By: Pablo Man and Ruth Delaney
On 12 March 2025, the SEC staff issued a no-action letter for offerings under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D. In the letter, the Staff concurs that an issuer will have taken “reasonable steps to verify” a purchaser’s accredited investor status in an offering conducted under Rule 506(c) if the issuer requires purchasers to agree to certain minimum investment amounts, subject to a few additional conditions:
Read MoreBy: Philip Morgan, Andrew Massey, and Harriet Sherwin
Following an HM Treasury policy statement, the FCA has published a consultation paper proposing amendments to some of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MIFID) conduct of business and systems and controls rules inherited from the EU that continue to exist in the UK statute book in close to their original form.
Read MoreBy: TJ Bright, Matthew F. Phillips, and Kate E. Miller
Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs), which invest in qualifying small businesses in the United States, are eligible to receive Small Business Administration (SBA)-guaranteed debentures at favorable rates to finance their investment activities. Standard SBIC debentures typically have 10-year terms with interest payments due semi-annually, and a lump-sum payment of the principal at maturity.
Read MoreBy: Shane Geraghty, Dr. Ulrike Elteste, and Ruth Hennessy
EU national supervisory authorities will collect the Register of Information (ROI) pursuant to the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) from in scope financial entities in April 2025, with the reference date set as 31 March 2025. ROIs are reports by in-scope EU financial entities on all contractual arrangements on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) services provided by ICT third-party service providers. The financial entity must differentiate between providers who are not critical and providers who are considered critical and important.
Read MoreBy: Michael Ruck, Rosie Naylor, and Helen Phizackerley
In November 2024, the UK FCA released a Consultation which seeks to clarify its proposed approach to publicising ongoing enforcement action—dubbed the “name and shame” plan—and to assure the wider market of the plan’s benefits. Responses are due by 17 February 2025.
Read MoreBy: Phillip Morgan, Andrew Massey, and Raghu Meena
In the United Kingdom, the FCA has proposed to give fund managers (including UCITS Mancos and full-scope UK AIFMs) an option to use fund assets to pay jointly for execution and research (so-called ‘bundled’ payments). The existing options of paying for research from manager funds or operating a customer-financed research payment account would remain. Final rules are expected in the first half of 2025. This follows the introduction on 1 August 2024 of a similar option for separate account managers as discussed here.
By: 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 MoreCopyright © 2025, K&L Gates LLP. All Rights Reserved.