Meryl Wiener on SEC Exam Priorities 2019

Warshaw Burstein partner Meryl Wiener examines the newly announced SEC Examination Priorities for 2019. She outlines what SEC registered entities, from established broker-dealers to newly-formed investment advisers to hedge funds, should consider in dealing with a routine examination by the SEC. Meryl notes that due to manpower and cost constraints, the SEC Office of Compliance Inspection and Examinations (OCIE) only is able to examine a small fraction of entities that are subject to SEC rules and regulations. Every year OCIE announces a list of priorities that it will consider in choosing which entities to examine and that will determine the scope of the examinations. This year’s list includes a new priority, digital assets, which includes cryptocurrencies, coins and tokens, as the number of digital asset market participants has grown rapidly.