WilmerHale’s broker-dealer team is known for providing incisive, practical regulatory advice to the financial services sector. We work with clients to devise and implement sophisticated policies and supervisory procedures to achieve compliance with federal and state securities laws and self-regulatory organization regulations. Our lawyers have extensive experience conducting compliance reviews, counseling clients on triggers for broker-dealer registration, and advising them through the FINRA new and continuing membership application process.
Over the last 15 years, we have assisted in the creation of a number of new securities firms, alternative trading systems and other trading platforms that are now leaders in their respective areas of business. We deliver integrated solutions through a multidisciplinary approach that connects lawyers in the group with leading practitioners in the related fields of financial institutions, futures and derivatives, investment management, and cybersecurity and privacy.
Clients frequently turn to us to assist them in areas of law that are unsettled. We advise on newly adopted rules or legislation, and provide guidance on compliance and supervisory procedures in areas subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny. From our Washington DC–based regulatory hub, we also craft public policy solutions for financial market participants and trade organizations, assist clients in responding to proposed securities legislation, and work with them to secure exemptive relief, where appropriate.