MFDA issues Notice of Settlement Hearing in respect of Lachman Balani

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2014 /CNW/ - The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada ("MFDA") today announced that it has issued a Notice of Settlement Hearing regarding the presentation, review and consideration of a proposed settlement agreement by a Hearing Panel of the MFDA's Central Regional Council.

The settlement agreement will be between Staff of the MFDA and Lachman Hassaram Balani (the "Respondent") and involves matters for which the Respondent may be disciplined by a Hearing Panel pursuant to MFDA By-laws.

The proposed settlement agreement concerns allegations that between March 2010 and February 2013, the Respondent obtained and maintained approximately 89 account and trade forms in 23 client accounts which were signed by clients when the forms were blank or only partially complete, and used the forms to process transactions in client accounts, contrary to MFDA Rule 2.1.1.  

The Settlement Hearing is scheduled to take place on December 8, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern), or as soon thereafter as the hearing can held, in the MFDA hearing room located at 121 King Street West, Suite 1000, Toronto, Ontario. The hearing will be open to the public, except as may be required for the protection of confidential matters.

A copy of the Notice of Settlement Hearing is available on the MFDA website at www.mfda.ca. During the period described in the Notice of Settlement Hearing, the Respondent carried on business in the Brampton, 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 110 Members and their approximately 80,000 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

Hugh Corbett, Managing Director, Enforcement, 416-943-4685, [email protected]