The SEC interim final temporary rules concerning issuers impacted by Hurricane Michael were published in the Federal Register.

In a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, former SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins criticized a recent petition to require public companies to disclose environmental, social and governance investing information.

A proposed amendment to FINRA's anti-money laundering ("AML") program requirements for capital acquisition brokers is now effectivewith an implementation date of November 19, 2018. As previously covered, the amendment requires capital acquisition brokers to include in their AML programs risk-based procedures for conducting ongoing customer due diligence. The amendment conforms FINRA Rule 331 to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Customer Due Diligence Rule that went into effect on May 11, 2018.

A broker-dealer agreed to settle FINRA charges for failing to establish and maintain a supervisory system reasonably designed to oversee the activities that the broker-dealer had outsourced to a vendor. According to the Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC's ("JPMS") vendor was not automatically rebalancing portfolio assets in customer accounts or properly calculating customer fees. Without admitting or denying the findings, JPMS agreed to (i) certify in writing to the FINRA Department of Enforcement that it had engaged in a risk-based review of client facing