News

Bates News, Bates Research | 06-05-20

New Capital Market Insights White Paper: Bear Markets, Black Swan Events and Volatility

The first part of this year has been challenging for the equity markets. In March, the S&P 500 Index plunged into bear market territory as volatility soared to historic levels. The sudden appearance of a severe global pandemic is just the most recent example of a “black swan event” roiling the markets. In this paper, Bates Director and expert Greg Kyle examines in detail bear markets, black swan events, and volatility to gain some perspective on how the recent—or current?—bear market compares with historical periods.

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Bates News | 06-04-20

CEO Message: Standing up to Racial Injustice

A message from Bates Group CEO Jennifer Stout

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Bates Research | 06-04-20

Oil-Related ETP Recommendations: FINRA Reminds Firms of Suitability and New Reg BI Obligations

Concern about recommendations of complex financial products for retail investors has been at the center of the debate over changing standards for broker-dealers and investment advisers. With full implementation of the heightened Reg BI requirements less than a month away, FINRA issued a Notice reminding firms of their sales obligations when offering recommendations on complex oil-related ETPs. FINRA’s Notice provides an important case study not only as to the specific expectations of firms that trade oil-related ETPs, but also on how the self-regulator appears to be handling concerns about recommendations to retail clients of complex products in a volatile market. Bates takes a closer look in the full article, including what FINRA expects of firms and registered representatives.

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Bates News | 06-03-20

Bates Group Partners with Linda Tuck Chapman and Ontala for Third Party Risk Management Services

Bates Group is proud to announce our partnership with Ontala Performance Solutions, led by internationally acclaimed expert Linda Tuck Chapman, to expand Bates’ risk services to include the critical area of third-party risk management.

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Bates News | 06-02-20

Introducing Bates Group’s Business Interruption Litigation Support

Bates Group’s industry-leading insurance, forensic accounting and economic damages experts stand ready to assist Insurers and agents in the many challenges they face as result of pandemic-related business interruptions, including pre-litigation claims reviews and multi-faceted support should a matter proceed to litigation.

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Events | 05-29-20

CLE Webinar: Employment Claims and Potential Economic Damages – What to Expect in the “New Normal”

Join Bates Group moderator Sheila Murphy and Managing Director A. Christine Davis, along with three accomplished employment lawyers as they explore and address employment-related litigation issues, including wage and hour and potential economic damages claims, stemming from COVID-19.

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Compliance and Regulatory Alerts | 05-28-20

Reg BI & Form CRS Countdown: One Month to Go - Exams to Start July 1, 2020

The June 30th, 2020 implementation date for SEC Regulation Best Interest and the corresponding Customer Relationship Summary (Form CRS) is only one month away. At a recent SIFMA panel discussion covering a host of priorities amid COVID-19, FINRA legal, risk and supervision executives focused on some of the immediate concerns regarding Reg BI and Form CRS, including their examination focus and the suitability rule. Bates Compliance has the details.

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Bates Research | 05-21-20

NASAA Seeks to Disrupt Fraud, Moves to Online Exams; FINRA Warns of Pandemic Scams

State and federal regulators are pressing firms to increase vigilance against crisis-related misconduct and other vulnerabilities in order to protect investors. The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) recently took several public steps in response to COVID‑19 challenges, including forming a COVID-19 Enforcement Task Force that will identify and stop the latest potential threats to investors. Meanwhile, FINRA issued alerts detailing the most prevalent scams during the pandemic and the recommended practices for both investors and firms to combat them. Bates Research takes a closer look.

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Bates News, Bates Research, Compliance and Regulatory Alerts | 05-20-20

Bates Practice Insights: What Compliance Officers are Thinking About Now

In this first of a series of conversations with Bates Group practice leaders, we caught up with Robert Lavigne, Managing Director and Bates Compliance Practice Leader, and Hank Sanchez, Esq., Bates Compliance Managing Director and former SEC and FINRA regulator, to get an understanding of what they are hearing from compliance officers right now, as well as advice for compliance teams in the "new normal."

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Bates Research | 05-14-20

AML Compliance Report: FinCEN Says Hold the Line, FFIEC Updates Exam Manual

At a time when regulators are emphasizing their understanding of, and flexibility concerning, the difficulties facing financial firms as a result of COVID-19, FinCEN and the umbrella Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) are demanding robust compliance with Bank Secrecy Act/ /Anti-Money laundering (BSA/AML) requirements. Since Bates’ last report, in which FinCEN highlighted warnings about bad actors finding opportunities created by the volatility and the fear in the markets, FinCEN issued additional compliance information to its previous alert, and FFIEC published a long- anticipated update to its BSA/AML Examination Manual. Bates Research has the details.

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New Capital Market Insights White Paper: Bear Markets, Black Swan Events and Volatility

CEO Message: Standing up to Racial Injustice

Oil-Related ETP Recommendations: FINRA Reminds Firms of Suitability and New Reg BI Obligations

Bates Group Partners with Linda Tuck Chapman and Ontala for Third Party Risk Management Services

Introducing Bates Group’s Business Interruption Litigation Support

CLE Webinar: Employment Claims and Potential Economic Damages – What to Expect in the “New Normal”

Reg BI & Form CRS Countdown: One Month to Go - Exams to Start July 1, 2020

NASAA Seeks to Disrupt Fraud, Moves to Online Exams; FINRA Warns of Pandemic Scams

Bates Practice Insights: What Compliance Officers are Thinking About Now

AML Compliance Report: FinCEN Says Hold the Line, FFIEC Updates Exam Manual

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