Expert Analysis

• SEC Penalties Trended Down In FY 2025, Offering 2026 Clues

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's settled corporate penalties in fiscal year 2025 show a clear dividing line, as the largest penalties all came before Inauguration Day, a trend that may continue as the types of cases that lead to the biggest penalties seem to be no longer favored by the commissioners, say attorneys at Dentons.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Client-Led Litigation

  

  New litigators can better help their corporate clients achieve their overall objectives when they move beyond simply fighting for legal victory to a client-led approach that resolves the legal dispute while balancing the company's competing out-of-court priorities, says Chelsea Ireland at Cohen Ziffer.

• A Close Look At The Evolving Interval Fund Space

  

  Interval funds — closed-end registered investment companies that make periodic repurchase offers — have recently moved to the center of the conversation about retail access to private markets, spurred along by President Donald Trump's August executive order incorporating alternative assets into 401(k) plans and target date strategies, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• A Primer On NYDFS' 3rd-Party Cybersecurity Guidance

  

  The New York Department of Financial Services' recently released comprehensive guidance for registrants on managing cybersecurity risks associated with third-party service providers illustrates why proactive engagement by senior leadership, robust due diligence, strong contractual protections and ongoing oversight are essential to mitigating growing risks, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

• 9th Circ. Robinhood Ruling May Alter Intraquarter Disclosures

  

  By aligning with the Second Circuit and rejecting the First Circuit's extreme-departure standard, the Ninth Circuit recently signaled in its decision to revive a putative securities class action against Robinhood a renewed emphasis on transparency when known trends that can be considered material arise between quarterly reports, say attorneys at MoFo.

• Series

  The Law Firm Merger Diaries: How To Build On Cultural Fit

  

  Law firm mergers should start with people, then move to strategy: A two-level screening that puts finding a cultural fit at the pinnacle of the process can unearth shared values that are instrumental to deciding to move forward with a combination, says Matthew Madsen at Harrison.

• The Future Of Digital Asset Oversight May Rest With OCC

  

  How the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency handles fintechs' growing interest in national trust bank charters, demonstrated by a jump in filings this year, will determine how far the federal banking system extends to digital assets, and whether the charter becomes a mainstream supervisory pathway, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

• What CFPB Disparate Impact Proposal Means For Lenders

  

  Should the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's reasoning for making proposed changes to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act — and the bureau itself — survive, lenders and other participants in the consumer finance industry may see a reduced emphasis on protected characteristics, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

• Considerations When Invoking The Common-Interest Privilege

  

  To successfully leverage the common-interest doctrine in a multiparty transaction or complex litigation, practitioners should be able to demonstrate that the parties intended for it to apply, that an underlying privilege like attorney-client has attached, and guard against disclosures that could waive privilege and defeat its purpose, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

• AG Watch: Ohio's Prediction Market Preemption Battle

  

  Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is playing a significant part in two cases involving Kalshi before the Third Circuit and the Southern District of Ohio, the latest in a growing string of court battles regarding which regulations govern prediction markets that will have notable consequences on sports gambling nationwide, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

• How Banks Can Pilot Token Services As Fed Mulls Reforms

  

  While the Federal Reserve explores streamlined payment accounts and other reforms aimed at digital asset infrastructure, banks and payment companies seeking to launch stablecoin services must apply the same rigor they use for cards or automated clearinghouse, says Christopher Boone at Venable.

• Series

  The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Making The Case To Combine

  

  When making the decision to merge, law firm leaders must factor in strategic alignment, cultural compatibility and leadership commitment in order to build a compelling case for combining firms to achieve shared goals and long-term success, says Kevin McLaughlin at UB Greensfelder.

• Opinion

  Despite Deputy AG Remarks, DOJ Can't Sideline DC Bar

  

  Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s recent suggestion that the D.C. Bar would be prevented from reviewing misconduct complaints about U.S. Department of Justice attorneys runs contrary to federal statutes, local rules and decades of case law, and sends the troubling message that federal prosecutors are subject to different rules, say attorneys at HWG.

• From Bank Loans To Private Credit: Tips For Making The Shift

  

  The relationship between private credit and syndicated bank deals will evolve as the private market continues to grow, introducing new challenges for borrowers comparing financing options, particularly pertaining to loan documentation and working capital, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

• Wells Process Reforms Serve SEC Chair's Transparency Goals

  

  Enforcement policy changes U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins recently set forth will help fulfill his stated goal of making Division of Enforcement investigations more fair and transparent by changing the Wells process to provide recipients earlier consultations with SEC staff, greater evidence access and more time to file responses, say attorneys at Dechert.