Algo trading: a glance at MiFID II

New rules on algorithmic trading, such as those quickly approaching from MiFID II, are cause for preparation across the industry, with various regulations in this sphere also impacting the buy-side. So, in this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the ways that regulation is currently, or will soon be, impacting algorithmic


It has been nearly four years since the implementation of CRR/CRD IV which cover prudential rules for banks, building societies and investment firms with the main aim of reducing the likelihood that these financial institutions will become insolvent.  To an extent, this reflects the Basel III rules on capital measurement and capital standards which is


Following one of the Trump administration’s financial executive orders, the US Treasury Department issued a report which calls for regulators to streamline reporting obligations and review their coordination efforts, incorporating greater accountability and clarity into examination procedures and data collection requirements. The request mirrors commentary from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, who, during his


Introduction With less than 5 months left before the deadline for MiFID II on 3 January 2018, firms are still grappling with the implementation of MiFID II.  One key area is the new product governance framework which has been enacted with the objective of ensuring that firms act in the best interests of their clients


RegTech: strategic, automated solutions

Regulation is constantly changing and evolving, reflecting the turbulent and innovative nature of financial services, with hundreds of regulators in different regions and financial spheres formulating regimes and detailing the obligations firms must prove compliance with. The implication for any firm is that keeping track can be a drain on resources – and risky if


Re-engineering the Capital Markets Union

As the EU-28 evolves into the EU-27, the European Commission (EC) has ensured their members that this will only be a bump in the road towards financial integration. The flagship initiative of the European Commission, the “Capital Markets Union Action Plan”, recently underwent a mid-term review of progress so far, highlighting both the achievements and


The clock is ticking and the EU market has less than half a year left to implement the regulatory changes required from it.  The revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) sets new legislation effective 3 January 2018, containing a range of complex provisions intended to enhance transparency and investor protection within the financial


Commodity derivative trading is just one of the many topic areas under MiFID II that firms need to ensure they are prepared for before 3 January 2018. One set of measurements in this area is that firms will be required to report commodities positions to National Competent Authorities (NCAs) on a daily basis. Another is


Latest RegBeacon available now

Over the past quarter, we have made considerable progress towards the creation of a RegTech Council. In this members-only issue we cover our latest activity in the RegTech arena including:   The progress of our new RegTech SIGs – The restructured membership groups are broadening and improving our coverage MIG update – With 6 months to go, firms are moving from


In the eight years since the G20’s Pittsburgh summit, regulatory forces have reshaped the complexity of market infrastructure.  Unfortunately, there has not been a corresponding increase in the maturity level of industry engagement between the public and private sector. The current landscape for regulatory reporting is riddled with complexity – made evident by waves of


The end is in sight.  In under six months, the deadline for MiFID II implementation will have passed.  Since its legislative inception, JWG has iterated the importance of forward planning and anticipating the major changes under MiFID II.  In concrete terms, our MiFID Implementation Group (MIG) meetings have provided the platform for senior managers from


JWG announce 12 July MiFID Webinar

In our previous article we announced some of the key findings from our recent buy-side focused MiFID survey. Now we are pleased to announce a webinar on 12 July to review and analyse the results in more depth with a panel of experts. The webinar will aim to present new survey findings to help inform


90% of buy-side firms believe they are at either high or medium risk of not being compliant by the January 2018 deadline, despite this date having already been delayed by a year. Significantly, with just over six months to go, a large amount of the industry appears to be overstretched and under-prepared. It is imperative


Paying for research under MiFID II

The topic of research under MiFID II has been a popular discussion lately amongst top firms at JWG’s MIG meetings. MiFID II demands that firms be transparent to investors about how they plan to pay for research and the value which they place on it, which has led managers to think about how much they


One of the many weaknesses that the financial crisis exposed was the feeble transparency framework in financial markets.  In response, MiFID II and MiFIR built on the regulatory agenda of the G20 by aiming to strengthen the transparency framework of markets in financial instruments, including OTC trading. Building on MiFID I, the second incarnation extends


Not long now – in less than 6 months’ time – both MiFID II and PRIIPs will become effective across EU Member States. ESMA recently published a Q&A on MiFID II and MiFIR investor protection topics in which 14 new questions were added. These include new Q&As on costs and charges in relation to the


