Prepare Before the SEC Arrives.
Regulatory Readiness & Examination Support
An SEC or state examination can quickly become disruptive when your firm is not prepared.
Our team of former SEC examiners and managers helps investment advisers understand what regulators may look for, identify potential concerns before an examination, prepare your people and documentation, and respond confidently when an examination begins.
Decades of firsthand experience conducting and supervising 2,000+ SEC examinations.
When an Examination Begins,
Preparation Matters.
An examination is more than a request for documents. Examiners evaluate how your compliance program operates, how well your records support what you do, and how effectively your team can explain the firm's practices.
Our team of former SEC examiners and managers know how examinations are conducted—from initial requests and document review to interviews, follow-up questions, findings, and remediation.
We help you prepare for the questions behind the questions.
Know What to Expect. Be Ready to Respond.
Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, we tailor examination preparation to fit your firm's business, compliance program, regulatory history, and areas of risk.
SEC & State Examination Readiness
Assess your firm's preparedness before an examination begins. We review key areas of your compliance program, disclosures, testing, monitoring, documentation, and business practices to identify potential concerns and areas requiring attention.
Mock Regulatory Examination
Experience an on-site mock examination before the real thing. We can simulate the regulatory examination process through document requests, interviews, compliance reviews, testing of your responses, and an evaluation of potential findings.
Examination Request & Document Support
Be prepared when the request letter arrives. We help organize, review, and respond to examination requests and identify inconsistencies, gaps, or issues that may prompt additional questions.
Compliance Program Examination Review
Examiners look beyond whether policies exist. We assess whether your policies, procedures, testing, monitoring, disclosures, and actual business practices work together and can withstand regulatory scrutiny.
Management & Personnel
Interview Preparation
Prepare your team for the questions they may face. We conduct practice interviews, identify areas requiring clarification, and help management and personnel understand how to clearly explain the firm's compliance practices.
Deficiency Response & Remediation
If an examination identifies deficiencies, we help you understand the issues, develop appropriate responses, and implement corrective actions that address the underlying compliance concerns.
A Mock Examination Should Feel Like an Examination
Our mock examinations go beyond a checklist. They mirror the actual examination process and can include:
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Initial Meeting & Examination Scope
Understand your firm's business, operations, compliance structure, and areas likely to receive attention.
Document Request
Respond to examination-style requests and evaluate whether your documentation is complete, organized, and responsive.
Compliance & Records Review
Review policies, procedures, testing, monitoring, disclosures, books and records, and other materials relevant to the examination.
Personnel Interviews
Prepare and interview key personnel to evaluate how well they understand and can explain the firm's compliance practices.
Findings & Feedback
Identify potential deficiencies, inconsistencies, and areas that may warrant additional attention.
Exit Discussions & Recommendations
Receive clear findings and recommendations so your firm knows what to address before the regulator does.
Prepare Your People.
Prepare Your Response.
Documents tell part of the story. Your people tell the rest.
During an examination, your CCO, management, and employees may be asked to explain how the firm's compliance program operates in practice.
We help your team prepare to:
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Understand the purpose behind examiner questions
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Explain the firm's policies and procedures accurately
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Describe how testing and monitoring are performed
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Explain how identified issues are addressed
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Respond clearly and consistently
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Avoid inadvertently creating confusion or additional questions
The goal is not to script your employees, but to ensure they understand what they are being asked and can accurately explain what your firm does.
When the SEC Arrives, We’re There.
Once an examination begins, our team can provide support throughout the process, including:
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Examination Request Review
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Document Production Support
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Assistance Evaluating Examiner Questions
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Preparation for Interviews & Meetings
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Ongoing Guidance Throughout the Examination
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Supplemental Requests Support
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From Examination Findings to Remediation.
An examination does not end when the SEC identifies an issue.
We help firms move from understanding a deficiency to addressing the underlying compliance concern. Our support can include:
Understand. Identify the core issues and regulatory concerns raised in the exam findings.
Respond. Develop a clear, precise, and strategically sound response to the deficiency letter.
Remediate. Implement corrective actions that address underlying weaknesses in compliance.
Follow Through. Ensure new processes are tested and documented for long-term effectiveness.
See Your Firm Through an Examiner's Lens
Experience matters when your preparation is on the line.
Our team brings decades of firsthand experience conducting and supervising 2,000+ SEC examinations.
We understand how examiners evaluate firms, how examination scope can develop, what documentation can raise additional questions, and how seemingly small inconsistencies can become areas of further inquiry.
That perspective allows us to help you prepare for more than the examination checklist.
We help you understand how your firm may be viewed from the other side of the examination table.
What You Gain From Being Prepared
Confidence
Know where your firm stands before the examination begins.
Clarity
Have the information and documentation needed to respond efficiently.
Perspective
Understand your program from a regulator's point of view.
Responsiveness
Approach examiner requests and questions with a clear process.