Regulatory & Compliance

Our regulatory & compliance practice consists of more than 50 lawyers, including over 30 partners, all with extensive regulatory and compliance experience and many of whom have prior experience working at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or in U.S. Attorneys’ offices.

Our regulatory & compliance lawyers provide day-to-day advice on: 

• All issues related to the U.S. Investment Advisers Act, the U.S. Investment Company Act, the U.S. Securities Act, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act, the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, rules of the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, rules of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and numerous stock exchanges
• Registration (or exemption from registration) of investment advisers, broker-dealers, mutual funds, closed-end funds, business development companies, commodity pool operators and commodity trading advisors
• Securities trading issues, including insider trading, market manipulation, principal and agency cross transactions, trade allocations, short selling and valuations
• Issues arising under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sanctions programs, the USA PATRIOT Act and U.S. and U.K. anti-money laundering regulations
• Bank regulatory issues, including those related to the U.S. Bank Holding Company Act and the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and various state banking laws
• All issues related to laws governing employee benefits and employee benefit including the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and the Taft-Hartley Act

In addition to day-to-day compliance advice, our lawyers:

• Counsel clients as they prepare for and undergo compliance examinations by federal regulators and self-regulatory organizations
• Assist clients in responding to subpoenas
• Represent clients in civil and criminal cases and investigations by governmental agencies and regulators  
• Conduct on-site legal compliance reviews and training sessions on compliance issues
• Assist clients in drafting compliance policies and procedures
• Assist clients in conducting annual compliance reviews (for Rule 38a-1 and Rule 206(4)-7)
• Help clients draft and submit Form ADV and Form BD registration statements
• Assist with position and portfolio disclosures, including Form PF (and PQR), BEA Forms and Form SLT, Section 13 and 16, short sale reporting, and Form 40/40S

Our lawyers have vast experience with investigations, litigation (including trials and on appeal) and administrative proceedings brought by or before: 

• U.S. Attorneys’ offices throughout the country
• The SEC
• The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
• FINRA and other self-regulatory organizations
• The Office of the Attorney General for the State of New York
• The American Arbitration Association
• The U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the Internal Revenue Service

“They technically understand the law but also understand what we’re trying to achieve.” — Chambers USA