The Securities and Exchange Commission imposed nearly $4 Billion in disgorgement and penalties against investment firms in fiscal 2018 and continues to investigate and bring cases at a record pace. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton has doubled down on Mary Jo White’s commitment to examinations and personal accountability. How can a leader of an investment firm protect the franchise against this unprecedented scrutiny? Todd Cipperman, a recognized authority on investment compliance and regulatory issues, cuts through all the enforcement and political noise to describe the most significant compliance trends and offer insight on how to survive them. Mr. Cipperman identifies 10 critical trends that investment management executives and compliance professionals must know to protect their franchises:1. The SEC is examining more advisers and bringing more enforcement actions. 2. Senior executives are targeted for firm misconduct. 3. Securities markets service providers are charged with a market gatekeeping role.4. Flimsy compliance programs are scrutinized and punished. 5. A super-fiduciary standard is challenging investment advisers. 6. Private equity firms are forced to transform their business practices.7. Cybersecurity and protection of customer information have become top industry priorities.8. Product marketers are re-assessing constraints on traditional marketing, distribution, and revenue-sharing. 9. Whistleblowers are encouraged to snitch on their employers and competitors.10. FINRA has emerged as a securities enforcement organization. In The Compliance Advantage, Mr. Cipperman offers practical suggestions about how to respond to the regulatory environment. He recommends that investment firms identify and resolve regulatory problems before the SEC arrives for exams, enhance due diligence of prospective clients, audit the use of confidential information, and create an effective whistleblower procedure. Mr. Cipperman also offers some side-bars about how to build an effective compliance program, the SEC’s priorities, and how to identify conflicts of interest. The Compliance Advantage is indispensable for both C-Suite executives and compliance professionals to make sense of all the incoming regulatory data and create an action plan to protect their firms. Todd Cipperman is the founding principal of Cipperman Compliance Services (CCS). Since 2004, CCS and its affiliates have helped advisers, broker-dealers, and funds protect their franchises through the development, implementation, and operation of customized compliance programs that include ongoing review, testing, management, training, and regulatory response. Mr. Cipperman has over 25 years of experience in the investment management and financial services industries. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Cornell University. Mr. Cipperman is the author of the "Our Take" Regulatory Alerts, which provide daily updates on important industry developments via e-mail. An archive can be found at http://cipperman.com/blog/.