Management and Regulatory Tone: Atkins Brings Deliberation to the SEC

The second quarter of 2025 marked the SEC’s first full quarter below new Chair Paul Atkins, bringing a transparent shift in tone and regulatory method. In distinction to the fast-paced, enforcement-heavy ways of the Gensler-era SEC, Atkins has referred to as for a return to “common order” rulemaking. Throughout our Q2 Regulatory Roundup webinar, panelists from Eversheds Sutherland broke down what this shift in route means for monetary companies compliance leaders navigating an evolving regulatory local weather.

This shift challenges companies to maneuver past box-checking and towards reasoned, risk-based compliance frameworks that may evolve alongside regulatory expectations.
Listed here are the important thing takeaways:

• The SEC will return to extra deliberate rulemaking processes, with longer remark home windows and better trade engagement
• Atkins has emphasised the necessity to consider how overlapping guidelines could affect companies, notably smaller issuers and various asset managers
• Coverage adjustments will come up from formal processes (rule proposals and public enter), relatively than advert hoc enforcement actions
• Although the SEC noticed a 15% discount in headcount earlier this yr, Atkins has signaled a restaffing effort could observe

Along with the brand new regulatory tone, companies ought to:

• Count on new or reintroduced rule proposals to be much less prescriptive and extra tailor-made to threat profiles
• The SEC could prioritize innovation and market effectivity — notably for capital formation initiatives
• Anticipate slower enforcement momentum whereas the company restaffs, however preserve a proactive posture: documentation, supervision, and adaptableness stay important

Whereas Atkins isn’t emphasizing enforcement actions with the identical fervor, companies are nonetheless anticipated to display robust compliance applications, particularly these tailor-made to evolving applied sciences and market dangers.

The SEC’s return to a extra measured, engagement-driven regulatory course of provides companies house to construct stronger, extra sustainable compliance applications — however it additionally raises the bar. Expectations are shifting away from reactive, enforcement-driven responses and towards a proactive method grounded in documentation, supervision, and adaptableness.

For compliance leaders, which means investing within the infrastructure that helps long-term agility. The power to confidently seize, retain, and evaluation digital communications throughout an increasing vary of channels isn’t only a technical requirement; it’s foundational to a risk-aware, future-ready compliance posture.

As regulatory priorities evolve, so too should the methods and methods companies depend on. At Smarsh, we’ve seen how the proper information basis may help organizations not solely meet regulatory obligations but additionally achieve deeper insights and reply to vary with better confidence. In a interval of recalibration, that type of resilience isn’t non-obligatory — it’s important.

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Senior Regulatory Advisor at Smarsh

As a Regulatory Advisor at Smarsh, Tiffany Magri screens, evaluates and consults on the monetary companies regulatory panorama. Tiffany has greater than 10 years of expertise facilitating compliance with legal guidelines and rules, insurance policies, and threat administration. Previous to becoming a member of Smarsh, Tiffany was a Senior Affiliate at Profit Avenue Companions and a Compliance Analyst at Broadstone and Manning & Napier Advisors.

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