MFDA announces settlement hearing to take place in respect of Robert Mitchell
TORONTO, April 10, 2017 /CNW/ - The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada ("MFDA") commenced a disciplinary proceeding in respect of Robert Stephen Mitchell ("Respondent") by Notice of Hearing dated November 15, 2016 ("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 May 31, 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:
| a) |
between September 2014 and March 2015, processed approximately 28 trades in respect of ten (10) clients where he determined the specific elements of the trades, including the mutual fund that was traded, the amount of the trade and/or the timing of the trade, thereby engaging in discretionary trading, contrary to MFDA Rules 2.3.1 and 2.1.1; |
| b) |
between March 2005 and January 2015, directly reimbursed four (4) clients for deferred sales charge fees and short term trading fees incurred by the clients, thereby engaging in personal financial dealings with the clients which gave rise to a conflict or potential conflict of interest that the Respondent failed to address by the exercise of responsible business judgment influenced only by the best interests of the clients, contrary to MFDA Rules 2.1.4 and 2.1.1; and |
| c) |
between about March 2010 and August 2014, obtained, possessed and, in some instances, used to process transactions, 25 pre-signed account forms in respect of 12 clients, contrary to MFDA Rule 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 Notice of Hearing is available on the MFDA website at www.mfda.ca. During the period described in the Notice of Hearing, the Respondent conducted business in the Thunder Bay, 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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