Securities Regulations News: SEC Looks to Delay Principal Trading Rules, FINRA Adds More Time to REIT Price Changes and 2nd Circuit Says Dodd-Frank’s Whistleblower Protections Don’t Apply Overseas

SEC Wants To Extend Temporary Rule Letting Dually-Registered Advisers Get Principal Trading Consent

For the third time in four years, The Securities and Exchange Commission wants to extend a temporary rule that makes it easier for investment advisers that are also registered as brokers to sell from the proprietary accounts of their firms. The regulator issued for comment its proposal that would move the interim’s rule expiration date to the end of 2016 instead of the end of 2014.

Under the temporary rule, dually registered advisers can either get verbal consent for principal trades on a transaction basis or give written prospective disclosure and authorization, in addition to yearly reports to the clients. With principal trades, a brokerage firm uses its own securities in the transaction.

The Investment Advisers Act of 1940 mandates that advisers get written disclosure and consent prior to every principal trade. This is supposed to prevent possible conflicts of interest when a firm trades from its proprietary account. By extending the interim rule, the regulator wants more time to think about whether there should be a separate rule that would enhance the standards of brokers when it comes to offering investment advice.

FINRA Gives SEC More Time to Act On REIT Price Notification Rule
The Financial Industry Regulatory has extended the deadline for when the SEC must act on its proposed change to Rule 2340, about real estate investment trust price notifications, to until October 17. This is the second extension the self-regulatory organization has given to the Commission over this matter this year.

Last month, FINRA requested that the SEC allow independent brokerage-firms and nontraded real estate investment trust sponsors 18 months to get used to new guidelines that would require them to provide investors with a better idea of the costs involved in buying nontraded REIT shares and other direct placement programs/private placements.

Under the proposed rule change, which would apply to the account statements of brokerage firm clients, the per-share value of a nontraded REIT would not longer be listed at the common price of $10. Instead, the various commissions and fees that dealer mangers and brokers get would have to be factored. This would lower the amount of each private placement’s share price on an account statement. If the SEC decides to follow FINRA’s recommendation, investors with illiquid investments won’t see this information on their account statements until April 2016.

Appeals Court Agrees that Dodd-Frank’s Anti-Retaliation Provision Only Apply Domestically
The US Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit held that Dodd-Frank’s anti-retaliation provisions do not apply overseas. The ruling upholds a lower-court decision that granted Siemens’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a former compliance officer at its China offices. The ex-employee, Meng-Lin Liu, said he was retaliated against after reporting alleged wrongdoing at the company.

Under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, companies are not allowed to take action against certain whistleblowers. However, the whistleblower provisions don’t stipulate whether these protections extend abroad.

Citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the appeals court affirmed that they only apply in the United States. It noted that Liu, his employer, and the entities involved in any of the alleged acts were foreigners located overseas and that these actions would have occurred outside the country.

Liu turned in a whistleblower tip to the SEC after leaving the company. Like the district court, however, the Second Circuit did not delve into whether or not Liu’s failure to qualify for whistleblower protection was because he didn’t file this information with the Commission until after he was let go by Siemens China.

Finra tacks on more time to REIT pricing change, Investment News, August 14, 2014

SEC seeks to delay principal trading rule for two years, MorningStar, August 13, 2014

Ruling Leaves Cloud on Whistleblowers, The Wall Street Journal, August 18, 2014

FINRA Rules

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