Skip to main content

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

When used in these By-Laws, unless the context otherwise requires, the term:
(a) "Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;
(b) "Board" means the Board of Directors of FINRA Regulation;
(c) "broker" shall have the same meaning as in Section 3(a)(4) of the Act;
(d) "Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission;
(e) "Corporation" means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or any future name of the entity;
(f) "day" means calendar day;
(g) "dealer" shall have the same meaning as in Section 3(a)(5) of the Act;
(h) "Delaware law" means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware;
(i) "Delegation Plan" means the "Plan of Allocation and Delegation of Functions by FINRA to Subsidiaries" as approved by the Commission, and as amended from time to time;
(j) "Director" means a member of the Board;
(k) "district" means a district established by the Board pursuant to Article VIII, Section 8.1 of these By-Laws;
(l) "District Director" means a FINRA Regulation staff member who heads a district office;
(m) "district office" means an office of FINRA Regulation located in a district;
(n) "Electronic transmission" means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process;
(o) "Executive Representative" means the executive representative of a FINRA member appointed pursuant to Article IV, Section 3 of the FINRA By-Laws;
(p) "FINRA" means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.;
(q)"FINRA Board" means the FINRA Board of Governors;
(r) "FINRA member" means any broker or dealer admitted to membership in FINRA. For purposes of the Code of Arbitration Procedure for Customer Disputes or the Code of Arbitration Procedure for Industry Disputes, FINRA member includes any broker or dealer admitted to membership in FINRA whether or not the membership has been terminated, suspended, cancelled, revoked, the member has been expelled or barred from FINRA, or the member is otherwise defunct; and any broker or dealer admitted to membership in a self-regulatory organization that, with FINRA consent, has required its members to arbitrate pursuant to the Code of Arbitration Procedure for Customer Disputes or the Code of Arbitration Procedure for Industry Disputes and to be treated as members of FINRA for purposes of the Codes of Arbitration Procedure, whether or not its membership has been terminated, suspended, cancelled, revoked, the member has been expelled or barred from its self-regulatory organization, or the member is otherwise defunct;
(s) "FINRA Regulation" means FINRA Regulation, Inc.;
(t) “Governor” means a member of the FINRA Board;
(u) "Independent Agent" means a corporation or entity selected by the Secretary of FINRA or FINRA Regulation to assist FINRA Regulation with nomination and election procedures under Articles VI and VIII of these By-Laws and the representatives of such corporation or entity;
(v) "Industry Director" means a Director of the Board (other than the Chairman of the FINRA Board and the Chief Executive Officer of FINRA) who (1) is or has served in the prior year as an officer, director (other than as an independent director), employee, or controlling person of a broker or dealer, or (2) has a consulting or employment relationship with or provides professional services to a self-regulatory organization registered under the Act, or has had any such relationship or provided any such services at any time within the prior year;
(w) “Industry Member” means a National Adjudicatory Council or committee member who (1) is or has served in the prior year as an officer, director, employee, or controlling person of a broker or dealer, excluding an independent director, an outside director, or a director not engaged in the day-to-day management of a broker or dealer; (2) is an officer, director (excluding an outside director), or employee of an entity that owns more than ten percent of the equity of a broker or dealer, and the broker or dealer accounts for more than five percent of the gross revenues received by the consolidated entity; (3) owns more than five percent of the equity securities of any broker or dealer, whose investments in brokers or dealers exceed ten percent of his or her net worth, or whose ownership interest otherwise permits him or her to be engaged in the day-to-day management of a broker or dealer; (4) provides professional services to brokers or dealers, and such services constitute 20 percent or more of the professional revenues received by the member or 20 percent or more of the gross revenues received by the member's firm or partnership (for the purposes of determining membership on the National Arbitration and Mediation Committee, any services provided in the capacity as a mediator of disputes involving a broker or dealer and not representing any party in such mediations shall not be considered professional services provided to brokers or dealers); (5) provides professional services to a director, officer, or employee of a broker, dealer, or corporation that owns 50 percent or more of the voting stock of a broker or dealer, and such services relate to the director's, officer's, or employee's professional capacity and constitute 20 percent or more of the professional revenues received by the member or 20 percent or more of the gross revenues received by the member's firm or partnership (for the purposes of determining membership on the National Arbitration and Mediation Committee, any services provided in the capacity as a mediator of disputes involving a director, officer, or employee as described in this subsection (5) and not representing any party in such mediations shall not be considered professional services provided to such individuals); or (6) has a consulting or employment relationship with or provides professional services to a self-regulatory organization registered under the Act, or has had any such relationship or provided any such services at any time within the prior year;
(x) “Large Firm” means any broker or dealer admitted to membership in the Corporation which, at the time of determination, has 500 or more registered persons;
(y) “Large Firm NAC Member” or “Large Firm Committee Member” means a National Adjudicatory Council or committee member that must, in order to be eligible to serve, be an Industry Member and, at the time of election or appointment, must be registered with a member which is a Large Firm;
(z) “Mid-Size Firm” means any broker or dealer admitted to membership in the Corporation which, at the time of determination, has at least 151 and no more than 499 registered persons;
(aa) “Mid-Size Firm NAC Member” or “Mid-Size Firm Committee Member” means a National Adjudicatory Council or committee member that must, in order to be eligible to serve, be an Industry Member and, at the time of election or appointment, must be registered with a member which is a Mid-Size Firm;
(bb) "National Adjudicatory Council" or “NAC” means a body appointed pursuant to Article V of these By-Laws.
