Expert Analysis

• CFTC, SEC Joint Statement Highlights New Unity On Crypto

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's recent joint statement announcing a cross-agency initiative enabling certain spot crypto-asset products to trade on regulated exchanges is the earliest and most visible instance of interagency cooperation on crypto regulation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Opinion

  SEC Arbitration Shift Is At Odds With Fraud Deterrence

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent statement allowing the use of mandatory arbitration by new publicly traded companies could result in higher legal costs, while removing the powerful deterrent impact of public lawsuits that have helped make the U.S. securities markets a model of transparency and fairness, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.

• Better Crypto Insurance Is Attainable Amid Regulatory Shifts

  

  With regulatory clarity improving and insurance carriers taking an increasingly constructive approach, crypto industry participants can improve their insurance coverage and pricing if finance, legal and compliance teams take specific steps, say Walker Newell and Jacob Sawyer at Woodruff-Sawyer.

• Protecting Sensitive Court Filings After Recent Cyber Breach

  

  In the wake of a recent cyberattack on federal courts' Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, civil litigants should consider seeking enhanced protections for sensitive materials filed under seal to mitigate the risk of unauthorized exposure, say attorneys at Redgrave.

• DOJ Chemical Seizure Shows Broad Civil Forfeiture Authority

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent seizure of meth precursor chemicals en route from China to Mexico illustrates the U.S. government's powerful jurisdictional reach to seek forfeiture of cartel-related assets, and company compliance programs must take note, say attorneys at White & Case.

• Series

  NC Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

  

  There were several impactful changes to the financial services landscape in North Carolina in the third quarter of the year, including statutory updates, enforcement developments from Office of the Commissioner of Banks, and notable mergers, acquisitions and branch expansions, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

• Series

  NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

  

  Of note in the third quarter of the year, New York state regulators moved forward on their agendas to limit abuse of electronic banking, including via a settlement with stablecoin issuer Paxos and a lawsuit against Zelle alleging insufficient security measures, says Chris Bonner at Barclay Damon.

• Gauging SEC Short-Sale Rules' Future After 5th Circ. Remand

  

  Though the Fifth Circuit recently remanded to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission two Biden-era rules requiring disclosure of securities lending and short-sale activity in order to consider the rules' cumulative economic impact, it's possible they will get reproposed, meaning compliance timelines could change, says Scott Budlong at Barnes & Thornburg.

• Series

  Judging Figure Skating Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Judging figure skating competitions helps me hone the focus, decisiveness and ability to process complex real-time information I need in court, but more importantly, it makes me reengage with a community and my identity outside of law, which, paradoxically, always brings me back to work feeling restored, says Megan Raymond at Groombridge Wu.

• $100K H-1B Fee May Disrupt Rural Healthcare Needs

  

  The Trump administration's newly imposed $100,000 supplemental fee on new H-1B petitions may disproportionately affect healthcare employers' ability to recruit international medical graduates, and the fee's national interest exceptions will not adequately solve ensuing problems for healthcare employers or medically underserved areas, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• Series

  Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

  

  The third quarter of 2025 brought legislative changes to state money transmission certification requirements and securities law obligations, as well as high-profile accounting and anti-money laundering compliance enforcement actions by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

• 9th Circ. Ruling May Help Pharma Cos. Avert Investor Claims

  

  The Ninth Circuit's recent decision affirming the dismissal of a securities fraud class action alleging that Talphera deceived investors by marketing a drug with a misleading slogan should give plaintiffs pause before filing similar complaints where snappy slogans are accompanied by copious clarifying information, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• What Ethics Rules Say On Atty Discipline For Online Speech

  

  Though law firms are free to discipline employees for their online commentary about Charlie Kirk or other social media activity, saying crude or insensitive things on the internet generally doesn’t subject attorneys to professional discipline under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, says Stacie H. Rosenzweig at Halling & Cayo.

• 2 Rulings Highlight IRS' Uncertain Civil Fraud Penalty Powers

  

  Conflicting decisions from the U.S. Tax Court and the Northern District of Texas that hinge on whether the IRS can administratively assert civil fraud penalties since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in SEC v. Jarkesy provide both opportunities and potential pitfalls for taxpayers, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.

• SEC Fine Signals Crackdown On Security-Based Swap Dealers

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent fine against MUFG Securities is unique because it involves a non-U.S. security-based swap dealer complying with U.S. laws based on the election of substituted compliance, but it should not be dismissed as a one-off case, says Kelly Rock, formerly at the SEC.