The SEC charged a stockbroker and a managing clerk at a law firm with insider trading around more than a dozen mergers and other corporate transactions for illicit profits of $5.6 million during a four-year period. The SEC alleged that Steven Metro, a managing clerk at a law firm in New York, obtained material nonpublic information about corporate clients involved in pending deals by accessing confidential documents in the law firm's computer system. According to the SEC release, Metro then would tip a middleman, who would later tip Vladimir Eydelman, the middleman's stockbroker. Eydelman

The SEC approved amendments to FINRA Uniform Branch Office Registration Form ("Form BR"), which firms use to register their branch offices with FINRA, NYSE and participating states via the Central Registration Depository ("CRD") system. The approved amendments achieve the following: the elimination of Section 6 (NYSE Branch Information), which currently is applicable only to NYSE-registered firms; the addition of questions relating to space sharing arrangements and the location of books and records that are currently only in Section 6 and make them applicable to all firms; the modification of

NFA Board Members James Koutoulas and John L. Roe hosted a virtual Town Hall for NFA members to discuss the protection of customer funds that are managed by CTAs and invested in commodity pools. The NFA is considering imposing capital requirements on CPOs and CTAs as a means to protect customer funds and ensure that CPOs and CTAs operate as going concerns. The meeting was introduced by Mr. Koutoulas and featured introductory comments on the NFA proposal by Tom Sexton, the General Counsel of the NFA, and a discussion between Mr. Koutoulas and Mr. Sexton. Mr. Koutoulas and Mr. Roe, in addition

FINRA issued a regulatory notice regarding the SEC's approval of the new FINRA-consolidated rules governing supervision, which become effective on December 1, 2014. FINRA Rules 3110, 3120, 3150 and 3170 will replace NASD Rules 3010, 3012 and 3110(i), among other corresponding NYSE rule provisions. See: FINRA Reg. Notice 14-10; Text of Rule Changes.

Pressure continues to mount on Russia and its Ukrainian allies following Russia's move to annex the Crimean peninsula, with Japan and Australia joining the United States, the European Union and Canada in announcing sanctions. Japan's foreign minister announced on Tuesday, March 18, that it was suspending talks with Russia on an investment deal and the relaxation of visa requirements, while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned on Wednesday that additional sanctions may follow. Meanwhile, Australia announced on Wednesday that it would impose travel bans and asset freezes against eight Russians and