Law and regulation

The National Association of Bond Lawyers has updated its bankruptcy guide for members with new information drawn from the relatively high number of municipal bankruptcy filings in the last few years.

The 60 Plus Association announced on Thursday that it is forming a coalition of small holders of Puerto Rico bonds that will push for the creation of a financial control board and oppose bankruptcy legislation for the territory.

A U.S. district court judge has scheduled a trial for late summer of next year in the Securities and Exchange Commission case against the city of Miami and Michael Boudreaux, the city's former budget director.

Samantha DeZur, the Bond Dealers of America vice president of federal policy and strategic communications, will take a new job as the manager of government relations for Chicago-based CME Group Sept. 14.

Three federal appeals court judges dismissed a challenge Tuesday to the Securities and Exchange Commission's pay-to-play rule for investment advisors that has similarities to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's own pay-to-play rule for broker-dealers.

Michael Bartolotta, formerly of First Southwest, has left that firm to join Citi in Houston.

The National Association of Bond Lawyers released a paper Thursday giving its members tools to help issuer clients develop written disclosure policies and procedures in response to recent Securities and Exchange Commission cases against issuers.

The Investment Company Institute is urging the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board to give 529 college savings plan underwriters another extension before they will have to file their first data submissions under a recently adopted rule.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board announced changes to its Electronic Municipal Market Access site Tuesday that will allow municipal issuers to show bank loan disclosures in a further effort to promote voluntary disclosure of issuers’ bank loan financings.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ordered seven broker-dealer firms to pay a total of more than $90,641 to settle charges of muni trade reporting failures and excessive markups, as well as engaging in muni business without qualified personnel.