16 May 2017 signalled the end of the European Commission’s public consultation period on the operations of the European Supervisory Authorities.  The purpose of the outreach was to gather market evidence on the progress of the ESAs towards their objectives for short, medium and long-term stability and the effectiveness of the financial system. JWG brought


GDPR and data security by design

In exactly one year, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will apply across the European Union, yet firms are struggling to prepare for new data security obligations due to the sheer quantity of regulations due to be enforced in 2018. With the current date of MiFID II being 3 January 2018 and PSD2 due 10


Latest RegBeacon available now

With the industry facing a 60,000 regulatory document mountain, JWG is finding new ways to deploy technology and crowd sourcing to help. In this members-only issue we cover our RegTech outlook and initiatives including:   Launch of JWG’s new RegTech SIGs – The restructured membership groups are broadening and improving our coverage MIG update – With


What image is conjured up when you hear the term “cybercriminal”?  A Guy Fawkes mask partially concealed underneath a black hoodie to the accompaniment of sinister music? Whilst this image provides an excellent trope for Saturday night TV, it does not reflect the reality of cybercrime. At our second RegTech Capital Markets Conference, we held


JWG are pleased to announce the launch of an independent benchmark survey {link} investigating the approach asset managers are taking to transform their operating models to be MiFID II compliant. MiFID II will be the biggest regulatory change since the 2008 financial crisis.  It is a complex and interconnected beast that will affect your business


The UK’s departure from the European Union will be a seismic event for the financial sector, requiring extensive planning and transitioning from all corners of the industry.  To implement all of the necessary changes in time, many assumptions will need to be made.  In order to make this more efficient and lower the substantial costs


JWG’s RegTech Capital Markets Conference has made it into Business Insider’s list of the world’s best RegTech conferences to attend in 2017. The 300-person event in Central London on 28 February will bring together the world’s largest financial institutions, public bodies and systems-providers. Business Insider research finds that RegTech’s biggest advantages don’t just lie “automating


In fewer than 230 days – 7.5 working months from now, the biggest regulatory change since the 2008 financial crisis is set to come into force.  The legislation, Markets in Financial Instruments Directive/Regulation (MiFID II/R), is one of Europe’s most ambitious and far-reaching financial reforms and is estimated to cost the financial industry billions to


The common image of a cybercriminal is that of a slovenly, yet highly-skilled, individual sitting alone in a basement having not seen daylight in weeks.  The modern cybercriminal, however, is far removed from this. Cybercriminals are organised in large networks, often well-funded and highly talented which allows them to unleash devastating attacks.  According to online


On 31 January 2017, ESMA published a consultation paper seeking feedback by the end of Q1 on its draft guidelines regarding the transfer of data between trade repositories (TRs) and it is expected to publish the final report on these guidelines by the end of Q2/beginning of Q3 of 2017. The three main reasons for


The sheer number of overlapping regulatory reporting regimes makes compliance difficult. MiFID II, which comes into effect in January 2018, significantly expands the scope of transaction reporting. EMIR, which is a reporting regime for derivative transactions under the EU regulation on OTC derivatives, CCPs and trade repositories, came into effect on 10 April 2014. Reporting


Since the financial crisis, we have been gifted over two Eiffel Towers high worth of complex and costly financial regulation, ever increasing in quantity and intricacy. Boards struggle to formulate their strategies to deal with regulatory-driven change to their operating models. There are answers, and now is the time to flush them out – before


The current buzzwords circulating around the media, “digital revolution”, succinctly capture what is occurring in the futures markets.  With automated trading now constituting up to 70% of trades in regulated futures markets in the US, a modern-day Gordon Gekko would be using a cutting-edge code to create an automated trading system rather than relying on


JWG are proud to announce that registrations for our second RegTech Conference on 28 February 2017 have topped 300 from over 50 firms, regulators, standards bodies and leading technology companies. After five years and hundreds of articles from our analysts on www.regtechfs.com and 47 special interest group meetings on regulatory implementation in 2016 alone, we


On 21 January 2017, the European Commission (EC) published a delegated regulation and an implementing regulation in the Official Journal amending the RTS and ITS on the minimum details of the data to be reported to trade repositories under EMIR. One of the key changes made by the EC includes defining how to identify and classify


