Finance Law and Banking Law

On Friday, California Office of Health Care Affordability (“OHCA”) published proposed final regulations that implement a 2026 law that significantly expanded OHCA’s review authority over health care transactions involving private equity (“PE”) groups, hedge funds, and management services organizations (“MSOs”). Stakeholders involved in California health care transactions should re-assess whether their ongoing or contemplated transactions are implicated by these regulations, because newly covered transactions will need to comply with the 90-day advance notice requirement established in the original OHCA regulations.

On August 20, the District of Columbia’s Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2026 became effective after being enacted without Mayor Muriel Bowser’s signature.

In bankruptcies, a debtor or trustee may claw back legitimate payments the debtor made to its creditors within 90 days prior to filing of bankruptcy. In general terms, a preference claim is a transfer made (a) to or for the benefit of a creditor; (b) for or on account of antecedent debt owed by the debtor; (c) while the debtor was insolvent (liabilities exceed assets); (d) within 90 days before the bankruptcy petition was filed or one year if made to an insider; (e) such that it allows the creditor to receive more than it would have received if the debtor had not made the payment and the claim was paid through the bankruptcy process.

Structured credit plays a vital role in private credit markets by pooling loans, receivables, and cash-flowing assets to create tailored investment opportunities across various risk-return profiles.

The NAIC has proposed significant revisions to statutory accounting principles that would restrict bond treatment for multi-collateral structured credit investments deemed to carry "significant embedded asset-liability management risk." This analysis examines the regulatory concerns driving the proposal, evaluates whether the proposed framework appropriately addresses those concerns, and identifies potential unintended consequences for insurance company investors and the broader structured credit markets.

The NAIC Statutory Accounting Principles Working Group has exposed three significant proposals that could reshape how insurers classify and report certain investments. These initiatives address asset-backed securities with embedded asset-liability management risk, residential mortgage loan definitions and reporting requirements, and the treatment of Insurance Company Owned Life Insurance policies, with potential implications for risk-based capital charges and regulatory transparency.

The SEC and CFTC have issued coordinated regulatory relief measures that significantly advance crypto-based trading infrastructure in US markets, bypassing Congressional gridlock on the CLARITY Act. These orders establish new frameworks for tokenized securities venues and passive software providers, potentially reshaping how digital assets are traded and accessed in regulated markets.

Derivatives have evolved into essential financial instruments whose value derives from underlying assets like stocks, bonds, commodities, and currencies. This comprehensive guide examines the global derivatives landscape, exploring various instrument types from futures and options to swaps and CFDs, while analyzing how regulatory frameworks across major financial centers shape modern trading practices.

The U.S. Supreme Court may soon decide whether federal derivatives law preempts state sports gambling regulations, while the SEC proposes eliminating its controversial pay-to-play rule for investment advisers. Federal regulators also clarify how financial institutions can discuss suspicious transactions with customers without violating confidentiality requirements.

The SEC has granted petitions for review of Nasdaq's $5 million MVLS listing standard, keeping the controversial rule on hold while extending the review period for NYSE American's similar market capitalization requirement. Microcap companies trading near these thresholds face potential delisting consequences if these proposed rule changes are ultimately approved, making it critical to understand the compliance strategies and ongoing regulatory developments.

Forget what you thought you knew about startup funding. According to Crunchbase, billion-dollar rounds have moved from anomaly to expectation. In the first half of 2026, 60% of global startup funding flowed to rounds of $1 billion or more — and in the U.S., that figure jumped to a staggering 73%.

IPO readiness extends far beyond technical accounting, requiring companies to operate like public entities months before filing. Finance leaders must establish robust financial architecture, align stakeholders across departments, and address historical accounting issues that can derail timelines when exposed to public-company scrutiny.