arbitration – Securities Arbitration

April 27, 2023April 28, 2023 by Walter A. Saurack

SEC Approves FINRA’s Proposed Changes to Expungement Rules

On April 12, 2023 the Securities and Exchange Commission approved FINRA’s proposed rule modifications for expungement of publicly available records concerning customer arbitration disputes and customer complaints. As discussed in our prior Securities Arbitration Alert, FINRA introduced proposed changes to the Code of Arbitration Procedure for Customer Disputes and the Code of Arbitration Procedure for Industry Disputes on July 29, 2022 in response to concerns raised by various industry organizations and participants. The approved changes impose more stringent requirements and procedures for expungement requests. Some significant modifications to the current rules include:

Stricter time limits under which an associated person may initiate an arbitration for the sole purpose of seeking expungement (also known as a “straight-in” expungement request);
a requirement that expungement relief may only be granted pursuant to a unanimous finding of an arbitration panel that the information at issue is factually impossible, clearly erroneous, false, or that the associated person was not involved;
a prohibition of expungement requests concerning customer dispute information where the same information was previously considered on the merits by a panel or denied by a court of competent jurisdiction;
increased customer participation through enhanced notice requirements and rules that grant customers broader entitlement to participate in expungement proceedings;
a requirement that a panel of not less than three arbitrators hear straight-in expungement proceedings;
a prohibition on striking arbitrators, stipulating to remove arbitrators, or choosing arbitrators by prior agreement in straight-in expungement proceedings; and
a bar on the resubmission of withdrawn expungement requests to prevent “arbitrator shopping”[1].

Continue reading “SEC Approves FINRA’s Proposed Changes to Expungement Rules”

March 30, 2023 by Duane Morris

Making Employee Arbitration Agreements Work for the Employer

Arbitration agreements between employers and employees are very common. As of 2018, an Economic Policy Institute poll estimated that 56% of private-sector, non-union employees were subject to such agreements. Based on recent developments in arbitration law, that figure has surely risen. Arbitration of employee disputes can carry with it certain advantages. Perhaps the primary reason that companies have arbitration agreements with their employees is because, unless such agreements are drafted specifically to include class or collective arbitration, they preclude class or collective treatment of claims. A properly drafted and executed arbitration agreement governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) is a powerful defense to employment-related collective or class actions.

To read the full text of this article by Duane Morris partner Travis Odom, originally published in Texas Lawyer, please visit the firm website.

June 1, 2022March 9, 2023 by Duane Morris

No More Special Treatment to Arbitration Provisions, SCOTUS Rules

The Supreme Court of the United States’ unanimous decision in Morgan v. Sundance, Inc. is a sea change that reverses longstanding precedent adopted by nine circuit courts requiring a party opposing arbitration to demonstrate prejudicial harm before an arbitration clause is considered waived. The Court’s ruling eliminates a significant protection for litigants in federal court who seek to compel arbitration. Litigants seeking to enforce contractual arbitration provisions pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) are cautioned to do so early in federal court proceedings to avoid a potential waiver.

Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris website.