On 19 January 2017, MEPs rejected the European Commission’s blacklist of countries at risk of money laundering and terrorist financing as being ‘too limited’. The rejection suggests that the list should be broader, by including countries that facilitate tax crime, for example. The list from the Commission contained the names of 11 countries, including Afghanistan,


Following on from last month’s Q&A on commodity derivatives within MiFID II/MiFIR, on 17 January ESMA published its guidelines for the disclosure of inside information on commodity derivatives and spot markets under the Market Abuse Regulation framework.  This publication is a response in accordance with Article 7(5) of MAR, that expresses ESMA to be the


Big data and financial regulation share two striking resemblances: both are overwhelming and largely impenetrable to the uninitiated.  Although combining the two is pursued with noble intentions by regulators, the result is a concoction of stress, confusion and frustration for most firms.  This combination, however, is of paramount importance for firms’ and clients’ concerns about


On 17 January, ESMA published advice received from the Securities and Markets Stakeholder Group (SMSG) in relation to the consultation on MiFID II product governance.  This CP was released on 5 October 2016 and it set out to create guidelines relating to the target market assessment.  The SMSG established a working group with the specific


A busy December for financial regulation!

Never mind a busy December, all in all, it was a busy year for financial regulation as shown in one of our previous articles, as 384 regulatory documents were captured and uploaded in our trade and transaction RegDelta library. MiFID II Before Christmas, we saw ESMA publish many documents much like in January 2016 with


Best Execution: How compliant are NCAs now?

On 11 January 2017, ESMA released its follow-up to the peer review on best execution which came out in February 2015.  With significant improvement by many NCAs since the 2015 review, the follow-up reads as a far more positive report, with optimism for further development in the future.  Although certainly not perfect, it reveals that


Getting MiFID II right the first time

Transparency is the cornerstone of MiFID II. Whether it’s pricing, product or process transparency, participants will need to pull back the curtains to make more information public regarding the nature of their operations, products and services. Consequently, investment firms will need to know more about their clients than ever before, with very little margin for


The European Commission proposed on 21 December 2016 to strengthen Europe’s criminal law framework to combat money laundering by drawing on international standards to establish minimum rules for defining criminal offences, imposing sanctions in relation to money laundering and improving cross-border cooperation between Member States.  In the press release, Commissioner Avramopoulos stated that this proposal


In April 2016, European Supervisory Authorities (ESA) submitted a draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) for Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products (PRIIPs) Regulation, focusing on the requirements of key information documents (KID).  Despite the KID RTS being endorsed by the EU Commission, the European Parliament – in a surprising move – rejected the draft.  It


On 19 December 2016, ESMA published its Q&A paper on the topic of commodity derivatives within MiFID II and MiFIR.  The document focuses on the promotion of supervisory approaches and practices for the application of position limits, position reporting and ancillary activity provisions.  It also provides clarity on the technicalities of the policy and the


Data reporting under MiFIR

Just before the Christmas break, as part of its quick-fire release of numerous important updates, ESMA published a new Questions and Answers document that covers MiFIR data reporting.  Broken down into two separate sections, the document looks specifically at (i) LEI of the issuer and (ii) date and time of the request of admission and


On 23 November 2016, the European Commission published its proposal for a comprehensive reform package aimed at continuing risk reduction and to further strengthen resilience across the European banking system.  Included within these proposals are amendments to the current capital requirements (CRR/CRD) and resolution framework (BRRD/SRM). The Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) and Directive (CRD IV,


RegBeacon shines light on 2017

Seismic decisions around the globe last year will make this year the most uncertain for future plans since the G20 agreed regulatory implementation priorities in 2009. Though the shifting tectonic plates of geopolitics will dominate 2017 headlines, the uncertainty doesn’t matter from an implementation perspective. There is an unprecedented level to change to get on


On 16 December 2016, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published their fourth and final consultation paper (CP) on implementing MiFID II regulations into domestic regulation by 3 July 2017, which will be applied to firms from 3 January 2018.  MiFID II aims to bolster competition in the EU’s financial market by creating a single market


Merry Christmas from Team JWG!

