Expert Analysis

• Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Must Put Officers On Alert

  

  Recent government actions against FTX and other crypto companies have put a laser focus on corporate compliance failures, with added pressure on compliance officers — making the need for personal risk assessment particularly acute given today's novel anti-money laundering issues, say Poppy Alexander at Constantine Cannon and Caleb Hayes-Deats at MoloLamken.

• Cannabis Banking Bill Uncertainty May Actually Be A Blessing

  

  The passage of a cannabis banking law is alluring, but little will be lost if the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act — facing stiff competition from other congressional priorities — gets tabled because the bill ultimately does little to meaningfully propel the industry toward full legalization, says Michael Rosenblum at Thompson Coburn.

• Series

  ESG Around The World: South Africa

  

  While South Africa has yet to mandate the reporting of nonfinancial and environmental, social, and corporate governance issues, policy documents and recent legislative developments are likely to have a material impact in the country's transition to a low-carbon economy and in meeting its international obligations, say Glynn Kent at Eversheds Sutherland.

• Roundup

  California Banking Brief

  

  In this Expert Analysis series, attorneys provide quarterly recaps discussing the biggest developments in California banking regulation, litigation and policymaking.

• Series

  Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  As 2023 came to an end, we continued to see developments in California that are certain to have an impact on the financial services industry in 2024, including the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation's request for comments on the state's new digital asset law and the state's continued enforcement actions against debt collectors, say Jennifer Olivestone and Juan Azel at Winston & Strawn.

• 4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

  

  As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.

• Corporate Transparency Act Takeaways For Banking Industry

  

  As of Jan. 1, the Corporate Transparency Act requires millions of companies to report the identities of their beneficial owners and applicants to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and this groundbreaking change adds compliance obligations and complexity for lenders, borrowers and investors, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.

• Series

  In The CFPB Playbook: Rulemaking Rush Before Election Year

  

  In this quarterly Consumer Financial Protection Bureau activity recap by former bureau personnel, attorneys at McGuireWoods explain the regulator's recent push to finalize new rules about data aggregators, digital payment apps and more before the election-year Congressional Review Act window opens.

• Securities Question Stands After Contradicting Crypto Rulings

  

  The debate about the regulation of crypto-assets came to a head in 2023 when two New York federal judges came to opposite conclusions about whether crypto-assets were securities by using the Howey test, highlighting the uncertainty facing the crypto industry as it seeks to resolve definitional questions, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

• What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

  

  As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

• 4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

  

  Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.

• Series

  Texas Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  Among the most noteworthy developments in the Texas banking sphere in the last quarter of 2023 were the Texas Department of Banking's extension of the state banking commissioner's authority, a recommendation to implement an updated ransomware self-assessment tool, and ongoing litigation in the state involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, says Patrick Hanchey at Alston & Bird.

• SDNY Ruling Highlights Fed's Broad Master Account Power

  

  In denying a Puerto Rican bank’s recent motion for injunction against the New York Fed, a New York federal court went beyond the specifics of the case in holding that financial institutions have no statutory right to a master account with a Federal Reserve bank, emphasizing the Fed’s unilateral discretion in these matters, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

• Cybersecurity Issues For Financial Industry To Track In 2024

  

  In 2024 financial institutions will confront new federal, state and industry regulations around cybersecurity that require additional procedures, enhanced proactive security measures, and timely disclosure of security incidents, say Alex Koskey and Matt White at Baker Donelson.

• How State AGs Process And Prioritize Consumer Complaints

  

  Recent state attorneys general actions illustrate how their offices triage, monitor and respond to consumer complaints — and why businesses need to be proactive in addressing these issues as they arise, say Meghan Stoppel and Hannah Cornett Land at Cozen O'Connor.