The Law of the Financial Markets from Top Securities Lawyers
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith with misleading customers about how it handled their orders. Merrill Lynch agreed to settle the charges, admit wrongdoing, and pay a $42 million penalty. According to the SEC’s order, Merrill Lynch falsely informed customers that it had executed […]
The U.S. has opened a criminal investigation into whether traders manipulated prices in the $550 billion market for unsecured bonds issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to people familiar with the matter.The probe, parts of which were described by four people familiar with it, shows that investigations by […]
Only a few months after withdrawing from the Protocol, UBS Financial Services is requiring brokers waiting for their 2017 bonuses to sign agreements that open them to lawsuits and arbitration complaints if they try to contact former clients within 12 months of leaving the U.S. broker-dealer unit of the Swiss bank. […]
For FINRA member firms, and employees of FINRA firms (even those who are not registered) FINRA Rule 8210 (Provision of Information and Testimony and Inspection and Copying of Books) gives FINRA the authority to request documents and testimony from firms, registered persons, and, in FINRA’s view, other persons and entities […]
Proponents of the varied cryptocurrencies believe that buying these “coins” will make them millionaires. For some, it is hard to argue, given the spectacular gains in the currency over the past year. However, those of us who have been involved in the securities markets for more than a few years, […]
The SEC has begun to work with the Department of Labor on a fiduciary rule proposal to harmonize the standards of conduct for advisors and broker-dealers, Jay Clayton, the agency’s chairman, told members of the House Financial Services Committee. Clayton’s comments suggest that after months of collecting and reviewing comments […]
RIAs and broker/dealers say they are spending 9 percent more money — and a lot more time — on compliance and regulatory issues. Source: Advisors Paying More for Compliance
The SEC alleges that, starting in approximately 2010, Michael Scronic began to raise money from at least 42 friends and acquaintances, many of whom were from his suburban community, in order to invest in a risky options trading strategy. He allegedly lured investors by informing them that he had a long […]
Many financial advisers are shaking off the uncertainties of 2017 and getting ready to consider making the moves that they had put on hold. In my view, this means more advisors will be making strategic moves in the next year even as packages remain off the stratospheric highs of 2015-16. […]
In a rare decision, a FINRA hearing panel dismissed all charges against a registered representative who was accused of falsifying firm records, by waiving his commissions on mutual fund transactions. The hearing panel found that FINRA failed to meet its burden of proof, and after a hearing, dismissed the charges. […]
