The end of 2010 is upon us and the beginning of 2011 looms on the horizon. Though not as tumultuous as 2007 or 2008, with no world-shaking corporate collapses or the complete meltdown of the global financial markets, 2010 still featured many potentially industry changing events of importance to investors and financial industry professionals, ranging from regulatory reforms to major court decisions and ground-breaking class action suits.
With world financial markets still uncharacterized by volatility and unpredictability, let us look back at the defining events of 2010 and put the year in perspective as relates to the current securities landscape.