The Law of the Financial Markets from Top Securities Lawyers
Saturday, July 2, 2022
Billionaire David Tepper tells CNBC that investors who bought into rumors he might take a position in SunEdison must be smoking too much pot.
Source: Tepper: Believers of SunEdison rumor must be high
Customer Claims in Arbitration
I have been representing customers and brokers in securities arbitration matters since 1982. In those 35 years I have handled over 700 securities arbitration cases. Since securities arbitration is such a large part of my practice, I also survey all of the arbitration awards that are entered in matters across the country, write columns for investors and brokers on the topic, and stay well informed on developments in this unique area of law. Today, FINRA administers virtually all of the securities arbitration disputes in this country, with the AAA and JAMS handing the remainder. From my work, and my review of the statistical summaries published by FINRA it is clear that investment disputes fall into very well-defined categories. Naturally, the type of cases that are filed is a function of the market. Not only are there fewer arbitrations when the markets are doing well, economic factors create different types of claims. For example, when Internet stocks fell in April 2000, the arbitration forums saw a significant increase in arbitration filings, and the emergence of a new category of claim, for over-concentration, or failure to diversify. As the markets improved in 2003, through 2007, we saw a sharp decrease in the number of arbitration ...
Expungement of Customer Complaints
You can remove derogatory reports from your CRD Report. Call 212-509-6544 to discuss the process with a securities law attorney. The problems associated with FINRA‘s CRD Disclosure System are well known to visitors to SECLaw.com, as we have written about the issue a number of times. The concept of disclosing every allegation, justified or not, against a registered person, to anyone who cared to ask, is unheard of in our system of justice. The addition of BrokerCheck, where the information is available to anyone with an Internet connection has made the situation intolerable. For that reason, we are often asked to file an expungement request with FINRA, to remove unwarranted items from the CRD system The interests of investor protection overrode the concepts of fundamental fairness and due process for brokers, and today there is full disclosure of every wart, pimple and untrue allegation made against a broker. Not fair to the broker, but of a theoretical benefit to the investing public. Part of the problem are customer arbitrations. Customers can file an arbitration against a broker for anything, at virtually no cost to the customer. They can say anything they want, it doesn’t cost them anything, and there is no penalty for ...
Insider Trading – The Legal and Illegal
Insider trading laws have significant impact on the stock market, and the conduct of investors. I have been representing investors and financial professionals in insider trading investigations for over 30 years. In the mid-1980’s when my then-partner and I represented a financial printer in an SEC federal court proceeding. Since that time, I have represented registered representatives and investors from all walks of life, in dozens of investigations. The insider trading laws and court decisions have changed dramatically over those decades, with the SEC and the courts expanding the scope of the theory of insider trading beyond all reasonable bounds. However, it is this concept that we need to deal with, and we have had a great deal of success in defending potential defendants – because the investigation gets closed before an case is filed. Illegal insider trading is a serious securities law violation which carries potential civil and criminal penalties. Civilly, the penalties can be as large as three times the gross profit on the trading. An insider trading investigation by the SEC requires experienced securities counsel, as the initial investigation often dictates the final outcome. If you have questions regarding an SEC subpoena or an investigation, call Mark Astarita, Esq. ...
Introduction to State Securities (Blue Sky) Laws
Mark Astarita, Esq. is a nationally recognized securities attorney who represents investors, financial professionals, issuers and financial firms in a wide variety of matters involving federal and state securities laws. He can be reached at mja@sallahlaw.com. The state securities laws and the regulatory scheme has not changed much since 2001 when I published the first version of this Blue Sky Law introduction. While the SEC directly, and through its oversight of the FINRA and the various Exchanges, is the main enforcer of the nation’s securities laws, each individual state has its own securities laws and rules. These state rules are known as “Blue Sky Laws”. What Are Blue Sky Laws? Blue sky laws are state regulations established as safeguards for investors against securities fraud. The laws, which may vary by state, typically require sellers of new issues to register their offerings and provide financial details of the deal and the entities involved. As a result, investors have a wealth of verifiable information on which to base their judgment and investment decisions. Why “Blue Sky” laws The origin of the term is a bit unclear, but the first use of the term that we are aware of is in an opinion of Justice McKenna of the United States ...
