Expert Analysis

• Limit On SEC Enforcement Authority May Mean Fewer Actions

  

  Following a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission final rule revoking the Enforcement Division director's long-standing authority to issue formal investigation orders, it's clear the division is headed for a new era of limited autonomy, marked by a significantly slower pace of SEC investigations, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

• As SEC, CFTC Retreat, Who Will Police The Crypto Markets?

  

  As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission pull back from policing the crypto markets, the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have the authority to pick up the slack — although recent events raise doubts that they will do so, say attorneys at Skadden.

• Calif. May Pick Up The Slack On Foreign Bribery Enforcement

  

  The California attorney general recently expressed an interest in targeting foreign bribery amid a federal pause in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, so companies should calibrate their compliance programs to mitigate against changing risks, especially as other states could follow California’s lead, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

• E-Discovery Quarterly: The Perils Of Digital Data Protocols

  

  Though stipulated protocols governing the treatment of electronically stored information in litigation are meant to streamline discovery, recent disputes demonstrate that certain missteps in the process can lead to significant inefficiencies, say attorneys at Sidley.

• A Look At M&A Trends In An Uncertain Deal Environment

  

  Dealmakers are adopting more cautious and deliberate merger and acquisition practices, such as earnout agreements, joint ventures and strategic partnerships that mitigate risk and bridge valuation gaps, amid the slower pace so far in 2025, says Louis Lehot at Foley & Lardner.

• Opinion

  Ripple Settlement Offers Hope For Better Regulatory Future

  

  The recent settlement between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Ripple — in which the agency agreed to return $75 million of a $125 million fine — vindicates criticisms of the SEC and highlights the urgent need for a complete overhaul of its crypto regulation, says J.W. Verret at George Mason University.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Preparing For Corporate Work

  

  Law school often doesn't cover the business strategy, financial fluency and negotiation skills needed for a successful corporate or transactional law practice, but there are practical ways to gain relevant experience and achieve the mindset shifts critical to a thriving career in this space, says Dakota Forsyth at Olshan Frome.

• FDIC Shift On ALJs May Show Agencies Meeting New Norms

  

  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s recent reversal, deciding to not fight a Kansas bank’s claim that the FDIC's administrative law judge removal process is unconstitutional, shows that independent agencies may be preemptively reconsidering their enforcement and adjudication authority amid executive and judicial actions curtailing their operations, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

• Opinion

  The SEC Must Protect Its Best Tool For Discovering Fraud

  

  By eliminating the consolidated audit trail's collection of most retail customer information, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deter securities market fraud and abuse, something new Chair Paul Atkins must ensure doesn't happen, says former SEC data strategist Hugh Beck.

• Meta Case Brings Customer-Facing Statements Issue To Fore

  

  Now that Facebook v. Amalgamated Bank has returned to California federal court after the U.S. Supreme Court in November found it improvidently granted certiorari, it will be worth watching whether customer-facing communications, such as Facebook's privacy policies, are found to be made in connection with the sale of a security, says Samuel Groner at Fried Frank.

• A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

  

  The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

• How Latin American Finance Markets May Shift Under Trump

  

  Changes in the federal government are bringing profound implications for Latin American financial institutions and cross-border financing, including increased competition from U.S. banks, volatility in equity markets and stable green investor demand despite deregulation in the U.S., says David Contreiras Tyler at Womble Bond.

• Series

  Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

• How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms

  

  Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

• Opinion

  Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

  

  Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.