MFDA announces settlement hearing to take place in respect of James Curtis
TORONTO, Nov. 10, 2017 /CNW/ - The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada ("MFDA") commenced a disciplinary proceeding in respect of James Edward Curtis ("Respondent") by Notice of Hearing dated October 11, 2016, as amended on March 15, 2017 ("Amended Notice of Hearing").
As the result of a settlement agreement entered into between Staff of the MFDA and the Respondent, the settlement hearing in this proceeding will take place on November 15, 2017, commencing at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern) or as soon thereafter as the matter can be held, in the hearing room at the offices of the MFDA, located at 121 King Street West, Suite 1000, Toronto, Ontario.
The subject matter of the proposed settlement agreement concerns matters for which the Respondent may be disciplined pursuant to ss. 20 and 24.1.1 of By-law No. 1 of the MFDA. In particular, the settlement agreement concerns allegations that the Respondent:
- between about January and April 2014, failed to follow a series of compliance directives from the Member requiring the Respondent to reassess the suitability of his recommendations to clients to hold 100% of their investments in a single precious metal sector fund and, where appropriate, make recommendations to reduce the clients' concentration in the fund, contrary to MFDA Rules 2.2.1 and 2.1.1.; and
- between about January and April 2014, arranged for at least 75 clients to complete updated Know-Your-Client forms which increased the clients' risk tolerance, in order to ensure that the clients' Know-Your-Client information matched his recommendations to hold 100% of their investments in a single precious metal sector fund, contrary to MFDA Rules 2.2.1 and 2.1.1.
MFDA settlement hearings are typically held in the absence of the public pursuant to section 20.5 of MFDA By-law No. 1 and Rule 15.2(2) of the MFDA Rules of Procedure. If the Hearing Panel accepts the settlement agreement, then the proceeding will become open to the public and a copy of the decision of the Hearing Panel and the settlement agreement will be made available at www.mfda.ca.
A copy of the Amended Notice of Hearing is available on the MFDA website at www.mfda.ca. During the period described in the Amended Notice of Hearing, the Respondent conducted business in the Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario area.
The MFDA is the self-regulatory organization for Canadian mutual fund dealers, regulating the operations, standards of practice and business conduct of its Members and their approximately 83,000 Approved Persons with a mandate to protect investors and the public interest. For more information about the MFDA's complaint and enforcement processes, as well as links to 'Check an Advisor' and other Investor Tools, visit the For Investors page on the MFDA website.
SOURCE Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada
Charles Toth, Director, Litigation, 416-943-4619, [email protected]
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