The Law of the Financial Markets from Top Securities Lawyers
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
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. […]
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that an overseas stock manipulator has agreed to pay nearly $800,000 and be permanently barred from involvement in penny stocks after hiding his significant stake in a small oil & gas company while secretly funding a fraudulent promotional campaign that artificially boosted the […]
Wells Fargo Huge Data Breach – Lessons for Firms and Their Lawyers Multiple news sources are now reporting that Wells Fargo is being investigated for the release of personal information of approximately 50,000 clients to a former employee.The New York Times reported on Friday that the bank’s attorneys had release […]
In recent years, markups have become a growing concern for regulators, and brokerage firm markup policies and procedures have come under increasing scrutiny from the SEC and the NASD. Essentially, a markup, or markdown, is the amount of money above (or below) the “inside” market that a broker dealer may […]
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 […]
Even a looming scandal wouldn’t deter some of Congress’ most eager stock traders.” This article from Politico details the outrageous trading patterns of some members of Congress, who despite the STOCK Act, continue to trade in the securities of companies who are the influenced by their investigations and legislation. The […]
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 […]
By Mark J. Astarita, Esq. The SEC announced that it had accepted an offer of settlement from a 15 year old defendant who the Commission accused of manipulating the price of 9 different securities, generating profits of $272,000 for himself, using his custodial brokerage account. According to the SEC, the […]
Internet Promoters Enjoined by SEC The SEC has been pursuing those who illegally tout stocks on the Internet for over 20 years, but the conduct continues. The typical case ends in a series of fines, and the entry of a permanent injunction against the promoter who failed to follow the […]
By Mark J. Astarita, Esq. SEC FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST HOUSTON INTERNET STOCK PROMOTION FIRM On August 18, 2000, the SEC announced that it filed a civil complaint against an Internet company and its owners, alleging that the company distributed press releases and other communications via the Internet touting numerous OTC […]
