The CFTC held a Global Markets Advisory Committee ("GMAC") meeting. The Commissioners focused on issues related to clearinghouse safeguard assessments and the CFTC's proposal on the cross-border application of its margin requirements for uncleared swaps. CFTC Commissioner Wetjen delivered the opening remarks. He noted that clearinghouses are at the center of the new market structure for cleared swaps and stated that global coordination of clearinghouses is "crucial." He also acknowledged that as clearing volumes increase, the concentrated risk in the cleared space must be addressed. In

The Equity Market Structure Advisory Committee (the "Committee") of the SEC held its first meeting. The participants focused on Regulation NMS Rule 611, also known as the "Order Protection Rule" or "Trade-through Rule." The SEC established the Committee in February 2015 to provide a formal mechanism through which the SEC could receive advice and recommendations on equity market structure issues. Chair Mary Jo White delivered the opening remarks. She emphasized that market complexity is a key characteristic of equity markets and "deserves close attention." Complexity, Chair White explained

SEC Director of the Division of Enforcement ("Division") Andrew Ceresney delivered the keynote speech at the Fourth Annual White Collar Institute. In his speech, he discussed the successes of the SEC's national litigation program and how the Division selects forums in contested actions. First, Mr. Ceresney outlined the successes of the SEC's litigation program, explaining that the Division's litigators have handled an increasingly expansive docket of litigation and trials. He highlighted significant jury trial wins during the past year, as well as successes in administrative proceedings

According to an article written by Mercatus Scholar Andrea Castillo and published by reason.com, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act ("CISA") is "unlikely to meaningfully prevent cyber-attacks as proponents claim, and could ultimately weaken cybersecurity." In the article, Ms. Castillo discusses how CISA would extend legal immunity to corporations that choose to grant the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence access to customer data considered relevant to a "cybersecurity threat." According to Ms. Castillo, the data collected

CFTC Commissioner J. Christopher Giancarlo delivered a speech before the USA EnergyRisk Summit. The speech focused on whether the proposed CFTC position limits rulemaking is necessary in the energy markets. According to Commissioner Giancarlo, evidence presented at the CFTC's recent Energy and Environmental Markets Advisory Committee ("EEMAC") meeting suggests that (i) the "run up in oil prices before the financial crisis did not bear any of the signs of excessive speculation," and (ii) "speculators are not responsible for the significant declines in oil prices over the last nine months."