Nicholas Wendland
Well versed in global regulations for both securities (equities, options and bonds) and derivatives (futures/swaps) Nicholas Wendland draws on his extensive experience at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), as well as in private practice, to distill the nuances of federal securities, futures, and commodities laws and regulations, and help financial institutions advance their business operations in a highly regulated industry.
View the full bio for Nicholas Wendland at the Faegre Drinker website.
Articles by Nicholas Wendland:
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently ruled that a broker cannot avoid FINRA arbitration with a customer through contractual forum selection clause that fails to specifically mention arbitration (Reading Health v. JP Morgan, No. 16-4234 (3d Cir. Aug. 7, 2018)). The court’s opinion denying the company’s appeal widens an existing circuit split on the issue of contractual forum selection clauses superseding FINRA’s mandatory arbitration rules.
Under FINRA Rules 12200 and 13200, disputes arising between a FINRA member and its associated persons or customers must be arbitrated through the FINRA arbitration process. In the Third Circuit case, the customer had filed a statement of claim with FINRA in relation to various auction rate securities (ARS) offerings the company had underwritten. The broker refused to arbitrate, and the customer filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania seeking to compel arbitration. The customer won at the district court level, and the broker appealed based on a forum selection clause in its broker-dealer agreements that stated:
Continue reading “Third Circuit Affirms Right to FINRA Arbitration, Widens Circuit Split”
FINRA recently issued a regulatory notice encouraging member firms to provide notification if either the firms or their associated persons or affiliates were engaging in, or planned to engage in, any activities related to digital assets such as cryptocurrencies and other virtual coins.
Citing the rapid market growth, the increasing interest from retail investors, and investor protection concerns, FINRA stated it has a keen interest in remaining abreast of the extent of member involvement in digital assets. Continue reading “FINRA Regulatory Notice Encourages Member Firms to Voluntarily Provide Information on Their Digital Asset Activities”
