset class that is quickly emerging from the amorphous pool of digital asset projects. Hosted by PLI, this webinar will provide an overview of the fundamentals of tokenized bonds, how they are structured, and how they have…