Fintech

February 27, 2025
Stripe Says It's Valued At $91.5B Through Tender Offer

Payment provider Stripe Inc., advised by Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, on Thursday said it reached a $91.5 billion valuation after agreeing with investors to provide liquidity to current and former Stripe employees through a tender offer.
February 26, 2025
SEC Wants To Pause Fraud Suit Against Tron Founder

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday asked a New York federal court to pause its fraud suit against the founder of blockchain network Tron Foundation, joining the growing list of cryptocurrency cases being abandoned or sidelined under the new Trump administration.
February 26, 2025
Bank Directors Back Ex-Rabobank Exec's High Court Bid

A bank director advocacy group has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a former Rabobank compliance chief's challenge against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, arguing the agency engages in a practice of "regulation-by-dismissal" to the detriment of the banking industry.
February 26, 2025
Trump's CFPB Pick Says Agency's 'Past Excesses' Must End

President Donald Trump's nominee to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will tell senators on Thursday that a "crisis of legitimacy" plagues the beleaguered agency, casting it as an out-of-control regulator that needs to be brought to heel.
February 26, 2025
Trump CFTC Shifts Enforcement Stance From Stick To Carrot

In a sign that it is backing off a more aggressive tone on enforcement during the second Trump administration, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has provided what it says is first-of-its-kind guidance on how much money regulated entities can expect to save for cooperating with agency investigations.
February 26, 2025
Ex-CFTC Chair Says Congress 'Can Do Better' On Stablecoins

Senate Democrats questioned the consumer protection provisions included in recently proposed stablecoin legislation at a Wednesday digital asset subcommittee hearing, which saw a former U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair argue that lawmakers "can do a lot better" than the existing proposals.
February 26, 2025
2nd Circ. Won't Revive Federal Claims In Uniswap Crypto Suit

The Second Circuit affirmed Wednesday that Uniswap Labs and its venture capital backers can't be held liable under federal securities law for the sale of so-called scam tokens on the decentralized Uniswap exchange, but directed the New York federal judge who tossed the buyers' suit to take another look at their state law claims.
February 26, 2025
GOP-Led House Panel Pushes Easier Rules On Capital Raising

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee invited input Wednesday on a slew of deregulatory bills that seek to ease rules governing private and public securities offerings, drawing plaudits from the Republican majority and mixed responses from Democrats.
February 26, 2025
Banks' Fight Over CFPB Open Banking Rule Put On Pause

A Kentucky federal judge agreed Tuesday to pause a banking industry challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's open banking rule, giving the agency's new leadership time to review what it wants to do with the Biden-era measure.
February 26, 2025
JPMorgan Paying For Lawyers On Both Sides Of Javice Trial

JPMorgan Chase, the bank allegedly duped by Frank founder Charlie Javice into paying $175 million for her education startup, is paying legal fees for defense counsel as well as for lawyers representing prosecution witnesses, according to statements in court Wednesday.
February 26, 2025
Bradley Arant Hires SEC Enforcement Trial Atty In DC

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has hired a government investigations partner in Washington, D.C., with more than a decade of experience at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission prosecuting and probing a range of fraud.
February 25, 2025
FBI Came For Abramoff Asking About Russian Spy-Linked Pal

Disgraced lobbyist and government witness Jack Abramoff told jurors Tuesday during his cross-examination at the fraud trial of a cryptocurrency company founder he worked for that the FBI initially approached him in 2018 with questions about his connection to a conservative operative once linked to a Russian agent.
February 25, 2025
Binance Can't Evade Terror Victims' Suit, But It's Trimmed

The New York federal judge overseeing Hamas attack survivors' claims against Binance and its former CEO said on Tuesday that the defendants can't dodge the suit claiming they aided terrorist groups on a jurisdictional basis, but said some of the plaintiffs are not closely related enough to the victims to bring claims under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
February 25, 2025
GreenSky Loan Class Action Certified In Calif. Court

A California federal judge has granted class certification to consumers suing GreenSky Inc. over alleged unlawful loan transaction fees, finding that expert analysis showed merchants likely passed these fees onto borrowers, but also granted summary judgment to the lending company on claims related to performance fees over the lack of evidence that consumers had to pay them.
February 25, 2025
Trump Admin Says 'There Will Continue To Be A CFPB'

The Trump administration denied late Monday that it is planning to eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, telling a D.C. federal judge that it had closed the agency's headquarters and benched employees instead partly due to their own "disruptive protests."
February 25, 2025
Block Considers NY Settlement Over Money-Laundering Curbs

Block Inc., the parent company of the peer-to-peer mobile payments platform Cash App and payments platform Square, is working to resolve allegations from New York state's financial regulator touching on its compliance with money-laundering restrictions, the company says.
February 25, 2025
Horse-Racing Co.'s 'Unregistered' NFTs Cost Gains, Suit Says

A nonfungible token project that once allowed users to invest in virtual versions of real-life racehorses is caught in a proposed class action from an investor who alleges that "Game of Silks" failed to register its tokens as securities and disclose key information to buyers before it collapsed.
February 25, 2025
Another Crypto Co. Says SEC Inquiry Ends Without Action

