Expert Analysis

• Easing Equity Research Firewall Shows SEC Open To Updates

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent agreement to modify a decades-old settlement meant to limit investment bankers’ influence over research analysts within major broker-dealer firms reflects a shift toward a commission that recognizes how rules can be modernized to lighten compliance burdens without eliminating core safeguards, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

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  Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  The regulatory and litigation developments for California financial institutions in the fourth quarter of 2025 were incremental but consequential, with the Department of Financial Protection & Innovation relying on public enforcement actions to articulate expectations, and lawmakers and privacy regulators playing a role as well, says Stephen Britt at Stinson.

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  Fly-Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Much like skilled attorneys, the best anglers prize preparation, presentation and patience while respecting their adversaries — both human and trout, says Rob Braverman at Braverman Greenspun.

• 4 Ways GCs Can Manage Growing Service Of Process Volume

  

  As automation and arbitration increase the volume of legal filings, in-house counsel must build scalable service of process systems that strengthen corporate governance and manage risk in real time, says Paul Mathews at Corporation Service Co.

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  NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  In the fourth quarter of last year, New York state enacted several developments that affect financial services regulation and business, cementing upcoming compliance obligations including cybersecurity best practices and retail stores' cash management, says Chris Bonner at Barclay Damon.

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  The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Forming Measurable Ties

  

  Relationship-building should begin as early as possible in a law firm merger, as intentional pathways to bringing people together drive collaboration, positive client response, engagements and growth, says Amie Colby at Troutman.

• Opinion

  US Cybersecurity Strategy Must Include Immigration Reform

  

  Cyberthreats are escalating while the cybersecurity workforce remains constrained due to a lack of clear standards for national-interest determinations, processing backlogs affecting professionals who protect critical public systems and visa allocations that do not reflect real-world demands, says Rusten Hurd at Colombo & Hurd.

• How 2025 Executive Orders Are Reshaping Consumer Finance

  

  In 2025, President Donald Trump used executive orders to initiate a reversal of policies on fair lending, urge agencies to use enforcement and supervisory tools to police debanking, and reduce consumer financial regulation — and the resulting flurry of deregulatory activity will likely continue in 2026, says Elizabeth Tucci at Goodwin.

• OFAC Sanctions Will Intensify Amid Global Tensions In 2026

  

  The Office of Foreign Assets Control will ramp up its targeting of companies in the private equity, venture capital, real estate and legal markets in 2026, in keeping with the aggressive foreign policy approach embraced by the Trump administration in 2025, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2026 And Beyond

  

  2026 will likely be shaped by issues ranging from artificial intelligence regulatory turbulence to potential evidence rule changes, and e-discovery professionals will need to understand how to effectively guide the responsible and defensible adoption of emerging tools, while also ensuring effective safeguards, say attorneys at Littler.

• Reinventing Bank Risk Mgmt. After 2025's Cartel Crackdown

  

  The Trump administration's 2025 designation of certain transnational drug cartels as terrorists means that banks must adapt to a narrowing margin of error in their customer screening and transaction assessments by treating financial crime prevention as a continuous and cross-enterprise concern with national security implications, says Jack Harrington at Bradley Arant.

• Roundup

  Massachusetts Banking Brief

  

  In this Expert Analysis series, attorneys provide quarterly recaps discussing the biggest developments in Massachusetts banking regulation and policymaking.

• Reviewing Historical And Recent NYDFS Blockchain Guidance

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  An industry letter released in the fall by the New York State Department of Financial Services, together with guidance issued over the past decade, signals a heightened regulatory expectation for covered institutions regarding the use of blockchain analytics and requires review, says Nicole De Santis at Nomadis Consulting.

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  Judges On AI: How Courts Can Boost Access To Justice

  

  Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Samuel A. Thumma writes that generative artificial intelligence tools offer a profound opportunity to enhance access to justice and engender public confidence in courts’ use of technology, and judges can seize this opportunity in five key ways.

• Shopify Suit Is An Early Antitrust Test Of 'Buy Now, Pay Later'

  

  An ongoing antitrust suit in Minnesota federal court filed by Sezzle against Shopify — one of the earliest such lawsuits focused on buy now, pay later services — could play a particularly informative role in how short-term credit offerings and the broader market develop, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.