FINRA NEWS: Goldman Sachs Appeals Vacating of Securities Award, Non-Customers of Brokerage Firm Can’t Compel Arbitration, & Three Governors Named To FINRA Board

Goldman Sachs Wants Third Circuit To Look at Vacated Arbitration Award
Goldman Sachs (GS) wants the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to look at a decision by a lower court to vacate a FINRA securities award issued by a panel member that included arbitrator Demetrio Timban, who was indicted on criminal matters and suspended. The securities case is Goldman Sachs & Co. v. Athena Venture Partners LP and involves an investor accusing the firm of making misrepresentations. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania remanded the award, which favored the financial firm.

The district court said FINRA didn’t give the parties three arbitrators who were qualified and said the respondent’s rights were prejudiced. Judge J. Curtis Joyner said that therefore, a “final and definite award” was not issued. Following the scandal involving Timban, FINRA said it now would perform yearly background checks of arbitrators and other reviews before they are given a case.

District Court Says Buyers Who Are Not Broker-Dealer’s “Customers” Cannot Compel Arbitration
A district court has preliminarily enjoined an arbitration proceeding involving real estate investments. In Orchard Sec. LLC v. Pavel, the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah said that buyers were not a managing brokerage firm’s “customers” and did not have the right to compel arbitration under the SRO’s rules. The court also said that as the plaintiff firm Orchard Securities clearly demonstrated that its chances of success on its claim’s merits.

Margaret and Michael Pavel had filed an arbitration proceeding with FINRA contending that they had securities claims involving their purchase of tenant-in-common interests, including a New York offering that Orchard Securities LLC managed as a brokerage firm. Orchard Securities contended that it could not be made to arbitrate because there was no arbitration agreement or facts showing that the Pavels were its customers and therefore could compel arbitration. The NY offering had been recommended by a registered rep. with Direct Capital, which was a third-party broker-dealer enlisted by Orchard Securities.

Three Governors Are Elected to SRO’s Board, Four Are Reappointed
FINRA says that its members have elected two industry governors: Robert Keenan, who is St. Bernard Financial Services CEO, and James D. Weddle, who is Edward Jones’s managing partner. Keenan was elected small firm governor, while Weddle will be his large firm counterpart. Shelly Lazarus, who is an ex- Ogilvy & Mather chairman and CEO, was named a public governor.

Four other governors received reappointments to the board, which oversees FINRA. The board is comprised of 22 people-10 industry governors and 11 public ones. FINRA’s CEO also has a seat.

Our FINRA arbitration lawyers represent investors with securities claims. Contact Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LTD LLP today.

Goldman Sachs & Co. v. Athena Venture Partners LP

Purchasers Were Not ‘Customers’ Entitled to Compel FINRA Arbitration, Bloomberg BNA, August 14, 2013

Firms Elect Two Industry Governors to FINRA Board of Governors, New Public Governor Appointed, FINRA, August 6, 2013

FINRA Board of Governors

More Blog Posts:
Mandatory Securities Arbitration vs. Court? The Debate Rages Past the Quarter-Century Mark, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, July 4, 2013

FINRA Delays Audit Trail Plan, Proposes Arbitration Rule Changes, Asks for Firm’s Social Media Use Data, Warns About Cybersecurity Breaches, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, June 28, 2013
Former Broker Claims He is the Reason FINRA’s Regional Director Resigned, While Ex-JP Morgan Broker Files Arbitration Claim Against His Former Employer, Institutional Investor Securities Blog, June 28, 2013