Last week the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) issued a No-Action Letter that helps harmonize the CFTC’s pay-to-play rules for swap dealers (Regulation 23.451) with both the SEC and Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) pay-to-play regulations. The Letter also provided guidance regarding the two-year “look back” period, during which time swap dealers may be prohibited

Last week the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations issued a National Examination Risk Alert for brokers, dealers and municipal securities dealers regarding compliance with Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) Rule G-37. The Risk Alert noted that recent SEC examiners have observed practices that raise concerns whether firms are adequately complying with all of