Federal Securities Law, a Securities Lawyer Guide
The SEC, FINRA, the States, and much more Mark J. Astarita is a nationally known securities attorney with over 30 years of experience representing investors and financial professionals across the country in regulatory investigations, arbitration and litigation. If you have a securities law question, call 212-509-6544 Introduction The history of the securities regulation and federal securities law are well beyond the scope of this work, and the reader is commended to any one of a number of books in the area. One of the best known, and often cited treatise on the topic is Loss and Seligman, Securities Regulation, a multi-volume treatise on the subject, published by Little Brown & Co in New York City. A single volume version is also available, and can be ordered online. For purposes of this work, it is sufficient to note that the federal securities laws are in reality a myriad of rules and regulations of 55 different regulatory agencies, including the Securities Commission in each of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and any of the regional exchanges of which he or his firm is a member. While this morass is in reality a series of similar, and overlapping regulations, ...
A security is a form of ownership in an entity. While some believe that in order to be a security the instrument must be traded on a market, the legal definition of a security is much broader. The definition is important, because if the instrument is a security, then the federal and state securities laws apply to the purchase and sale of that instrument. We define and explain the different types of securities
Securities Arbitration Hearing Overview
Just What Happens at an Arbitration? By Mark J. Astarita, Esq. Past columns have touched on arbitration hearings, and have raised the question just what happens during an arbitration hearing. It seems that there are a wide variety of ideas on just how those proceedings take place, and there is a substantial misconception regarding the process. Some brokers believe that the arbitrations are conducted with all of the technicalities of a courtroom movie, and others believe that they are in reality informal discussions between the parties and the arbitrators.. Securities arbitrations, in fact all arbitrations, are conducted in the same manner that a court trial is held, without some of the formalities.. There are opening statements, first by the attorney for the claimant (typically a customer) and then by the respondents (the broker and/or his firm). The openings are followed by introduction of evidence, again, first by the claimant, then by the respondents, rebuttal cases, and closing arguments. While arbitration hearings follow the format of a trial, the setting is quite different. The hearings are typically held in a conference room at the offices of the sponsoring organization, with the parties sitting around a large table, or series of tables pushed together. The arbitrators sit ...
Finders Explained – Be Careful
A question I am often asked is what is the definition of a finder, or questions that lead to that question. The issue arises when an unregistered person or entity introduces investors to an issuer and seeks to obtain payment based on the investment made by the investor. The problem is, that in many instances, the introducing party is acting in a manner that requires registration as a broker or a dealer, and thus must be registered in order to accept compensation for the introduction to the investor. The issues of finders and compensation are currently a “hot” topic for securities regulators, and the issue is in great flux today. It is therefore difficult to describe finders in a general way that is helpful because the answer in a particular case will turn on the particular facts. One small factual change, and the answer changes. Therefore, addressing the issue GENERALLY, if the finder is only a finder, he does not have to register. Being a finder means that he only introduces, he does not discuss, negotiate, or get involved in the transaction. However, the SEC may take a different view of “discuss” or “get involved” than you do. The rules which apply are ...
Compliance with securities regulations is only the beginning By Mark J. Astarita, Esq. Introduction Cold calling is a method of marketing a service or product by calling prospective clients “cold” – that is, without an introduction, to determine if the potential client has a need for, or interest in, the caller’s product. Cold calling has a long history in the brokerage community, and while having a poor reputation, is a legitimate and valuable marketing tool for brokerage firms, and provides a legitimate source of information for customers, provided the tool is not abused. However, there have been abuses, inside and outside the brokerage industry, of the cold calling procedure. Most of the complaints regarding the procedure have arisen outside the industry, and relate to the time of day that the calls are made, the use of automated dialers and similar technological “advances” in the telecommunications industry, as well as outright fraud. While these complaints have focused on non-brokerage industry firms and practices, the regulations regarding same effect the brokerage industry. The Basic Regulations and Rules In accordance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a cold-calling rule. The rule establishes procedures to eliminate unwanted telephone solicitations to residences ...
Churning claims dominated the securities arbitration landscape in the 2000’s, but have declined over the years, as the trading mania waned. As the markets improved, we have begun to see a resurgence of churning claims again. The common perception among the general public is that a customer who trades his or her account on a regular basis is a broker’s dream. While the commissions generated by such activity might very well enhance a broker’s payout, the activity could very easily turn into a broker’s nightmare if not carefully monitored. Churning Churning is excessive trading in a customer’s account by a broker taken in the context of the customer’s financial situation and investment objectives. While no one test is available to determine if an account has been churned, churning requires three elements, first, excessive trading, and second, control of the account by the Registered Representative, and three, intent to defraud the customer. The intent element is difficult to prove, but will typically be proven by establishment of the first two elements. The problem with customers who trade heavily with a retail broker is that the broker may later be subjected to a claim for churning, if the trading does not turn out to be profitable. ...