Contact Bates Today

Bates Group is with you every step of the way. Contact us today for more information on how our End-to-End Solutions can help your firm.

Get My Solution Started

Bates Group Logo

We’re looking for talent! Interested in a career at Bates Group? Visit our Careers page.

Bates Group Welcomes Financial Services Industry Leader and Consultant Gerald Baker

09-14-18

Bates Group Welcomes Financial Services Industry Leader and Consultant Gerald Baker

Bates Group is pleased to welcome Gerald (“Jerry”) Baker, Financial Services Industry Leader and Consultant, to Bates Compliance Solutions. With over 45 years of Financial Services and Compliance experience, Mr. Baker brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, having developed compliance programs and managed Compliance Department functions at major U.S. securities and financial services firms. He provides compliance and supervisory consulting and training, serving clients at financial services firms, trade associations and regulatory organizations.

Read More

09-05-18

What’s In A Name? NASAA Weighs In On Regulation Best Interest

The North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”) encouraged the SEC “to make significant revisions to its April 18 Regulation Best Interest and related proposals (“Reg. BI”) before adopting them in order to best serve the interests of investors.”

In NASAA’s comment letter on Reg. BI, NASAA cautioned the SEC to take it slow, be deliberate and, most importantly, to consider “significant improvements” in order to “promulgate final rules that will serve the best interest of investors as the Commission intends.” Bates Research takes a closer look at NASAA’s concerns and its recommendations to the SEC.

Read More

Bates Welcomes New Financial Crimes Managing Director Edward Longridge

09-03-18

Bates Welcomes New Financial Crimes Managing Director Edward Longridge

Bates Group welcomes Edward Longridge as the new Managing Director of Bates’ Financial Crimes practice. Based in New York City, Ed brings nearly 20 years of distinguished experience as an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance and Financial Crimes leader at major multinational financial institutions.

Read More

08-15-18

Treasury, OCC and FINRA Set the Stage for Fall Fintech Debate

As the summer winds down, regulators are positioning themselves for more oversight of the financial technology sector. On July 30, the U.S. Treasury Department released a national agenda on how it intends to regulate fintech companies, encourage innovation and harmonize federal efforts with state regulators. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency followed up the Treasury report with an announcement that it will begin to accept applications for special-purpose national bank charters for certain types of fintech companies. And on the same day as Treasury came out with its recommendations, FINRA issued a “Special Notice” seeking comment on fintech innovation in the broker-dealer industry. How are these developments going to impact the industry? Here’s a closer look.

Read More

SEC Regulation Best Interest: Next Round

08-09-18

SEC Regulation Best Interest: Next Round

As the deadline for comments on SEC Regulation Best Interest draws to a close, echoes from the debate on the Department of Labor (“DOL”) fiduciary rule can be heard in new concerns being raised before the Commission. In a recent speech getting a lot of attention, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce undertook an analysis of the proposed regulation. Bates Research takes a look at that and some other notable recent reactions.

Read More

07-26-18

Eight Recent Developments on Cryptocurrency

Activity around the regulation of cryptocurrency continues apace. Only a short time ago, we reported on Operation Cryptosweep, a coordinated effort by NASAA and state securities regulators to crackdown on fraudulent cryptocurrency-related investment products. Today, we review a number of newsworthy developments that may affect the regulation of a technology that has defied easy categorization and oversight. Bates Research has the roundup:

Read More

07-19-18

FINRA Dispute Resolution Updates (and More)

FINRA recently issued a new fraud warning to member firms, highlighted certain changing rules and procedures for arbitrators, reminded arbitrators to stay current on their disclosures and offered up year-to-date statistics on dispute resolution. Bates Research has a summary.

Read More

07-12-18

Private Placements Drawing Attention

A recent analysis undertaken by the Wall Street Journal found that securities firms selling private placement investments employ an “unusually” high number of high risk brokers. The reporting has raised red flags for regulators who have committed themselves and their agencies to weeding out bad actors and recidivist brokers. Such scrutiny comes at the close of the comment period for FINRA’s “bad actor” rule proposals. Bates has the latest developments.

Read More

06-28-18

SEC Roundup: Strategic Plan Unveiled, Town Hall Kick-Off, Supreme Court & ALJs, New Elder Report

Just as the SEC was articulating a long-term agenda before Congress and pursuing a first-of-its-kind proactive investor advisory public outreach, the agency was forced to react to a new ruling by the Supreme Court declaring SEC hiring practices for Administrative Law Justices unconstitutional. In this article, we break down these recent developments and highlight a new independent analysis on elder financial exploitation published by the SEC Office of the Investor Advocate.

Read More

This Week: Bates Leaders and Experts to Speak at ACFE Global Fraud Conference

06-17-18

This Week: Bates Leaders and Experts to Speak at ACFE Global Fraud Conference

Connect with Bates group at the 29th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference. Bates Director Alex Russell, CFE, CFA, will be presenting the Data Analytics and Anti-Fraud panel “Errors, Biases and Algorithms: How to Interpret Automated Results,” while Financial Crimes Director Geoff WInkler, CFE, will moderate the Emerging Issues Panel "How to Detect and Prevent Fraud in Loyalty Programs." Fraud Expert Jacqueline Bloink, CFE, RHIA, will also be speaking on the Best Practices panel “Forensic Medical Coding and Billing for the CFE.”

June 17-22, 2018 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Read More

Meet Our New Experts

06-11-18

Meet Our New Experts

We are pleased to introduce Bates Group's newest experts & consultants: Jacqeuline Bloink, Ben Cooper, Craig Hurwitz, Lynn Jones, Jan Kostyun and W. Scott Simon.

Read More

Bates Welcomes Clay Grumke

06-08-18

Bates Welcomes Clay Grumke

Bates Group is proud to welcome Clay Grumke, our newest litigation, regulatory and internal investigations consultant and expert. Look for Clay at SIFMA's Compliance & Legal Society St. Louis Regional Seminar on June 12th, 2018.

Read More

06-07-18

FINRA Shares Exam Findings, Deficiencies That May Trigger Further Scrutiny

Continuing our coverage of FINRA’s 2018 Annual Conference, regulators and firm compliance professionals participated in discussions in a session titled “Common Examination Findings and Effective Compliance Practices.” The regulators offered a look into problem areas firms continue to face and common examination deficiencies.

The discussion offered insight into FINRA’s evolving approach to regulatory and compliance management. Bates Research has the details.

Read More