Expert Analysis

• 8(a) Firms Face New Risks From Pass-Through Arrangements

  

  ​Prime contractors and subcontractors with pass-through arrangements involving the Small Business Administration's 8(a) business development program should ensure they are prepared for heightened litigation risks created by the administration’s use of False Claims Act whistleblowers to target fraud in diversity, equity and inclusion programs, say attorneys at RJO.

• SVB Parent's Claim Loss To FDIC Bears Bond Wording Lesson

  

  A North Carolina federal court’s recent ruling that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., as receiver for the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank, solely owns a $73 million fraud claim illustrates why parent financial institutions should scrutinize joint assured provisions in fidelity bonds to prevent a failed subsidiary's covered losses going to a receiver, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

• Home Equity Products Face Expanding Regulatory Patchwork

  

  Home equity investment providers, which have recently come under scrutiny from regulators and industry groups, face meaningful burdens as the U.S. Senate and a growing number of states take divergent regulatory approaches, with no uniform standard likely anytime soon, say attorneys at Bradley.

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  Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

• Illinois BNPL Law Casts Wide Net Over Loan Providers

  

  A new Illinois law's broad definition of buy now, pay later providers under its new dedicated licensing and supervisory regime notably imposes conduct standards similar to other consumer credit regimes and aggressively looks through a wide range of business activities and arrangements, say attorneys at Ashurst Perkins.

• What Cos. Should Know About DOE Energy Dominance Loans

  

  With the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing set to become a vital resource for funding U.S. energy and critical minerals projects, interested companies must understand the terms of potential loans and take into account the applicable financial, technical, legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

• What Nonbank Lenders Should Watch In 'Open Banking' Redo

  

  Nonbank mortgage lenders should prepare for several key changes in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's anticipated open banking rule rewrite that could reshape verification costs, vendor relationships and loan workflows, says Kara Ward at Baker Donelson.

• SEC's Long-Awaited Crypto Rule Is 1st Piece Of Larger Puzzle

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently proposed crypto rule provides issuers with a workable exempt offering framework but leaves holder-side questions for forthcoming rules, meaning compliance officers and counsel will have to work from an incomplete picture for now, says Josh Burton at Silver Regulatory Associates.

• DOE Energy Financing Overhaul Opens Paths For Developers

  

  The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing is now positioned to be a key source of support for energy and critical minerals development in the U.S., creating opportunities for companies seeking to advance projects that align with administration priorities, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

• How Economic Analysis Informs Consumer Lending Disputes

  

  A new wave of consumer lending class actions makes clear that economic analysis of control, pricing, repayment risk and borrower behavior will be central to litigation involving fintech platforms, earned wage access products and online lending models as regulatory enforcement recedes, say economists at The Brattle Group.

• Banks Face Lighter CRA Burdens Under Regulators' Proposal

  

  Banking regulators' recently proposed rule to redo the framework under the Community Reinvestment Act would materially change which banks are subject to its most demanding requirements and how regulators evaluate lending, services, community development activities and strategic plans, says James Williams at Venable.

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  Taekwondo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Taekwondo has taught me to recognize when to fight for a position and when to focus on finding a solution, and that the best outcomes are often achieved by solving problems — all of which has improved my work as a bankruptcy lawyer, mediator and Subchapter V trustee, says Amy Denton Mayer at Berger Singerman.

• NC Crypto Kiosk Law Opens Door To Stricter Fraud Regs

  

  North Carolina's new cryptocurrency kiosk law will force operators to build fraud-screening, disclosure and compliance systems before the end of the year, while also providing an opening for more stringent city and county limits on kiosk placement and operations, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

• Student Loan Suit Draws Line On Testimony In Trust Litigation

  

  A recent interlocutory opinion from the Southern District of New York shows securitization experts can explain servicing practices but cannot substitute for authenticated loan-level ownership proof or intent evidence, signaling that parties in student loan trust cases should sharpen recordkeeping and tracing strategies, says attorney Stanley Tate.

• 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.