July 7, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On July 6, 2017, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) announced that it had granted LedgerX registration as a swap execution facility (“SEF”).  LedgerX is a platform that will trade and clear options on bitcoin. LedgerX has also applied to become a derivatives clearing organization.  If approved, LedgerX “would be the first federally regulated ...

June 12, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On June 8, 2017, Acting Chair J. Christopher Giancarlo of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) made his request for the CFTC’s budget for fiscal year 2018 (“FY 2018”) to the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Related Agencies (“Subcommittee”).  Acting Chair Giancarlo is seeking an increase in the CFTC’s ...

May 26, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On May 22, 2017, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) announced the finalization of amendments to its whistleblower rules.  The most important change is the CFTC’s assertion of the authority to enforce Section 23(h)(1) of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), which prohibits retaliation against whistleblowers.  When it originally promulgated its ...

May 24, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On May 17, 2017, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) announced the launch of its financial technology (“FinTech”) initiative, LabCFTC.  Per the agency, the initiative is designed to “promot[e] responsible FinTech innovation to improve the quality, resiliency, and competitiveness of the markets the CFTC oversees.”  According to Acting Chair J. ...

May 24, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On May 24, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held en banc oral argument in the rehearing of PHH Corp., et al. v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“PHH”).  The lively oral argument extended well beyond the time originally allotted by the Court, as lawyers for PHH, the Department of Justice, and...… Continue Reading

April 25, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On April 19, 2017, the House Financial Services Committee released a new discussion draft of the Financial CHOICE Act, its comprehensive regulatory reform bill.  The Committee released the first version of the CHOICE Act in June 2016.  Buoyed by the election of a Republican president, and following several months of public and industry outreach, Committee...… ...

April 24, 2017, Covington Alert

On April 19, 2017, the House Financial Services Committee (the “Committee”) released a new “discussion draft” of the Financial CHOICE Act, its comprehensive regulatory reform bill (“CHOICE Act 2.0”). The Committee released the first version of the bill (“CHOICE Act 1.0”) in June 2016.

April 14, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On April 5, 2017, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing at which Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) Director Richard Cordray was the sole witness.  During the five hours of the hearing, a wide partisan split over the performance of the CFPB  and Director Cordray  was on full display.  Throughout, Republicans characterized the CFPB...… ...

March 31, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On March 27, 2017, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) announced it entered into a consent order with Davisco Foods International, Inc. (“Davisco”), a dairy company, to settle allegations that Davisco acted as a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) for its milk suppliers without registering as an FCM.  Section 4d of the Commodity Exchange Act ...

March 15, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On March 14, 2017, the White House announced that President Donald Trump intends to nominate J. Christopher Giancarlo, currently Acting Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), to serve as the CFTC’s permanent Chairman, subject to confirmation by the Senate. Acting Chairman Giancarlo joined the CFTC as a commissioner in 2014, and was ...

March 3, 2017, Cov Financial Services

On March 2, 2017 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) released a “special edition” supervisory report that focused on improvements made in the credit reporting industry since the CFPB began supervising the industry in 2012.  This report follows on the heels of the monthly complaints report the CFPB released on March 1, 2017, which also...… Continue ...

February 3, 2017, Covington Alert

Throughout his campaign, President Donald Trump promised to curtail financial regulations, particularly those promulgated under the Dodd-Frank Act. President Trump argued frequently that the regulations issued under the act have proven overly burdensome and, among other things, limited job growth. This afternoon, the President took his first formal step in implementing his deregulatory agenda. He signed an executive order that will set in motion a comprehensive review of all financial regulatory requirements—including but not limited to those resulting from Dodd-Frank—and he issued a memorandum to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) ordering a 180-day postponement of its “fiduciary rule” and directing an analysis of whether the rule should be rescinded or revised.

January 19, 2017, Covington Alert

One of the most sweeping changes brought about by the Dodd-Frank Act was the introduction of a new regulatory framework for swaps trading. In 2013, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) finalized its rules on swap execution facilities (“SEFs”) and swaps trading on SEFs. Less than four years after these rules were finalized, the change in Presidential Administration will result in a change in leadership at the CFTC, which means the CFTC will revisit the swaps trading regime implemented in 2013.

November 30, 2016, Covington Alert

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is set to begin its trial of Donald R. Wilson and his proprietary trading firm, DRW Investments, LLC (“DRW”) on December 1, 2016. In advance of this trial, this alert provides the legal theory that will be tested during this trial and other observations related to the CFTC’s pursuit of attempted manipulation.

November 14, 2016, Covington Alert

On November 8, 2016, American voters elected Republican Donald J. Trump as President. In addition, Republicans maintained control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. As the campaign rhetoric fades into the background over the coming weeks and months, the business of transitioning to a new administration will begin in earnest. The results of the election promise to have a significant impact on the regulatory agenda of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Covington’s Futures and Derivatives practice will be closely monitoring developments at the CFTC on an ongoing basis during this transition and stands ready to assist clients in navigating the new derivatives regulatory environment.

October 20, 2016, Covington Alert

On October 19, 2016, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (collectively the “Agencies”) released a joint Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) requesting public comment on enhanced cybersecurity standards that would apply to certain large, interconnected financial entities (“covered entities”) as well as the third parties that provide services (“covered services”) to such entities.

October 12, 2016, Covington Alert

Insider trading is a familiar term to participants in the equities markets; however, this term now has application in the swaps, futures, and commodities markets regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In a time of aggressive enforcement, financial market participants should be aware that insider trading is a high priority for the CFTC enforcement program.

August 30, 2016, Covington Alert

As election season enters full swing, with political candidates at all levels actively soliciting campaign donations from individuals and companies, it is an ideal time for all companies to review the policies and procedures in place for political donations. While the SEC’s pay-to-play rules governing registered investment advisers and their “covered associates” are well known, the rules governing swap dealers are more obscure. Specifically, swap dealers and security-based swap dealers are subject to the “pay-to-play” rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) respectively, which impose restrictions on the making of campaign contributions to officials of certain government entities with which a swap dealer does business.