Decentralized finance platform Uniswap Labs announced Tuesday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission closed its multi-year investigation into the firm, marking the latest crypto business to claim the regulator is walking away without taking action.
February 25, 2025
Dem Commissioner To Leave CFTC Upon New Chair's Arrival

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission member Christy Goldsmith Romero said Tuesday afternoon that she plans to exit the agency as soon as Congress confirms the appointment of a new chair, likely leaving the financial markets regulator with only a single Democrat overseeing its activities.
February 25, 2025
SEC's Small Biz Panel Seeks Relief For Venture Funds

A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission advisory group is recommending the agency ease rules to allow qualifying venture funds to attract more investors without registering with the SEC, hoping to bolster capital available to small businesses.
February 25, 2025
Referral Co. Barred From $5.54B Swipe Fee MDL Settlement

A New York federal judge has blocked a referral partner of a claims filing service from any role in the $5.54 billion settlement of long-running multidistrict litigation accusing Visa and Mastercard of charging improper merchant fees, after the referral partner allegedly improperly used class member information to submit claims.
February 24, 2025
FDIC Scraps 10th Circ. Brief Backing Colo.'s Opt-Out Law

In a pivot, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Monday withdrew a Tenth Circuit brief that had supported Colorado in industry litigation against the state's "opt-out" law aimed at curbing higher-cost online lending.
February 24, 2025
Lobbyist Abramoff Testifies At Fraud Trial Against Crypto CEO

Disgraced Washington, D.C., power broker Jack Abramoff told jurors on Monday that he participated in a conspiracy with the founder of an "anti-money laundering" cryptocurrency company accused of bilking investors out of $5 million, testifying remotely due to a recent cancer diagnosis.
February 24, 2025
Patent Eligibility Appeals 'Will Not Go Away,' Justices Told

Another plea to hear a patent eligibility case has been lodged at the U.S. Supreme Court, this time in an amicus brief from the owner of two invalidated patents covering medical machinery that warned "the problem will not go away. The problem will get worse and worse."
February 24, 2025
SEC Crypto Task Force Wants Input, Commissioner Says

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Hester Peirce urged firms to bring their input to her Crypto Task Force in a Friday statement that outlined a series of questions the group is grappling with, including the taxonomy of tokens.

Expert Analysis

New Year, New Risks: 8 Top Cyber Issues For Finance In 2025

As financial institutions forge ahead in 2025, they must strike a delicate balance between embracing technological innovation and guarding against its darker threats, which this year could include everything from supply chain vulnerabilities to deepfakes, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.
5th Circ.'s Nasdaq Ruling Another Piece In DEI Policy Puzzle

The Fifth Circuit's recent en banc opinion vacating Nasdaq's board diversity listing rule wades into the hotly debated topic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at a time when many public companies are navigating the attention that DEI commitments are drawing from activists and shareholders, say attorneys at Debevoise.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
Lessons From The SEC's 2024 Crackdown On AI Washing

AI washing was the subject of increased scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2024 following a surge in the commercial adoption of generative artificial intelligence technologies in 2023, highlighting the importance of transparency, accuracy and accountability when communicating about AI, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
The Securities Litigation Trends That Will Matter Most In 2025

2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for securities litigation, as plaintiffs and defendants alike navigate shifting standards for omission theories of liability, class certification, risk disclosure claims and more, say attorneys at Willkie.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
Predicting The Lasting Changes CFPB May Face In 2025

President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming Republican-controlled Congress' likely attempts to reshape the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could significantly alter its rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement abilities for years to come, says Jim Sandy at McGlinchey Stafford.
How White Collar Enforcement May Shift In Trump's 2nd Term

After President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House next month, the administration’s emphasis on immigration laws, drug offenses and violent crime will likely reduce the focus on white collar crime overall, but certain areas within the white collar world may see increased activity, say attorneys at Keker Van Nest.
New Trump Admin May Bring Financial Oversight Turbulence

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to begin his second term, his top financial market regulatory and securities law enforcement appointees, campaign promises, and regulatory preferences foretell a period of muddy regulatory waters, say attorneys at Kroll.
The Justices' Securities Rulings, Dismissals That Defined '24

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 securities rulings led to increased success for defendants' price impact arguments, but the justices' decisions not to weigh in on important issues relating to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's pleading requirements may be just as significant, say attorneys at Skadden.
10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024

In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.
Series

Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.
The Story Of 2024's Biggest Bank Regs, And Their Fate In 2025

U.S. federal bank regulators were very active in 2024 with initiatives ranging from antitrust and capital to proposals regarding controlling shareholders and incentive-based compensation, but many regulations face an uncertain future under the new administration, say attorneys at Latham.
Opinion

Justices Rightly Corrected Course In Nvidia And Facebook

By dismissing both the Nvidia and Facebook class actions, over investors' ability to hold corporations accountable for fraud, the U.S. Supreme Court was right in refusing to favor corporations over transparency, and reaffirmed its commitment to corporate accountability, investor protection and the rule of law, says Laura Posner at Cohen Milstein.