Expert Analysis

• Opinion

  A Guiding Principle For The SEC On Exempt Capital Markets

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently proposed Regulation Crypto Assets borrows selectively from other capital-raising exemptions while giving crypto issuers materially different terms, and those unexplained differences reveal the need for a regulatory approach of presumptive parity, says Brian Christie at the Crowdfunding Professional Association.

• EU's Russian Crypto Sanctions Call For Layered Compliance

  

  The European Union's recently adopted Russia crypto sanctions package marks a significant escalation in enforcement, making it prudent to adopt a stratified compliance approach capable of identifying indirect measures via decentralized finance, cross-chain infrastructure, stablecoins and other blockchain-native services, says Kevin Strenski at Nardello.

• What To Know As Legal Duty To Consider AI Takes Shape

  

  While the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce’s recent statement on liability for artificial intelligence harms is nonbinding for both U.K. and U.S. lawyers, it highlights the importance of being able to distinguish between the availability of a tool and a professional obligation to use it, say Jonny Frank and Michael Costa at StoneTurn.

• NY Ch. 7 Ruling Continues Cash Advance Recharacterization

  

  A New York bankruptcy court recently ruled in the Kossoff Chapter 7 proceedings that a merchant cash advance agreement was not a true asset sale, joining a growing number of decisions in concluding that such transactions are disguised loans and therefore subject to avoidance actions, says Schuyler Carroll at Manatt.

• Prepping To Use Crypto Collateral Under Ohio Ownership Law

  

  Ohio's digital asset law should ease the path to using cryptocurrency as collateral, and as the October effective date approaches, lenders should update their loan documentation and diligence processes to take advantage of the new control-based perfection rules, say attorneys at Kegler Brown.

• How Solar Fraud Case Affects Lender Oversight Of Dealers

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to review the Third Circuit's ruling in Migliore v. Sunlight Financial means that residential solar finance companies are protected from vicarious liability for deceptive acts by independent solar dealers — but lenders must still take steps to guard against dealer misconduct, says Rand Manasse at Green Lane Partners.

• Parsing Gov't Scrutiny Of Lending To Unauthorized Workers

  

  Attorneys at Mayer Brown explain guidance recently issued by three banking regulators that addresses risks associated with lending to so-called non-work authorized individuals and discuss what the regulatory update could mean for fintech companies.

• Addressing Merchant Cash Advances In Subchapter V

  

  As regulatory enforcement continues and more small businesses turn to Subchapter V bankruptcy to manage merchant cash advance debt, counsel and trustees can take meaningful steps throughout the bankruptcy process to successfully counteract the potentially nefarious actions of MCAs, say Hannah Hutman at Hoover Penrod and Starria Cuffee at Stretto.

• SEC Rulemaking Radar: The Rubber Meets The Road

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rulemaking agenda shows its regulatory reset taking shape, with sweeping crypto proposals that could bring the biggest changes it has made to broker-dealer, exchange and trading compliance in decades, says Christopher Grobbel at Goodwin.

• CFPB Complaint Portal Overhaul Signals Changing Priorities

  

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's updates to its consumer complaint portal and decision to cease publishing consumer complaint narratives should be viewed by companies as one component of a larger recalibration of how the CFPB collects information and allocates its supervisory and enforcement resources, say attorneys at Cooley.

• Series

  Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

• 6 Risk Areas Future Fla. Stablecoin Issuers Should Plan For

  

  Companies hoping to issue stablecoins under Florida’s new supervision regime should prioritize constructing robust risk management architecture across key areas before the Oct. 1 effective date so they can secure licenses, avoid a web of potential liabilities, and operate sustainably as state and federal regulations evolve, says Elizabeth Brusa at Shumaker.

• Mich. Ruling Gives Consumer Protection Law Its Teeth Back

  

  The Michigan Supreme Court's recent decision in Attorney General v. Eli Lilly, overruling key holdings in two earlier cases, means that Michigan businesses can no longer defeat allegations of deceptive conduct under the state's consumer protection law simply by pointing to any governmental regulation of the business, say attorneys at DiCello Levitt.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Surviving A Long Trial

  

  Most of law school trial advocacy is geared toward the sprint of trying a short case, but beyond managing a cross-examination or closing argument, effectively handling the marathon of a lengthy trial requires the ability to maintain composure, organization and credibility with the jury, says Mihir Elchuri at Hirschler.

• What B. Riley Dismissal Teaches About Governance Litigation

  

  The same facts in litigation against B. Riley Financial produced three different outcomes in three courthouses, but the Court of Chancery's decision in Marchner v. B. Riley is the cleanest demonstration in years of why boards facing a government investigation often prepare for the wrong lawsuit, says Ashwin Ram at Buchalter.