2016 has added tens of thousands of new regulatory pages to the pile, which has kept us, at JWG, very busy boys and girls. Unlike the last decade, however this year has been about unexpected twists and turns in the road: It’s been a year of MiFID II/R panic, implementation delays, regulators waking up to


Transaction reporting can be a difficult regulatory requirement to get right and compliance can be even more complicated due to multiple overlapping transaction reporting regimes, which all serve slightly different purposes and have varying structures. This article looks at the transaction reporting requirements under four key regulations: MiFID II, EMIR, REMIT and SFTR. The first


In our preceding article about ISINs, we explored the pursuit of a universal OTC identifier, and discussed what has occurred in Europe to fix this gap in the financial industry.  The Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) created the ANNA Derivatives Service Bureau, which is based on an automated ISIN allocation engine and is scheduled


In the previous two articles, we delved into the guidance notes on systematic internalisers and research.  The third guidance note produced by JWG centres on inducements. This particular guidance note helps explain the MiFID II obligations of inducements, for example, it speaks of the necessary quality enhancement test and defines acceptable minor non-monetary benefits, just


In order to comply with the latest regulations, firms must manage their transaction reporting obligations.  A unified transaction reporting regime across the European Union (EU) was first introduced when MiFID I came into force in 2007 with the objective of detecting and investigating potential market abuses.  With MiFID II implementation set for January 2018, transaction


Following on from part 1 of this article, where we highlighted the benefits of the MiFID II Implementation Group (MIG) and how it has helped members better understand and develop solutions to key MiFID II/R issues, with a particular focus on those surrounding systematic internalisers, we take a similar approach in this article and examine


With the MiFID II/R implementation deadline less than 420 days away, financial institutions are trying to find the smartest ways to comply with this new regulation.  JWG can make this process much easier through the collaborative effort of our MiFID II Implementation Group (MIG). About MIG The MIG is a JWG-facilitated weekly meeting of industry


Last month, JWG were pleased to participate in the Trusted Open Data Environments 2016 conference in Poznan, Poland, which was attended by data specialists from a variety of regulatory agencies, academics, practitioners and FinTech entrepreneurs. It was a full day of hot topics, including international standardisation, Initial Coin Offerings and data reporting.  So, what did


In December 2015, ESMA published a consultation paper on transaction reporting, order record keeping and clock synchronisation.  Shortly after, we summarised the 10 key issues from the MiFID II guidelines for transaction reporting.  Now, having considered the issues raised in the responses to the consultation paper, ESMA has published its guidelines. Considering the key topics


Latest edition of RegBeacon published

We are pleased to publish the latest copy of our newsletter, RegBeacon. In this edition we look back on a quarter that saw us take major steps forward with our regulatory change management platform, RegDelta, host more than 10 industry working groups and agree to host another crucial conference on RegTech. As politicians, courts, regulators


The Securities Financing Transitions Regulation (SFTR) has been introduced in the light of the G20’s agenda to address concerns of the build-up of leverage and pro-cyclicality which can be caused by securities transactions. Article 29(3) of SFTR specifically asks ESMA along with European Banking Authority (EBA) and European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) to help ESMA


As time ticks on in the implementation delay for MiFID II, regulators and firms are moving closer towards mutual understanding and delivery. There are still many creases to be ironed out in the run up to January 2018, especially with regards to transaction reporting, which is a major pain point for many firms. This article


The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published its third consultation paper (CP3) with regards to the implementation of the revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) on 29 September 2016. MiFID II, which comes into effect on 3 January 2018, is aimed at making markets more efficient, transparent and responsible.  Strengthening consumer protection is one


There is no hiding that securities financing transactions, thanks to their role in the financial crisis of 2007-2008, do not have a good reputation.  The Financial Stability Board’s policy framework seeks to address SFTs’ complex and opaque nature through increased transparency of these products to allow clients a more accurate assessment of where to invest


Brexit: is equivalence the answer?

On Wednesday 14 September, the EU Financial Affairs Sub-Committee heard evidence from Mr. Simon Gleeson, Partner at Clifford Chance, and Mr. Peter Snowdon, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, for its Brexit Inquiry into financial services. Over the course of an hour, the discussion focused on how UK firms might hope to invoke rights of ‘equivalence’


Key regulatory themes for 2016

So far 2016 has been one of the most contentious years since the G20 agreed the regulatory reform agenda seven years ago. With ever-rising costs, increasingly more severe penalties, and continued issues with data quality, it would be easy to claim the plans conceived in the wake of the crisis are not going to get


