Exploring the legal and regulatory issues affecting the worldwide asset management community.
By: Daniel Knight, Ben Kneebush and Madison Jeffreys
As Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be adopted and used by Australian Financial Services (AFS) licensees broadly, it has become increasingly evident that many licensees’ deployment of AI falls short of their existing regulatory obligations and emerging best practices.
Read MoreBy: Pablo J. Man, TJ Bright, and Matthew F. Phillips
On 7 November 2024, the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Divisions of Examinations, Investment Management, and Enforcement hosted a virtual panel on compliance and enforcement topics as part of its broader National Compliance Outreach Seminar. This blog post provides a high-level overview of the private fund topics that were covered, but the agenda included a broad array of additional topics.
Read MoreBy: Shane Geraghty, Michelle Lloyd, and Sneha Thomas
The Irish Finance Bill 2024 will, with effect from 1 January 2025, create a new participation exemption for foreign dividends. This exemption will bring Ireland into line with the rest of the EU which has a similar exemption. It is specifically designed to benefit Irish-resident companies that receive foreign-source dividends. The development has been broadly welcomed and is particularly noteworthy for the asset management industry and investment funds engaged in cross-border investments.
Read MoreBy Yuki Sako, Nathaniel Bolin, and Steven Hill
On 28 October, US Treasury issued new rules that restrict investment in Chinese development of semiconductors, quantum computing and AI (Covered Activity). Taking effect on 2 January 2025, the new rules are based on findings that China’s support for those industries threatens US national security.
Read MoreBy: Jim Bulling, Simon Kiburg and Alex Parker
When assessing how to comply with the new reporting obligations, reporting entities should recognise the differences in the enforcement approach that ASIC will take in relation to mandatory climate reporting compared with the approach adopted by it in relation to Greenwashing.
Read MoreBy Hazel Doyle and Nicola McCaffrey
In an important speech, Derville Rowland, the Central Bank of Ireland’s Deputy Governor for Consumer and Investor Protection has outlined the Central Bank’s approach to ETFs in Ireland. Some of the points she made are highlighted in this blog.
Read MoreBy: Keri Riemer, Peter Shea, and Lael Franco
On 21 October 2024, the SEC’s Division of Examinations (Division) published its 2025 Examination Priorities (Priorities) to provide insight into what the Division plans to focus on in the 2025 fiscal year. In addition to other areas of risk highlighted in the Priorities, the Division has advised that it will to continue to monitor – and conduct examinations if deemed appropriate – of registrants offering crypto asset-related services, including spot bitcoin or ether exchange-traded products (ETPs). However, with respect to spot bitcoin or ether ETPs, the Division’s oversight may be limited to the ETPs’ sponsors or managers rather than the ETPs themselves.
By: Gayle Bowen and Hazel Doyle
Following a review of the Irish funds industry and wide engagement with industry participants, discussed in our earlier blog here, the Department of Finance has issued its Final Report on the Funds Sector 2030. The report sets out the Irish government’s framework and recommendations to enhance growth in the funds sector and maintain Ireland’s prominent position.
Read MoreBy: Jennifer Klass, Lance Dial, and Pablo Man
In order to discourage investment advisers, broker-dealers and investment companies from engaging in any “tricks,” the SEC’s Division of Examinations has published a treat, in the form of its 2025 Examination Priorities (the Priorities). This publication, an annual event since 2013, provides market participants with insight into what the Division of Examinations will focus on in the coming fiscal year.
Read MoreBy: Cheryl L. Isaac, Clifford C. Histed, and Benjamin C. Skillin
On 2 October 2024, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced multiple actions related to fraud in the voluntary carbon credit (VCC) market, just over one year after establishing the Environmental Fraud Task Force. Specifically, the CFTC filed a complaint in federal court against the former CEO of a carbon credit project developer and, on the same day, settled charges against CQC Impact Investors LLC (CQC) and its former COO, all related to a deceptive scheme purportedly intended to reduce carbon emissions.
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