FINRA recently entered into a settlement with Gar Wood Securities LLC (the “AWC”) concerning allegations that Gar Wood facilitated the sale of restricted securities in violation of the Section 5 of the 1933 Act, and the Firm failed to identify “suspicious” activity in a customer’s account that should have warranted the filing of a Form…
Continue reading ›Following its broad ruling in UBS Financial Services v. Carilion Clinic, 706 F.3d 319 (4th Cir. 2013), the 4th Circuit has issued two recent decisions that somewhat lessen the impact of the UBS holding. In UBS, the court held that a customer of a FINRA firm is anyone “not a broker or dealer, who purchases…
Continue reading ›Lincoln Financial Securities Corp. recently settled with FINRA concerning supervisory deficiencies over a now-deceased rep (Kenneth Wayne McLeod) who purportedly ran a Ponzi scheme targeting retired government employees (Department of Enforcement v. Lincoln Financial Services Corp. – Case No. 2010025074101). A copy of the FINRA AWC can be accessed here: (FINRA AWC). FINRAs case is…
Continue reading ›On January 30, 2013, we sent FINRA a comment letter concerning the controversial proposed rule which would require disclosure of all “enhanced compensation” – forgivable loans, up-front bonuses, back-end bonuses, and the like – to customers. For those opposed to the proposed rule, the comment period is open until March 5, 2013. The text of…
Continue reading ›Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit issued a favorable ruling on the arbitrability of suits against FINRA members. Traditionally, under FINRA Rule 12200 any “customer” may request arbitration of a dispute with a FINRA member. UBS and Citi argued that Carilion was an issuer of securities, not a customer, and…
Continue reading ›It is commonplace in the securities industry for reps to transition from one broker-dealer to another. If the rep is a big producer, it is typical for the hiring firm to offer the rep a “forgivable loan” as an inducement to join. Depending upon the size of the producer’s book, the forgivable loan can equal…
Continue reading ›The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) recently released its Enforcement Report for 2012. A copy can be found here. NASAA is an association primarily comprised of state securities regulators. Through the association, its members engage in multi-state enforcement actions and other collaborative activities. NASAA’s Enforcement Section tracks trends in securities fraud and oversees the…
Continue reading ›On October 24, 2012, Susan Axelrod (FINRA’s executive vice president, member regulation sales practice) spoke at PLI’s seminar for broker-dealer regulation and enforcement. Broker-dealers and registered representatives should take note because FINRA’s enforcement agenda was made clear. Issues of concern for FINRA include: Cyber Security FINRA has seen an uptick in instances where a customer’s…
Continue reading ›FINRA recently released an Acceptance, Waiver and Consent signed by Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. (FINRA Matter No. 2010023096302). The AWC is instructive because it speaks to supervisory review of electronic correspondence and should be considered by broker-dealers when crafting a lexicon-based search system for electronic correspondence. Background Facts Deutsche Bank’s Private Client Services division has…
Continue reading ›In Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC v. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and Brian Wilder(FINRA Arbitration No. 11-03937), a FINRA arbitration panel found against respondents and annexed a 25 page Arbitrators’ Report to the Award which excoriated respondents for misappropriation of trade secrets (Fidelity’s customer list) among other violations. The Award stands out for various reasons,…
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