The SEC announced that Elizabeth Murphy has been named as an associate director of its Division of Corporation Finance. See: Press Release.

FINRA issued a regulatory notice requiring specific transaction volume information to be reported by alternative trading systems ("ATSs"). The rule change requires an ATS to (i) report the weekly volume information and number of securities transactions within the ATS by security and (ii) acquire and use a single, unique market participant identifier ("MPID") when reporting information to FINRA. The reporting requirements will apply to all equities and debt securities subject to FINRA trade reporting requirements; i.e., equities and debt securities for which transactions are reported under the

FINRA filed with the SEC a proposed rule change to amend FINRA Rule 5131 ("New Issue Allocations and Distributions") in order to provide FINRA with general exemptive authority under the rule. FINRA Rule 5131 addresses potential abuses in the allocation and distribution of "new issues." The rule essentially prohibits investment banks from either (i) selling access to public offerings in return for extra compensation by purchasers or (ii) allocating IPO shares to corporate insiders in exchange for underwriting business. FINRA filed the proposed rule change to be effective immediately. Lofchie

The SEC announced that it will host a roundtable next month to discuss cybersecurity, the issues and challenges that cybersecurity raises for market participants and public companies, and how the SEC is addressing those concerns. The roundtable will be held at the SEC's Washington, D.C. headquarters on March 26, will be open to the public and will be webcast live on the SEC's website. Information on the agenda and participants will be published in the coming weeks. See: Press Release.

MSRB filed with the SEC an amendment to the proposed rule filing that was submitted in June 10, 2013. The amendment revises and reinstates the original proposed rule change consisting of new Rule G-45 and subsequent new Form G-45, as well as Rule G-8 ("Books and Records to Be Made by Brokers, Dealers and Municipal Securities Dealers"), and Rule G-9 ("Preservation of Records"). The Amendment amends and restates the original proposed rule change to: clarify that the information which would need to be submitted by underwriters of 529 college savings plans ("529 plans" or "plans") under the