The Payment Services Directive (PSD) was adopted in 2007 as a means for providing a legal foundation for establishing safer and easier electronic payment services throughout the European Union.  The goal was to make cross-border payments quick, efficient and secure.  In July 2013, the Commission decided to review PSD and modernise it to adapt to


On the 14 September 2016 there was a staggering majority vote against the EU Commission’s Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) for the PRIIPS key information document (KID), at 602 to 4, with 12 abstentions. The rejection by the Parliament of the implementation rules proposed by the Commission is unprecedented in the financial markets, and now it


The phase-in for central counterparty clearing (CCP) for certain Over-the-Counter (OTC) derivative contracts began in 21 June 2016 for certain contracts, with many more soon to follow, until all in-scope contracts are subject to the obligations by 9 August 2019. The European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) requires certain classes of OTC derivative contracts to be


Benchmarks and indices are vital tools for assessing the underlying price of financial instruments and contracts as well as for measuring the performance of investment funds.  Despite this, recent LIBOR and EURIBOR scandals have exposed how vulnerable to manipulation these instruments are.  In the light of these events, the European Commission produced a benchmark regulation, which


In part 1 of this article, we examined three of the six key areas of overlap between the regulations on PRIIPs and MiFID II/R.  In particular, we provided detail on, and discussed the degree of similarities between, the scope, the disclosure requirements for financial instruments and the obligations to identify a ‘target market’ between both


On 18 July 2016, ESMA, the European Securities and Markets Authority, published its advice to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on extending the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) passport to 12 non-EU countries: Australia, Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Hong Kong, the Isle of Man, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the


On 18 July 2016, the FCA produced a consultation paper (CP16/18) outlining suggestions on how to prepare the rulebook for the introduction of PRIIPS.  PRIIPS, which is designed to increase transparency of costs, risk and intended market, will take effect on 31 December 2016.  It requires each manufacturer and distributor of insurance-based investment products (IIP) or packaged


On 17 June 2016, the Council of the European Union approved a one-year delay to the MiFID II transposition and implementation dates.  Under the new regulation, the deadline for Member States to transpose MiFID II into national legislation is 3 July 2017 and the date of application for MiFID II/R is now set for 3


Brexit and IT Law (II): Data Protection

This is the second in a series of occasional blogs we’ll be writing about what Brexit means for IT and IT Law in the coming weeks and months. Deirdre Moynihan reviews what Brexit is likely to mean for Data Protection, where the approach to implementing the General Data Protection Regulation could well turn out to


This is the first in a series of occasional blogs we’ll be writing about what Brexit means for IT and IT Law in the coming weeks and months. It looks at the choices facing the UK IT industry around Brexit and Article 50.  In the second, Deirdre Moynihan reviews what Brexit is likely to mean


Dismantling data standards barriers

The push for increased transparency following the financial crisis has had a visible impact on the financial services industry.  Many regulations have created similar, but slightly different, requirements, in particular across the Atlantic.  Increased – but uncoordinated – demand on data, and proof of process in different formats and languages, without proper impact assessments conducted


By January 2018, European legislation will have significantly changed the financial services sector. The sheer volume of transactions, products and firms affected by new regulation means that we can say goodbye to the trading landscape we currently know. In particular, new rules under MiFID II will impact how and where market participants execute trades. All


The RegTech domains

In our response to the FCA’s call for input on RegTech, we recommended framing the thinking via the RegTech domains to help enable the prioritisation of new technological solutions in the context of external regulatory circumstances. As we have stressed before, RegTech is about the application of technology to solve a specific regulatory problem, not


The revised European Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) looms over the regulatory horizon like an oncoming storm in the financial services industry. Aiming to improve the safety and transparency of financial markets, MiFID II reaches far beyond investment banks, impacting asset managers, commodity firms and OTC brokers and dealers too.  In terms of


Plumbing the reporting infrastructure

At JWG’s RegTech conference, now less than a month away, our second panel* will bring experts together to discuss the matter of aligning reporting obligations using RegTech to ease the regulatory burden. Panellists confirmed so far include Adedayo Banwo (Legal Counsel at Deutsche Bank, London Branch, former Counsel in the Office of General Counsel at


DerivSource and JWG podcast on Brexit

Last week, JWG had the pleasure of taking part in a podcast to discuss the recent publication of our Brexit research paper.  Hosted by Julia Schieffer from DerivSource, the podcast, which can be found here, takes an in-depth look at some of the most pertinent issues raised in the report. The discussion focused on the


The Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) final text was published in January 2016 by the Basel Committee (BCBS).  The aims of the FRTB BCBS standards are to better factor market risk into trading book risk models, and to prevent banks moving instruments between the trading book and the banking book in order to


In a week which has seen cyber-risk cement itself on the agendas of regulators across the world, we’ve witnessed action in the trading space with plenty of developments occurring in Europe’s markets in financial instruments’ overhaul, as well as a concerted effort to rethink the way in which regulations and regulators work in the financial services industry.


