The SEC announced that Associate Director of the Office of Analytics and Research in the Division of Trading and Markets Gregg Berman will leave the agency later this month. See: SEC Press Release.

The SEC announced fraud charges against a former professional football player and others who allegedly operated a Ponzi scheme that raised more than $31 million from investors who were promised profits from loans to professional athletes. According to the SEC's complaint, former Miami Dolphins cornerback Will Allen and his business partner claimed to make loans to professional athletes who were short of cash, and promised investors that they could profit from funding the loans and receiving interest paid by the athletes of up to 18 percent. The two individuals allegedly misled investors about

IOSCO published two consultation reports intended to enhance the ability of financial markets and intermediaries to "manage risks, withstand catastrophic events, and swiftly resume their services" in the event of disruption. The first consultation report, " Mechanisms for Trading Venues to Effectively Manage Electronic Trading Risks and Plans for Business Continuity," provides an overview of the steps that trading venues can take to manage the risks associated with electronic trading. The report also provides recommendations to help regulators ensure that trading venues are able to manage a

The SEC announced that Director of the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations Andrew Bowden will leave the SEC at the end of April to return to the private sector. See: SEC Press Release.

The Futures Industry Association ("FIA") and FIA Europe issued the seventh in a series of special reports that cover the technical requirements of the MiFID II regulations adopted by the European Securities Markets Authorities ("ESMA"). Specifically, the new report offers an overview of ESMA's proposals in its Consultation Paper and draft Regulatory Technical Standards with respect to the obligation for investment firms to report transactions under Article 26 of MiFID. The ESMA Consultation Paper covers five specific aspects of market data reporting: (i) the obligation to report transactions,