The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released its 2021 Examination Priorities on March 3. The Examinations group – elevated last December to Division status (formerly the Office of Compliance Investigations and Examinations (“OCIE”)) -- covered the list of perennial concerns. The 2021 priorities include some new subjects, however, reflecting the policy emphasis of the Biden administration.
“This year, the Division is enhancing its focus on climate and ESG-related risks by examining proxy voting policies and practices to ensure voting aligns ...
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) recently proposed sweeping modernization of industry self-regulatory rules to reflect firms’ successful pivot to remote operations over the past year. SIFMA suggests significant remote work likely will continue, even after the COVID-19 “pilot program.”
SIFMA proposed a “location agnostic” overhaul of the Rules in its February 16 comment letter in response to FINRA’s call for “lessons learned” during the COVID-19 pandemic. See FINRA Reg. Notice 20-42 (Dec. 16, 2020).
Firms’ ...