With 23 June just around the corner and a vote deciding the future of the UK in the EU on the horizon, we at JWG have issued a ground-breaking report today – Brexit: changing out the engine of finance. The report finds significant technical and leadership challenges ahead in the event of a decision to


ESMA updates RTS on position limits

On Monday the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published opinions on the Regulatory Technical Standards for position limits (RTS 21) and non-equity transparency (RTS 20) under MiFID II, in response to the Commission’s request to ESMA in April to modify the draft RTS issued in September 2015. This article will detail the updates on


We were pleased to speak at the Asset Control User Conference on Tuesday about the challenges of using RegTech in the context of comprehensive MiFID II data requirements.  JWG’s CEO, PJ Di Giammarino, presented a helicopter view of the regulatory landscape ahead of us, an approach to getting the cost of the data under control.


On 24 March, as part of the UK’s effort to set rules to transpose the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II), the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) set out its proposals in its first consultation paper. The application deadline for MiFID II/R has been delayed by one-year to 3 January 2018, with just the European


Last week was an embarrassing week around the globe for a number of high profile politicians, sports personalities, multinationals, law firms, the rich and the famous.  The leak of the Panama papers – a data leak of almost 11.5 million documents, concerning the tax affairs of many – brings into sharp focus an agenda that


On 1 April 2016, the European Commission’s Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/467 relating to Solvency II – the European risk-based capital regime – was published into the Official Journal of the EU.  This covers the new risk charges imposed on insurers’ equity and debt investment in infrastructure projects. Based on advice from the European Insurance and


MAR: time to worry about your opinions

JWG’s Customer Data Management Group (CDMG) March focus was the soon to be implemented (3 July 2016) Market Abuse Regulation (MAR). JWG have created a set of rule interpretations for MAR which have been incorporated into our regulatory platform, RegDelta.  The March CDMG also included a rule interpretation segment, where participants ‘deep-dived’ a few of


Earlier today, the European Commission published part of the long awaited Delegated Acts for MiFID II.  This was an unexpected move by as not many were expecting to see them in separate parts. This first set of Delegated Acts for MiFID II has been based on advice from ESMA and covers three topics; safeguarding of


JWG’s recent series on the emerging regulatory barriers and issues in FinTech, does an excellent job of setting forth the main issues for what is sure to be a busy few years of calibration for regulatory compliance and reporting. The emergence of RegTech, roughly the ways in which the adoption of new technologies can help


In the post-Easter week, regulators were busy shining a spotlight on remuneration practices in the industry.  We saw the EBA releasing a report looking at the high earners in EU banks and ESMA focusing on sound remuneration policies under the UCITS Directive and AIFMD. The FSB also met in Tokyo to discuss their priorities for


FinCEN’s proposed rules on beneficial ownership due diligence, the incoming 4th Money Laundering Directive (AMLD IV) and now the UK’s Register of People with Significant Control (PSC) Regulation all push for more transparency in beneficial ownership or significant control of companies. The aim is to reduce acts of money laundering and tax evasion and to


A brief exchange of correspondence between regulators over the last fortnight has brought aspects of MiFID II’s regulatory technical standards back into question. On 14 March, a letter from the European Commission to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), seen by Reuters, requested that the technical standards on position limits be rewritten, with the


UK investment managers are becoming increasingly vocal in the Brexit debate, with the June referendum possibly marking a turning point for the industry.  These are top players in the European fund management industry, yet their dominance is dependent on the ability to do business across the continent.  In this sense, regulation matters … a lot. 


The new regime for transaction reporting, being introduced under MiFID II, represents a significant overhaul and expansion of what is currently required by MiFID I.  On 9 March, as part of their two-year programme on MiFID II, City & Financial Global held a highly topical event on transaction reporting under MiFID II. The last City