Linked below is an article entitled "O'Malia's TAC, Terror Tweets and Industry Initiatives," which originally appeared in the Energy Metro Desk. The article discusses topics to be addressed at the CFTC Technology Advisory Committee meeting to be led by Commissioner O’Malia, including problems related to SDR reporting. Click here to view the article in full.The above link is to an excerpt from the most recent issue of Energy Metro Desk, which is published biweekly by Scudder Publishing Group, an energy trade news publishing company based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Those

CFTC Commissioner Scott O'Malia provided the opening remarks at the April 30th Technology Advisory Committee. In his remarks, O'Malia stated that the main focus of the advisory meeting was swap data reporting and big data, but also commented on large trader swaps reporting under the CFTC's Part 20 Rules. O'Malia further noted that updates would be provided on a customer protection technology solution and CFTC Rules 1.73 ("Clearing Futures Commission Merchant Risk Management") and 1.74 ("Futures Commission Merchant Acceptance for Clearing"). Finally, the Commissioner commented on the recent

SIFMA submitted the attached comments and a petition for disapproval to the SEC on the following proposed rules: (i) Proposed Rule Change Establishing the NYSE Trades Digital Media Data Feed and a Schedule of the NYSE Proprietary Market Data Fees (Release No. 34-69272), (ii) Proposed Rule Change to Establish Certain Fees for the NYSE Trades and NYSE Realtime Reference Prices Market Data Products ( Release No. 34-69298), (iii) Proposed Rule Change Establishing Certain Fees for the NYSE MKT Trades and NYSE MKT Realtime Reference Prices Market Data Products ( Release No. 34-69300), (iv) Proposed

FINRA announced that Jonathan S. Sokobin, currently Acting Deputy Director of Research and Analysis in the Office of Financial Research at the U.S. Treasury Department, will join the organization as Chief Economist and Senior Vice President. In this role, Dr. Sokobin will lead FINRA's Office of the Chief Economist. The Office of the Chief Economist will work closely with the Office of General Counsel and other departments in developing new rules and analyzing the costs and benefits of existing and potential rulemakings. In order to facilitate that effort, the Office will be responsible for

The CFTC issued a much anticipated letter providing relief from the business conduct rules in connection with "prime brokerage" arrangements; i.e., arrangements where one swap dealer executes the trade and another (the "prime broker") becomes the eventual counterparty. The letter describes prime brokerage arrangements. It then says that the executing broker and the prime broker must (i) agree in writing as to how each aspect of the business conduct rules will be allocated between them; (ii) provide that neither is responsible for the obligations of the other; (iii) require that customers be