Securities Enforcement. Corporate Investigations. Financial Regulation.
Independent analysis of the laws, regulations, investigations, and enforcement actions shaping modern financial markets.
BRAEDEN ANDERSON
Braeden is one of the top securities lawyers in the country and was recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America in the Financial Services Regulation Law and Securities Regulation categories. This honor is awarded to only the top 2% of attorneys in the United States and is based on a comprehensive peer-review survey.
Braeden helped lead Gesmer Updegrove to recognition in The Legal 500 United States for Corporate Investigations & White Collar Crime, Tier 3, and Finance: Fintech, Tier 4.
Braeden is active in the U.S. securities enforcement community through Securities Docket, where he has served on the 2025 and 2026 Advisory Boards and contributed video commentary through the Weekly Update.
Braeden was named the #1 United States author in FinTech in Mondaq’s Spring 2025 Thought Leadership Awards, reflecting the national reach and influence of his writing on fintech, securities regulation, and digital asset policy.
FINRA Strengthens Borrowing and Lending Rules: Key Amendments to Rule 3240 Effective April 2025
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has adopted significant amendments to Rule 3240, which governs borrowing and lending arrangements between registered persons and their customers. These updates, effective April 28, 2025, are designed to reinforce the general prohibition against such arrangements and introduce several key modifications, including stricter notice and approval requirements, a modernized definition of “immediate family,” and narrower exceptions for personal and business relationships.
Gensler Reaffirms SEC's Regulation-By-Enforcement Approach to Crypto Amidst Industry Debate
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler has once again reiterated his commitment to the agency's ongoing regulation-by-enforcement strategy concerning cryptocurrency. Despite criticism from various sectors of the digital asset industry, Gensler maintains that the SEC’s efforts are firmly grounded in decades of legal precedent, and he intends to continue this approach to provide clarity and protection in the rapidly evolving world of digital assets.
Unpacking the SEC’s 2025 Examination Priorities: What’s on the Horizon for Investment Advisers, Broker-Dealers, and the Financial Sector
With the dawn of a new fiscal year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Examinations has unveiled its 2025 examination priorities. This annual roadmap serves as both a warning and a guide for firms navigating the ever-evolving regulatory landscape. The 2025 priorities not only highlight long-standing risk areas like fiduciary duty and cybersecurity, but also shine a spotlight on cutting-edge issues such as artificial intelligence and the growing complexities surrounding crypto assets.
Kamala Harris’s Team Is Considering Candidates to Replace SEC Chair Gary Gensler
With the 2024 election heating up and polls showing a tight race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, both camps are laying out vastly different strategies, including their approaches to regulatory enforcement. As part of Harris’s transition planning, her team is already vetting candidates to replace Gary Gensler as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), signaling potential shifts in the Commission's direction—particularly in its treatment of cryptocurrency and emerging financial technologies.
SEC Charges WisdomTree Asset Management with ESG Misstatements and Compliance Failures
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., a New York-based investment adviser, with failing to adhere to its own investment criteria for funds marketed as incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. The charges stem from the firm’s misstatements and compliance lapses related to the execution of its ESG investment strategies.