Expert Analysis

• Banking Regulation Themes To Anticipate In 2026

  

  The banking enforcement and rulemaking agenda for this year is likely to reflect a mix of targeted reform, deregulatory recalibration and new priorities aligned with supervisory modernization, says Kim Prior at King & Spalding.

• Easing Equity Research Firewall Shows SEC Open To Updates

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent agreement to modify a decades-old settlement meant to limit investment bankers’ influence over research analysts within major broker-dealer firms reflects a shift toward a commission that recognizes how rules can be modernized to lighten compliance burdens without eliminating core safeguards, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

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  Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  The regulatory and litigation developments for California financial institutions in the fourth quarter of 2025 were incremental but consequential, with the Department of Financial Protection & Innovation relying on public enforcement actions to articulate expectations, and lawmakers and privacy regulators playing a role as well, says Stephen Britt at Stinson.

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  Fly-Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Much like skilled attorneys, the best anglers prize preparation, presentation and patience while respecting their adversaries — both human and trout, says Rob Braverman at Braverman Greenspun.

• 4 Ways GCs Can Manage Growing Service Of Process Volume

  

  As automation and arbitration increase the volume of legal filings, in-house counsel must build scalable service of process systems that strengthen corporate governance and manage risk in real time, says Paul Mathews at Corporation Service Co.

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  NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  In the fourth quarter of last year, New York state enacted several developments that affect financial services regulation and business, cementing upcoming compliance obligations including cybersecurity best practices and retail stores' cash management, says Chris Bonner at Barclay Damon.

• SDNY Atty Signals Return To Private Fund Valuation Scrutiny

  

  Recent remarks by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York — hinting that regulators are renewing their focus on private fund advisers who overvalue portfolio assets to drive up investor fees — should prompt firms to review their valuation methodologies and address potential conflicts of interest now, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• IP Appellate Decisions Show 4 Shifts In 2025

  

  In 2025, intellectual property decisions issued by the Ninth, D.C., and Federal Circuits trended toward tightening doctrinal boundaries, whether to account for technological developments in existing legal regimes, or to refine areas with some ambiguity, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

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  The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Forming Measurable Ties

  

  Relationship-building should begin as early as possible in a law firm merger, as intentional pathways to bringing people together drive collaboration, positive client response, engagements and growth, says Amie Colby at Troutman.

• Del. Dispatch: What Tesla Decision Means For Exec Comp

  

  The recent Delaware Supreme Court decision granting Tesla CEO Elon Musk his full pay, now valued at $139 billion, following a yearslong battle appears to reject the view that supersized compensation may be inherently unfair to a corporation and its shareholders, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• Wis. Sanctions Order May Shake Up Securities Class Actions

  

  A Wisconsin federal court’s recent decision to impose sanctions on a plaintiffs law firm for filing a frivolous Private Securities Litigation Reform Act complaint in Toft v. Harbor Diversified may cause both plaintiffs and defendants law firms to reconsider certain customary practices in securities class actions, says Jonathan Richman at Brown Rudnick.

• 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2026 And Beyond

  

  2026 will likely be shaped by issues ranging from artificial intelligence regulatory turbulence to potential evidence rule changes, and e-discovery professionals will need to understand how to effectively guide the responsible and defensible adoption of emerging tools, while also ensuring effective safeguards, say attorneys at Littler.

• Where States Jumped In When SEC Stepped Back In 2025

  

  The state regulators that picked up the slack when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission scaled back enforcement last year should not be underestimated as they continue to aggressively police areas where the SEC has lost interest and probe industries where SEC leadership has actively declined to intervene, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• What's On Deck In Tribal Nations' Prediction Markets Litigation

  

  Native American tribes' response to the expansion of sports-based prediction markets enters a decisive phase this year, with appellate courts positioned to address whether federal commodities law permits nationwide offering of sports-based event contracts free from state and tribal gaming regulation, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• Reviewing Historical And Recent NYDFS Blockchain Guidance

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  An industry letter released in the fall by the New York State Department of Financial Services, together with guidance issued over the past decade, signals a heightened regulatory expectation for covered institutions regarding the use of blockchain analytics and requires review, says Nicole De Santis at Nomadis Consulting.