Vedder Price provides a wide range of legal guidance and litigation services for broker-dealers of all sizes.

You can expect comprehensive, experienced guidance in matters ranging from registrations to evolving regulatory rules, as well as responsive support for litigation and other needs.

Broad experience with broker-dealers and related firms. We represent broker-dealers, broker-dealer affiliates of banks, insurance companies and investment advisers, as well as independent broker-dealers, and we also work with mutual fund complexes, pension plan sponsors, group trusts, investment limited partnerships, boards of directors, audit committees and independent directors.

Comprehensive legal guidance—from registration through ongoing compliance. We provide guidance to broker-dealers on a broad spectrum of regulatory, compliance and operations issues. We also act as compliance and regulatory counsel in transactions and conduct internal investigations, audits and mock regulatory examinations.

Our broker-dealer attorneys provide guidance on:

• Best practices for sales, supervision, research, net capital, customer protection, customer privacy and other regulatory topics 
• SEC and FINRA cycle, sweep and other examinations, and responding to examination findings and deficiencies  
• Federal and state securities laws and regulations, and FINRA and other SRO rules 
• Compliance, operations, product, marketing and distribution matters 
• Regulatory reporting and disclosure requirements on Forms BD, U4 and U5 and under FINRA Rule 4530 
• Exemptions from broker-dealer registration  
• Securities and broker-dealer activities conducted by banks and other institutions 

Our attorneys also work hands-on with clients to:  

• Form broker-dealers, apply for SEC and state registrations, draft new membership applications and draft FINRA continuing membership applications involving changes in ownership, control, business lines and successor broker-dealer registrations 
• Create and review written supervisory procedures and compliance manuals that consider SEC, SRO and state rules and regulations  
• Create and review all types of agreements including clearing agreements, customer agreements, employment agreements and independent contractor agreements

Investment Services Focus. We provide legal services for diverse securities broker-dealer clients, including independent broker-dealer firms and affiliates of insurance company, investment adviser and bank clients. Our attorneys are experienced in a broad spectrum of legal, regulatory, compliance and operational matters and in SEC and state broker-dealer registrations and FINRA membership and continuing membership matters.

We can help you prepare dealer, clearing, customer and employment/independent contractor agreements and related documents; as well as supervisory procedures and compliance manuals. We also represent firms in marketing and distribution matters, advise banks on various securities and broker-dealer activities and provide counsel on exemptions from broker-dealer registration.

In addition, we defend broker-dealers and individuals in arbitrations, mediations, trials, enforcement inquiries, investigations and proceedings initiated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, FINRA and other self-regulatory organizations and state agencies. Our attorneys also provide guidance on regulatory, compliance and operational issues, and they conduct internal investigations and audits.

Responsive and experienced litigators. We have extensive experience in defending financial institutions in federal and state court trials and appeals, arbitrations and mediations, and government and self-regulatory organization inquiries, investigations, examinations, Wells notices and administrative proceedings. Our litigation and enforcement experience includes sales practices, customer disputes, collateralized debt obligations, mortgage-backed securities, auction rate securities, hedge funds, variable annuities, exchange-traded funds, insider trading, money laundering, clearing, prime brokerage, customer privacy, securities lending and research.

The backing of seasoned attorneys to meet your needs. Our experienced team includes former SEC and FINRA enforcement and regulatory attorneys, industry compliance officers and former federal and state prosecutors.