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Broker-Dealer Litigation - Greenberg Traurig LLP

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message retention, registration of representatives, and soft dollar arrangements, the procedures<br />

were not enforced. The panel noted that the respondents “made no effort” to implement an<br />

electronic mail or message retention system, despite its procedures and warnings from the CCO.<br />

The firm also had a written requirement that it hold an annual compliance meeting, but the firm<br />

merely sent a PowerPoint presentation for employees to read, in lieu of a live meeting. Finally,<br />

regulatory requirements and the firm’s own procedures required its representatives to be properly<br />

registered, but the firm allowed unlicensed marketers to do business.<br />

For the supervisory violations, together with the numerous other violations, the hearing<br />

panel expelled the firm from FINRA membership and barred the CEO from associating with any<br />

FINRA member firm in any capacity, and ordered them to pay hearing costs.<br />

3. NYSE Enforcement Actions<br />

P.3<br />

In re KCCI, Ltd., NYSE Hearing Panel Decision 11-NYSE-8; 2011 NYSE Disc. Action LEXIS 8<br />

(Nov. 1, 2011).<br />

In a settled disciplinary proceeding, consented to by respondent without admitting or<br />

denying the allegations, respondent was found to have violated NYSE Rule 342 in that the firm<br />

failed to reasonably supervise and implement adequate controls designed to achieve compliance<br />

with NYSE Rules and policies pertaining to conducting “upstairs” operations from its booth<br />

premises on the NYSE Floor. In addition, the firm was found to have violated NYSE Rule<br />

70.40, governing its so-called “Blue Line” operations, by conducting “upstairs” operations in its<br />

booth premises on the floor of the exchange without obtaining requisite approval from NYSE<br />

Regulation, adopting and implementing written procedures and guidelines governing the conduct<br />

and supervision of such business, and/or obtaining approval of its written procedures and<br />

guidelines from NYSE Regulation, as required. The NYSE noted that the firm’s overall written<br />

supervisory procedures did not have separate, “stand-alone” procedures for the Blue Line<br />

business as required by Rule 70.40 and Information Memo 07-77. The firm resolved these<br />

violations by consenting to a censure and a $10,000 fine.<br />

Matter of Blue Point Securities, Inc., NYSE Hearing Panel Decision 11-NYSE-7; 2011 NYSE<br />

Disc. Action LEXIS 7 (Sept. 27, 2011).<br />

In a settled disciplinary proceeding, consented to by respondent without admitting or<br />

denying the allegations, respondent was found to have violated NYSE Rule 342 by failing to<br />

reasonably supervise and implement adequate controls, including a reasonable system of followup<br />

and review, designed to achieve compliance with NYSE Rule 123C regarding the entry and<br />

cancellation of market-on-close (“MOC”) and limit-on-close (“LOC”) orders. In addition, the<br />

firm consented to findings that it violated Section 12(k)(4) of the Exchange Act, in connection<br />

with violation of an SEC Emergency Order prohibiting short sales in certain financial institutions<br />

during the financial crisis, in that the firm executed 212 short sale orders in such stocks. The<br />

P.3<br />

398

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