Viewpoints

Articles written by industry professionals for Fund Board Views, may be opinion, commentary, educational/instructional.

Conflicts of Interest: Attorneys

By Buddy Donohue

Fund directors and others in the mutual fund industry almost always refer to the attorney that is providing advice to them as “our lawyer.” They will then tell you how experienced the attorney is, how broad her practice and that of her law firm is, and how she provides the ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

Conflicts of Interest: Securities broker-dealers

By Buddy Donohue

Securities brokerage firms are a critical part of the financial landscape, as they provide a vast array of products and services to the financial services industry, the markets, and investors. And while the number of broker-dealers in the United States has declined over the past several years and now stands ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

Conflicts of Interest: Investment advisers

By Buddy Donohue

It comes as no surprise that investment advisers have a range of potential conflicts of interest as they provide investment advice to their clients. These conflicts relate to individuals who work at the adviser, to advisory activities, trade execution, and other services provided by the adviser and its affiliates, as ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

Conflicts of Interest: They’re still around

By Buddy Donohue

As I reflect on my almost 50 years in the financial services industry in a variety of roles—as a regulator, an officer and director of registered investment companies, and an executive and lawyer at financial services firms—I realize the importance of the identification and proper resolution of conflicts of interest. ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

SEC in 2025 (and beyond): How will Atkins shape the regulator?

By Dianne Descoteaux and Sara Vargo, MFDF

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler’s fast and furious rulemaking era will soon be ending, and it is a good time to take stock of what the SEC’s initiatives may look like with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee, Paul Atkins, at the helm. Atkins is CEO of Patomak Global Partners, ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

What will second Trump Administration mean for fund directors?

By Jay Baris and Nathan Greene, Sidley Austin LLP

The bottom line: In the near term, it’s not likely that the roles and activities of mutual fund directors will change much. There will be no pulling back from directors’ fiduciary duties and core oversight responsibilities.

But we can expect to see a number of incremental changes that, when taken together ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<