The immortal words of our old friend Smokey Bear. The phrase is a good way to convey to registered individuals where the responsibility for that individual’s registration status lies, and the risk of failing to appreciate that fact.
Guerra & Partners client Dale Cebert recently prevailed in a significant FINRA arbitration proceeding against Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley recruited Mr. Cebert away from his independent broker/dealer in 2012, offering upfront and back-end bonuses in the form of forgivable loans totaling over $18 million. The onboarding process was very difficult, resulting in two of Mr. Cebert’s partners leaving Morgan Stanley and returning to their prior broker/dealer, taking client assets with them.
Guerra & Partners is pleased to announce it has been selected by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce as a finalist for 2016 Small Business of the Year. Through a competitive process that included a detailed written application and interviews of each of the semi-finalists, Guerra & Partners emerged as one of five finalists in the category of 21-50 employees. The SBOY event, in its 36th year, culminates with the awards ceremony on September 16, 2016 at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. The awards highlight the impact of small business on the community and celebrate the achievements of the best small businesses in Tampa Bay.
Earlier this week, Jennifer Shasky Calvery, director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), spoke to attendees of the Annual Money Laundering Enforcement Conference in Washington D.C., sponsored by the American Bankers Association and the American Bar Association.
On September 24, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it had voted to propose amendments to the rules governing administrative proceedings. The announcement comes in the wake of rising opposition by the targets of such proceedings and increased criticism from industry participants who argue that the current system is fundamentally unfair. As evidence, critics have cited the SEC’s increased use of such proceedings since the Dodd-Frank Act and its near 100% “win” rate in such cases. SEC Chair Mary Jo White said that the proposed amendments “seek to modernize the rules of practice . . . .” While the proposal would amend a number of the SEC’s rules of practice, there are two significant changes that would theoretically level the playing field for respondents to some degree.
Several developments in the government’s ongoing investigation of U.S. persons with foreign bank accounts have taken place this month. First, another seven banks have signed non-prosecution agreements pursuant to the Department of Justice’s “Swiss Bank Program.” Second, indicative of the government’s desire to expand its inquiry beyond Switzerland, a federal court in Miami approved an IRS request to serve a so-called “John Doe summons” to seek records of Belize Bank International Limited and Belize Bank Limited’s correspondence accounts at Bank of America, N.A. and Citibank, N.A.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), recently proposed rules that would require certain investment advisers to establish anti-money laundering (“AML”) programs. FinCEN is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury charged with monitoring the financial system for illegal activity, money laundering, and national security threats.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 19, 2015 – Best Lawyers announced the 2016 Best Lawyers in America list. Guerra & Partners is pleased to announce that one of the firm’s attorneys were named to the 2016 Best Lawyers list.
Tampa, FL – Guerra & Partners is pleased to announce that two of its lawyers have been selected for the exclusive list of 2015 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. The attorneys named and their designated practice area include:
TAMPA, FL, June 17, 2015 — The IRS recently reminded taxpayers with foreign assets and accounts of several upcoming filing deadlines. The most well-known of these reporting requirements is the FBAR, or Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, which must be filed with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) by June 30th. It is important to note that the FBAR filing requirement is separate and distinct from the taxpayer’s obligation to disclose their interest in a foreign account on Schedule B of their federal income tax return.