Enforcement Actions
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
CASES OF NOTE
2009
NOTE: Stipulations of Fact and Consent to Penalty (SFC); Offers of Settlement (OS); and Letters of Acceptance Waiver, and Consent (AWC) are entered into by Respondents without admitting or denying the allegations, but consent is given to the described sanctions & to the entry of findings. Additionally, for AWCs, if FINRA has reason to believe a violation has occurred and the member or associated person does not dispute the violation, FINRA may prepare and request that the member or associated person execute a letter accepting a finding of violation, consenting to the imposition of sanctions, and agreeing to waive such member's or associated person's right to a hearing before a hearing panel, and any right of appeal to the National Adjudicatory Council, the SEC, and the courts, or to otherwise challenge the validity of the letter, if the letter is accepted. The letter shall describe the act or practice engaged in or omitted, the rule, regulation, or statutory provision violated, and the sanction or sanctions to be imposed.
First Dallas Securities, Inc. and Eric Jay Marshall (Principal)
AWC/2007007161501

The Firm permitted Marshall 

  • and another individual to execute trades in covered securities during a period beginning 30 calendar days prior to and ending five calendar days after publishing research reports concerning the subject companies; 
  • to trade in a manner that was inconsistent with his recommendation, as reflected in the most recent research report the firm published. 

The Firm and Marshall provided a subject company with a draft copy of a research report that contained prohibited information before the report was published. 

Acting through Marshall, the Firm issued research reports that failed to disclose that Marshall and/or a member of his household had a financial interest in the securities of the subject company and the nature of the financial interest. 

The Firm failed to 

  • affirmatively disclose in one research report that an affiliate owned more than one percent of a subject company’s common equity securities, and failed to disclose in research reports the risks that may have impeded achievement of the price target stated in each report;
  • develop and implement adequate written supervisory procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the firm and its employees complied with the provisions of NASD Rule 2711; 
  • provide an attestation to FINRA for a year that it had adopted and implemented procedures regarding compliance with NASD Rule 2711, and failed to develop and implement any written supervisory procedures concerning watch or restriction lists; and
  • develop and implement a Firm Element Continuing Education program, specifically, to develop a written training plan for its covered registered persons. 

The Firm's research reports did not include clear, comprehensive and prominent disclosures regarding whether it or any of its affiliates, officers or employees held interests in the subject companies’ securities.

First Dallas Securities: Censured and fined $50,000 ($10,000 of which was jointly and severally with Marshall)

Eric Jay Marshall: Fined $10,000 jt/sev with Firm and an additional $5,428.07 (includes $428.07 in disgorged trading profits; Suspended 15 days as a research analyst

Bill Singer's Comment
Years and years after the massive research rules overhaul and firms and folks still can't get it right.  If you're still in doubt, go read NASD Rule 2711. Research Analysts and Research Reports.
Enforcement Actions
Search in Cases of Note : FINRA
Months
 
Cases of Note : FINRA Archive
Tags