In what many will likely consider to be an effort to quiet the increasing chorus of criticism over the SEC’s increased use of administrative proceedings over the last few years, today, the SEC announced a proposal to amend several of the rules governing those proceedings. While the SEC did not expressly acknowledge that the amendments
Enforcement
The Ongoing Puzzle Of Ongoing Due Diligence
By UB Greensfelder on
I am currently in the midst of a FINRA examination that is largely focused on the adequacy of the due diligence that my broker-dealer client conducted of a private placement. What is puzzling about the exam is that FINRA is not just interested in the due diligence that was conducted prior to effecting any sales…
Double Jeopardy: I’ll Take “Fundamental Unfairness” for $200, Alex
By UB Greensfelder on
I have written before about some of FINRA’s procedural processes that seem strange and unfair. For instance, the constitutionally guaranteed Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination? Doesn’t exist in FINRA world. Try invoking the Fifth at a FINRA OTR rather than answering a question and you will be facing a permanent bar for violating Rule 8210.…
Compliance Officer Liability: Findings Without Sanctions? The Plot Thickens
By UB Greensfelder on
Posted in Administrative Proceedings, appeal, Compliance, Enforcement, RIA, Sanctions, SEC, Supervision
We have previously posted on the issue of CCO liability, a very sensitive subject, to say the least, for many readers of this blog. If this is a subject that interests you, then there was a very intriguing development this past week in this area that merits your attention.
It came in the form of…
If You’re a Respondent, Time is NOT on Your Side
By UB Greensfelder on
Posted in Arbitration, Defenses, Disciplinary Process, Enforcement, FINRA, Registered Representative, SEC
There was a decision this week from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on an appeal of a decision by a respondent who – stop the presses! – lost an SEC administrative proceeding, and then lost his appeal to the SEC. Montford and Company, Inc. v. SEC, No. 14-1126 (July 10, 2015). One of…
For Those About to be Suspended: The Guessing Game is Over Whether You Can Receive Your Trails
By UB Greensfelder on
Posted in Disciplinary Process, Enforcement, FINRA, Rule 2040, Rule 8311, Sanctions, Supervision, suspension, Trail commissions
There are lots of FINRA rules, so many that some don’t get the attention they deserve because others, like the suitability rule or the supervision rule, generally hog the limelight. Moreover, some rules have such narrow application that you may not realize they even exist because they impact only a very few people or entities.…
David Slays Goliath…And Goliath Is Pissed
By UB Greensfelder on
I reported a few weeks ago on the victory that my clients, Mark Robare and Jack Jones, achieved in the administrative proceeding that the SEC initiated against them last year. Against all odds, they convinced Judge Grimes that not only had they not committed the fraud claimed by the SEC, but, in Judge Grimes’ words,…
FINRA’s Code Of Procedure: Unfair To The Gander
By UB Greensfelder on
We have complained before in this blog about some of the obvious inequities associated with the FINRA Enforcement process that disfavor respondents. But I heard of a new one this week from a colleague, so I thought I would take the opportunity to revisit the issue.
While there are several things problematic about the Code…
David Slays Goliath: Texas Investment Advisor Beats SEC In Administrative Proceeding
By UB Greensfelder on
If you have been a regular reader of this Blog, or even if you just browse the Wall Street Journal on occasion, you have undoubtedly noticed the attention being given over the last few weeks to the SEC’s decision increasingly to bring its Enforcement cases before Administrative Law Judges, rather than in federal court.…
To Mediate or Not: Arbitration v. Enforcement
By Chris Seps on
I recently had two clients, both respondents in pending matters – ask me the same question in the same day: should I mediate this case? The answers I gave them differed dramatically, not just because the facts of each case were very different, but because one case was a customer arbitration, where we are defending…