All posts by Clifford E. Kirsch, Editor

Eversheds Sutherland With more than 25 years of experience, Cliff regularly counsels clients on the design and distribution of investment products including wrap-fee programs and other advisory products, mutual funds, bank collective investment funds and insurance products. He also focuses on issues related to the design and implementation of compliance programs at financial services firms.

Compliance, Enforcement, International, Regulatory

Updates on SEC, FINRA, CFTC, and more from FiSolve

May 15, 2026 Clifford E. Kirsch, Editor Leave a comment

This week’s developments pointed to a regulatory environment focused on enforcement priorities, early remediation, and market oversight.

The SEC’s new Enforcement Director outlined a back-to-basics agenda centered on investor protection, insider trading, market manipulation, and private fund risks
FINRA highlighted a more preventative compliance approach through its expanded Rapid Remediation initiative
The CFTC continued its push to defend exclusive federal authority over prediction markets
ESMA flagged governance and control-function weaknesses in its latest supervisory review of fund managers
New reports on financial services talent and concentrated AI funding underscored how workforce pressures and capital flows are continuing to reshape the broader industry

Read the full update from FiSolve here.

Compliance, Enforcement, International, Regulatory, Standard of Care

Updates on SEC, CFTC, FINRA, and more from FiSolve

May 10, 2026 Clifford E. Kirsch, Editor Leave a comment

This week brought a sharp reminder that regulators remain focused on market integrity, supervision, and structural change.

Taken together, the week’s developments reflect a regulatory environment that remains active on both enforcement and reform. Read the full update from FiSolve here.

Compliance, Enforcement, International, Regulatory, Standard of Care

Updates on CFTC, SEC, FINRA, and more from FiSolve

May 4, 2026 Clifford E. Kirsch, Editor Leave a comment

This week brought a busy mix of enforcement, policy, and market-structure developments across the financial services landscape:

The CFTC sued Wisconsin as part of its broader effort to defend federal authority over prediction markets and separately brought an insider trading case tied to Nicolás Maduro-related event contracts
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins outlined the agency’s “ACT” strategy to advance, clarify, and transform the SEC’s regulatory framework
FINRA sanctioned a broker-dealer for Regulation Best Interest failures and late private placement filings
The OCC moved to clarify national bank fee authority and assert federal preemption over Illinois’ interchange fee law
ESMA launched a call for evidence on the structure of European equity markets
PwC’s latest financial wellness survey highlighted employee financial stress as an increasingly visible business and workforce risk

Read the full update from FiSolve here.

Compliance, Enforcement, Standard of Care

Coordinated $80 Million AML Enforcement Action Highlights Breakdown Between Policy and Practice

April 28, 2026 Clifford E. Kirsch, Editor Leave a comment

Regulators continue to focus on AML programs that exist on paper but fail in practice, particularly in higher-risk trading environments such as microcap and over-the-counter markets.

On March 6, 2026, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority brought coordinated enforcement actions against Canaccord Genuity LLC arising from significant anti-money laundering failures tied to its over-the-counter trading business.

The coordinated resolutions resulted in a $80 million total monetary settlement, including amounts payable to the SEC and FINRA. FinCEN also required additional remedial undertakings, including independent consultant review work.

To help you make sense of what this means for you and your clients, read the full article from our friends at SEC³ here.