A Primer On ESG Bonds (Video)

On September 30, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued two rule proposals and five notices aimed at expanding investors’ access to private markets. The package would add ways to qualify as an accredited investor, including passing a new exam administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), broaden performance-based compensation and modernize regulated funds, including interval funds and business development companies (BDCs).

The SEC has approved new NYSE and NYSE American listing rules establishing a $0.25 minimum trading price, effective July 1, 2027. A single closing price below this threshold triggers immediate trading suspension and delisting proceedings with no cure period. Companies trading at low share prices must act now during the transition period to implement reverse stock splits and establish monitoring procedures before this hard floor takes effect.

As AI infrastructure spending surges toward $697 billion in 2026, hyperscalers and compute providers are increasingly turning to debt, structured financing, and GPU-backed collateral to fund expansion. While demand projections remain bullish, a critical timing gap is emerging between capital deployment and cash flow generation, creating significant risks for lenders, sponsors, and operators across the ecosystem.

The SEC has issued a groundbreaking Innovation Exemption allowing tokenized securities venues to facilitate trading of tokenized NMS stocks using automated market makers and liquidity pools. This temporary five-year exemption from exchange and dealer registration requirements establishes conditions for permissioned blockchain-based trading while granting public companies a 30-day window to object to third-party tokenization of their securities.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, introducing two new exemptions from registration requirements and a safe harbor provision for investment contracts involving crypto assets. How will these tailored frameworks—the Startup Exemption for offerings up to $5M and the Fundraising Exemption for larger capital raises—reshape the regulatory landscape for digital asset issuers while preserving investor protections?

The SEC and CFTC have issued coordinated regulatory relief measures that significantly advance crypto-based trading infrastructure in US markets, bypassing Congressional gridlock on the CLARITY Act. These orders establish new frameworks for tokenized securities venues and passive software providers, potentially reshaping how digital assets are traded and accessed in regulated markets.

Moore & Van Allen's Derivatives & Trading team provides comprehensive analysis of recent CFTC and SEC enforcement actions, proposed regulations on crypto assets...

On March 19, 2026, the federal banking agencies issued a package of proposed changes to the regulatory capital requirements for banking institutions of all sizes, from the largest GSIBs and super-regional banks to community banks (the “Proposed Rules”). This package of proposals is a second full attempt at implementing the 2017 “Basel III Endgame” international framework—following the agencies’ initial package of proposals in July 2023 (the “2023 NPR”)—to better reflect credit, trading and operational risk in the calculation of minimum regulatory capital ratios.

The Health Resources and Services Administration has announced a revised 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program for drugs subject to Medicare's Maximum Fair Price, expanding eligibility to manufacturers with selected drugs for 2026 and 2027. The program introduces new data requirements, dispute resolution mechanisms, and stricter compliance monitoring while addressing stakeholder concerns about administrative burden and program integrity.

On May 29, 2026, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) took a series of coordinated actions to establish a domestic regulatory framework for perpetual contracts on digital commodities.

The Italian data protection authority fined IQVIA Solutions Italy €7 million for treating patient records as anonymous when they were actually pseudonymised personal data subject to GDPR. This decision demonstrates regulators' strict interpretation of what constitutes personal data, even as the EU considers narrowing this definition through the Digital Omnibus reforms.

Generative AI is transforming litigation defense by enabling in-house legal teams to manage costs and complexity more effectively across the entire case lifecycle. From early research and drafting through expert witness strategy and trial preparation, AI tools are helping defense teams work faster and more consistently. How are these technologies reshaping the way sophisticated counsel approaches multidistrict litigation, mass torts, and large-scale document management?

California's new Senate Bill 574 introduces statutory duties for attorneys using generative AI, including mandatory citation verification and court disclosure requirements starting January 1, 2027. The law raises critical questions about how these obligations extend to AI-assisted eDiscovery review and document summarization that feed into court filings.

A federal district court has preliminarily enjoined the EPA from reclassifying California's Clean Air Act preemption waiver orders as "rules" subject to the Congressional Review Act. The court found that EPA's reclassification likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeded the agency's authority, though the order does not prevent Congress from proceeding with pending disapproval resolutions.

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed sweeping changes to its equipment authorization program that would reorganize security restrictions around where devices are manufactured rather than who makes them. These new measures could fundamentally reshape how communications equipment—from smartphones to data center hardware—enters the U.S. market, with significant implications for manufacturers relying on foreign production.

Chinese authorities issued the first major update to criminal bribery laws in a decade, lowered thresholds for private-sector corruption crimes, and maintained aggressive enforcement against both bribe givers and receivers. Three senior officials faced prosecution in the first half of 2026, with investigations reaching back decades and emphasizing "family-style corruption" involving relatives who exploited officials' influence for personal gain.

Federal healthcare fraud enforcement leaders reveal a strategic shift at CMS and HHS-OIG, where administrative sanctions—including enrollment moratoria, revocations, and exclusions—now serve as the first line of defense against fraud, often preceding False Claims Act litigation. The panel discussion at AHLA's Fraud and Compliance Forum outlined how agencies are leveraging data analytics, financial crimes intelligence, and cross-program coordination to identify and shut down fraudulent providers

The Fifth Circuit's en banc decision in Sterling v. City of Jackson tests whether residents exposed to lead-contaminated municipal drinking water can sue under Section 1983 for substantive due process violations. In a 10-5 ruling, the court held that environmental harms caused by government mismanagement belong to tort law and the political process, not constitutional claims, creating a significant circuit split with implications for how environmental compliance failures by public officials are litigated.

A federal court in New York upheld a state law requiring social media platforms to disclose their content moderation policies, applying a deferential First Amendment standard. This decision directly conflicts with a Ninth Circuit ruling on California's similar statute, potentially setting the stage for Supreme Court review on whether such disclosure requirements constitute protected commercial speech or impermissible compelled expression.

US extradition proceedings are regulated by both treaty and US domestic legislation.