ANALYSIS: Lawyers See Regulatory Tumult, Lighter-Touch SEC

Attorneys expect a more hands-off approach by the SEC under the Trump administration, according to a recent Bloomberg Law survey. Furthermore, the administration’s regulatory shift, courtesy of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, has made practicing before government regulators less predictable and more challenging, increasing attorney workloads, the survey respondents said.

Bloomberg Law’s 2025 State of Practice Survey asked more than 750 practitioners about their work over the past several months, including transactional work.

Executive Orders Increase Workload, Uncertainty

Of the nearly 200 survey respondents who practice transactional law, 56% said that changes under the new administration have made compliance ...