OCIE Risk Alert: common compliance program issues WHAT HAPPENED? On Nov. 19, 2020, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (OCIE) released a Risk Alert outlining common compliance concerns among registered investment advisers. The list was compiled based on recent compliance examinations [...]
OCIE examiners report common branch office compliance deficiencies WHAT HAPPENED? On Nov. 9, 2020, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (OCIE) released a new Risk Alert outlining recent observations from examinations of SEC-registered investment advisers. In general, advisers with numerous branch [...]
Does your firm include text messages in its recordkeeping? WHAT HAPPENED? Recently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission released information about proceedings against a California broker-dealer, which failed to retain employee text message records. The SEC became aware of the activity when investigating an enforcement matter concerning a third [...]
Are your firm’s electronic records secure by SEC standards? WHAT HAPPENED? In recent years, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has heightened its emphasis on cybersecurity requirements for firms. Routine examinations now often involve in-depth requests for information on firms’ cyber and data security practices, which are areas [...]
Newly Identified Compliance Risks Due to COVID-19: What You Should Know WHAT HAPPENED? Last week, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (OCIE) issued a Risk Alert which outlines new compliance risks stemming from the global pandemic. The SEC and OCIE have remained [...]
SEC Proposes Changes to Form 13F WHAT HAPPENED? On July 10, 2020, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission proposed amendments to Form 13F reporting. The changes would affect the filing threshold for institutional advisers and several other requirements. Because the filing requirements have not been updated since adoption [...]
Nine Things to Notice: SEC Examiners’ Focus Areas WHAT HAPPENED? As capital markets shift and the risks to market participants change, so do the focus areas of routine SEC exams. Below are trending items from recent examinations: KEY FOCUS POINTS: Environmental, social, and governance [...]
LIBOR Transition Compliance Risks WHAT HAPPENED? On June 18, 2020, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (OCIE) announced an exam initiative and issued a subsequent Risk Alert about LIBOR transition preparedness. LIBOR, formerly known as the London Interbank Offered Rate, [...]
OCIE: Private Fund Risk Alert WHAT HAPPENED? On June 23, 2020, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (OICE), released a Risk Alert which outlines recently observed compliance issues among private fund advisers. Over a third of SEC-registered advisers manage private [...]
Firm Misused MNPI, Ordered to Pay $1 Million WHAT HAPPENED? On May 26, 2020, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission released documentation detailing an enforcement action against a Los Angeles private equity firm and registered investment adviser, Ares Management, for its misuse of material nonpublic information (MNPI). The [...]