New guidance for issuers and market participants on capital raising events and alternative working arrangements, and additional time allowed for filing half-yearly financial reports. By James Inness, Nicola Higgs, Connor Cahalane, and Anna Lewis-Martinez On 27 May 2020, the FCA published its Primary Market Bulletin 28, which provides an update for issuers on temporary relief … Continue Reading
While regulators in the EU have lifted the temporary COVID-19-related short-selling bans, they will monitor the markets and impose further restrictions if required. By Carl Fernandes and Sherryn Buehlmann Regulators in Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain announced that the temporary short-selling bans imposed in those jurisdictions expired on 18 May 2020 at 11.59pm. … Continue Reading
In the wake of COVID-19, the SEC and FINRA are taking steps to support markets and market participants. By Dana G. Fleischman, Stephen P. Wink, and Deric Behar The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) continue to monitor and address ongoing impacts of COVID-19 to US capital … Continue Reading
Further economic measures provide support for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as state and local economies facing pandemic hardships. By Alan W. Avery, Pia Naib, and Deric Behar The Federal Reserve, in its continuing efforts to safeguard financial markets, provide stability to the financial system, and support the flow of credit in the economy, … Continue Reading
The three US federal banking agencies continue to take additional steps to promote the functioning of the financial system in the face of the pandemic. By Alan W. Avery, Pia Naib, and Deric Behar The three US federal banking agencies — the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), the Federal Deposit … Continue Reading
The FCA sets out its approach on client identity verification, supervisory flexibility over best execution obligations and 10% depreciation notifications, and financial resilience. By Rob Moulton and Anna Lewis-Martinez On 31 March 2020, the FCA published a Dear CEO letter to firms providing services to retail investors about COVID-19. The FCA makes it clear that it expects … Continue Reading
UK regulators announce a further package of measures to ease the burden on issuers. By Chris Horton, James Inness, Rob Moulton, Koushik Prasad, Connor Cahalane, and Charlotte Collins In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UK regulators have published further measures affecting issuers, to try to preserve the flow of information to investors and support the … Continue Reading
The three US federal banking agencies have taken additional steps to enable the financial system to continue functioning during the pandemic. By Alan W. Avery and Pia Naib The three US federal banking agencies — the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office … Continue Reading
The three US federal banking agencies have taken steps to enable the financial system to continue functioning during the pandemic. By Alan W. Avery and Pia Naib During the course of this week, the three US federal banking agencies — the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), the Federal Deposit Insurance … Continue Reading
Latham explores the primary legal developments for issuers and their advisers in the year ahead. By Chris Horton, James Inness, and Connor Cahalane The regulatory regime and disclosure requirements for listed companies in the UK will continue to evolve in 2020. Issuers and their advisers should be aware of the key legal developments that will … Continue Reading
10 Key Regulatory Focus Areas for UK/European Wholesale Markets in 2019 By David Berman, Carl Fernandes Nicola Higgs, Rob Moulton, and Charlotte Collins In the second post of this 10-blog series, we examine recent and upcoming developments relating to MiFID II. This is taken from our wider publication: 10 Key Regulatory Focus Areas for UK/European Wholesale Markets in 2019 – Progress Report. … Continue Reading
The full regulation will come into force in July, imposing new requirements for prospectuses By James Inness and Connor Cahalane The new EU Prospectus Regulation will take full effect on 21 July 2019. Issuers and other parties to capital markets transactions can expect changes in the following areas: Prospectus summary: New content requirements and length … Continue Reading
Regulatory guidance on cryptoassets and digital currency companies may lead to a legitimisation of crypto-businesses as an investable asset class. By Stuart Davis, Sam Maxson, David Walker, Tom Evans, and Catherine Campbell Recent and upcoming regulatory guidance on cryptoassets and the regulation of companies engaged in digital currency, such as issuers, crypto-exchanges, crypto-custodians, crypto-brokers, and … Continue Reading
By Nicola Higgs, Fiona MacLean, Brett Carr, and Catherine Campbell Technology outsourcing by financial institutions (FIs) has increased in recent years as FIs look to the latest innovations to improve their day-to-day business processes and to reduce costs. FIs outsource key functions to a host of regulated and unregulated third-party service providers, and the sector is … Continue Reading
The rules will echo ESMA’s temporary measures, however the FCA will extend the CFD restriction to capture closely substitutable products (such as turbo certificates). By Rob Moulton, David Berman, Charlotte Collins, and Gabriel Lakeman The FCA has launched two consultations on: Banning the sale, marketing, and distribution of binary options to retail consumers (CP18/37) Restricting … Continue Reading
By Andrew Moyle and Stuart Davis Growth in applications for blockchain and tokenisation, combined with an increasing number of initial coin offerings (ICOs), mean that buyout firms should note developments in this sector. Why Should PE Be Interested in Blockchain? A shared blockchain ledger could drive a single interface between a PE fund and its investors, … Continue Reading
The “Dear CEO” letter underlines the FCA’s open and pragmatic approach in the context of Brexit. By Nicola Higgs and Charlotte Collins The FCA has published a “Dear CEO” letter to firms, advising them of its position in relation to the use of cross-border booking models in the context of Brexit. Firms commonly use remote … Continue Reading
The FCA has recently announced that it will begin a review of how firms have implemented the unbundling rules “within weeks”. By Beatrice Lo and Jonathan Ritson-Candler At its recent asset management conference, the FCA announced that it will imminently launch a review of how asset managers have implemented the new MiFID II obligation to … Continue Reading
FEMR progress report commends the efforts of firms to drive higher market standards By Rob Moulton and Katy Sanders HM Treasury (HMT), Bank of England (BoE), and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have issued a progress report in relation to the Fair and Effective Markets Review (FEMR). The progress report follows almost three years after … Continue Reading
Many auto advisers and automated discretionary investment managers risk poor outcomes for customers by falling short of FCA expectations. By Nicola Higgs and Brett Carr The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a statement outlining its expectations of firms providing automated online discretionary investment management (ODIM) services and retail investment auto advisers (auto advisors). The … Continue Reading
ESMA to introduce measures to restrict the provision of CFDs, and prohibit the provision of binary options, to retail investors in the EU. By Nicola Higgs and Charlotte Collins The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has announced the first use of its new product intervention powers under MiFID II. ESMA had announced before MiFID … Continue Reading
By James Inness and Stuart Davis Following our 7 November 2017 blog “Europe as a Hub for Initial Coin Offerings”, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published two statements on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). The statements underline ESMA’s interest in ICOs as a means to raise capital for enterprises, particularly given their rapid … Continue Reading
By James Inness and Stuart Davis Initial coin offerings (ICOs) involve issuers offering virtual coins or tokens that are created and disseminated using blockchain or distributed ledger technology. Virtual coins resemble cash in a number of ways but may also afford holders additional rights, such as the ability to access the platform or software, or participate … Continue Reading
