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Law Offices of Melanie L. Fein

RECENT CLIENT MATTERS

The following are some of our recent client matters:

Serving as a member of the Standards Resource Commission created by the CFP Board to provide guidance to certified financial planners on compliance with the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Practice Standards

Analysis of Securities and Exchange Commission's proposed "Regulation Best Interest" for securities broker-dealers 

Memorandum on how bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are regulated in the U.S. 

Analysis of relevant prudent investment factors for fiduciary investments in stable value funds

Analysis of permissibility of ESG (environmental, social, governance) investing by fiduciaries in the United Kingdom

Client memorandum on whether an institutional money market fund is a prudent investment for fiduciary cash versus a government MMF  

Analysis of class action lawsuits alleging violations of ERISA by university pension plans 

Series of papers on how robo-advisors are regulated, how they should be regulated, and whether they are "fiduciaries"

Paper discussing comparative risk and reward features of different types of cash sweep programs offered by broker-dealers, comparing deposit sweeps with MMF sweeps

Analysis of "robo-advisor" service structures, fee arrangements, and potential conflicts of interest

Analysis of Department of Labor fiduciary rule under ERISA and its application to regulated broker-dealers 

Banking law expert in international Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) case

Analysis of legal issues raised by third party vendor relationship with bank under Bank Service Company Act and bank supervisory guidance

Analysis of eligibility of trust accounts to invest in retail money market funds

Client memorandum analyzing the extent to which cost is a component of the duty of prudence that must be considered by a fiduciary when investing fiduciary assets

Analysis of SEC final regulation on money market fund reform

Client memorandum re authority of Financial Stability Oversight Council and Federal Reserve to designate and regulate nonbank "SIFIs"

Request to Federal Reserve requesting ruling that certain government-only money market funds are "highly liquid assets" for purposes of large bank liquidity requirements  

Analysis of Federal Reserve regulation adopting prudential standards for large bank SIFIs

Comment letters on SEC proposal to change regulation of money market funds

Research and analysis concerning regulation of money market funds

Client memorandum on fiduciary duties with respect to underperforming assets

Comment letters to FDIC and Federal Reserve Board concerning Reglation Q repeal

Analysis of Regulation D definition of "deposit" in connection with sweep arrangement

Paper on implications of financial crisis for modern portfolio theory and Uniform Prudent Investor Act

Letter to FASB concerning treatment of money market funds as cash equivalents for financial statement reporting purposes

Comment letter on SEC proposal regarding regulation of municipal advisors

Analysis of SEC study on treatment of securities brokers as fiduciaries

Conceptualizing proposal for regulatory treatment of principal trades by broker-dealers

Analysis of regulatory criteria for designation of nonbank financial companies as "systemically important"

Analysis of Volcker Rule restrictions on proprietary trading and hedge fund activities by banking entities

Analysis of proposals by Financial Stability Oversight Council

Analysis of issues relating to "shadow banking system"

Comment letter on Moody's proposal to revise rating criteria for money market funds

Analysis of President's Working Group recommendations on money market funds

Comment letter on FDIC proposal to extend guarantee of noninterest bearing transaction accounts

Analysis comparing broker-dealer suitability standard with trustee fiduciary standard

Analysis of SEC proposal to revise Rule 12b-1 mutual fund fees

Paper on implications of Dodd-Frank Act for bank holding companies

Analysis of various titles of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Paper analyzing the reasonableness standard for service provider fees under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

Drafting legislative amendments to financial services reform legislation

Analysis of new Basel international liquidity framework for banks

Analysis of financial reform legislation

Analysis of implications of new consolidated accounting rules (FAS 167) for bank capital

Advice regarding FINRA rules on "parking" of brokerage license and applicability of certain FINRA rules to bank employees engaged in securities transactions

Analysis of proposed Investor Protection Act of 2009 and related proposals 

Analysis of legislation proposed by Obama Administration to reform the financial regulatory system

Advice for securities brokers on implications of fiduciary status under Investment Advisers Act of 1940

Analysis of Administration proposal to impose a fiduciary duty on securities broker-dealers

Analysis of Financial Accounting Standards Board issuance on consolidated accounting (FAS 167) and implications for money market mutual funds

Memorandum analyzing Treasury proposal to establish a regulatory mechanism for resolving failing financial companies
 
Memorandum on meaning of "systemic risk" and proposals to address systemically significant financial institutions

Memorandum on Federal Reserve systemic oversight authority under "umbrella" regulation provisions of Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act


White paper on "The Truth About Money Funds"

Critical analysis of Group of Thirty Report on Financial Regulation

Critical analysis of Moody's and Fitch criteria for rating money market funds

Memorandum on Congressional financial reform activities

Memorandum on fiduciary Investments in money market funds in a zero or negative interest rate environment

Memorandum on eligibility of certain financing arrangements for FDIC temporary liquidity guarantee program

Expert witness report in litigation on bank commodity trading activities

Advice to financial industry trade association on regulatory reform proposals and issues

Memorandum on Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

White paper examining causes and consequences of current financial crisis, the government’s response, and financial restructuring initiatives 

Memorandum on risk characteristics of certain money market mutual funds

White paper examining Federal Reserve Board authority to extend liquidity to broker-dealers and implications of Bear Stearns crisis for federal safety net and future financial regulation 
 

Memorandum on scope of coverage of various customer account arrangements under Treasury Department’s Temporary Guarantee Program for money market mutual funds
 

Expert witness testimony in Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration proceeding.


Memorandum on applicability of various exemptions for banks from broker-dealer regulation under Regulation R

Memorandum on exemption from Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act for bank purchases of assets from affiliated money market mutual funds
 

Advice concerning investment of trust assets in bank deposits
 

Memorandum on FDIC pass-through insurance coverage for specific deposit account arrangements 

Advice on risk weightings of specific assets under Basel II capital standards 

Advice on scope of FDIC insurance coverage for sweep accounts in event of bank failure under new FDIC regulation  

Advice on rule proposal by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to exempt bank dual employees from certain broker-dealer supervision requirements  

Memorandum on covered bonds as partial substitute for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debt 

Memorandum on risk characteristics of GSE debt in light of Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 

Advice on mutual fund filing fees under particular state laws 
 

Advice on state law requirements pertaining to solicitation of fiduciary business under reciprocal statutes of another state

Memorandum on conflicts of interest regulation applicable to broker-dealers and investment advisers





Fein Law Offices
(202) 302-3874
melanie@feinlawoffices.com