(cc) "Nominating Committee" means the Nominating Committee appointed pursuant to Article VII, Section 9 of the FINRA By-Laws;
(dd) "Non-Industry Member" means a National Adjudicatory Council or committee member who is (1) a Public Member; (2) an officer or employee of an issuer of securities listed on a market for which FINRA provides regulation; (3) an officer or employee of an issuer of unlisted securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market; or (4) any other individual who would not be an Industry Member;
(ee) "person associated with a member" or "associated person of a member" means: (1) a natural person who is registered or has applied for registration under the Rules of the Corporation; (2) a sole proprietor, partner, officer, director, or branch manager of a member, or other natural person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions, or a natural person engaged in the investment banking or securities business who is directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by a member, whether or not any such person is registered or exempt from registration with FINRA under these By-Laws or the Rules of the Corporation; and (3) for purposes of Rule 8210, any other person listed in Schedule A of Form BD of a member;
(ff) "Public Director" means a Director of the Board who is not an Industry Director and who otherwise has no material business relationship with a broker or dealer or a self-regulatory organization registered under the Act (other than serving as a public director of such a self-regulatory organization);
(gg) “Public Member” means a National Adjudicatory Council or committee member who has no material business relationship with a broker or dealer or a self-regulatory organization registered under the Act (other than serving as a public director or a public member on a committee of such a self-regulatory organization or, for the purposes of determining membership on the National Arbitration and Mediation Committee, acting in the capacity as a mediator of disputes involving a broker or dealer and not representing any party in such mediations);
(hh) “Regional Committee” means a Regional Committee elected pursuant to Article VIII of these By-Laws;
(ii) “Rules of the Corporation” or “Rules” means the numbered rules set forth in the Manual of the Corporation beginning with the Rule 0100 Series, as adopted by the FINRA Board pursuant to the FINRA By-Laws, as hereafter amended or supplemented;
(jj) “Small Firm” means any broker or dealer admitted to membership in the Corporation which, at the time of determination, has at least one and no more than 150 registered persons; and
(kk) “Small Firm NAC Member” or “Small Firm Committee Member” means a National Adjudicatory Council or committee member that must, in order to be eligible to serve, be an Industry Member and, at the time of election or appointment, must be registered with a member which is a Small Firm.
Amended by SR-FINRA-2019-027 eff. June 29, 2020.
Amended by SR-FINRA-2019-015 eff. Apr. 24, 2019.
Amended by SR-FINRA-2018-021 eff. May 18, 2018.
Amended by SR-FINRA-2015-034 eff. Dec. 20, 2015.
Amended by SR-FINRA-2011-011 eff. April 28, 2011.
Amended by SR-FINRA-2008-046. eff. Nov. 6, 2008.
Amended by SR-NASD-2004-110 eff. Dec. 31, 2004.
Amended by SR-NASD-2001-57 eff. Sept. 12, 2001.
Amended by SR-NASD-01-13 eff. May 12, 2001.
Amended by SR-NASD-99-21 eff. July 9, 2000.
Amended by SR-NASD-99-35 eff. Dec. 1, 1999.
Amended by SR-NASD-98-56 eff. Oct. 30, 1998.
Amended by SR-NASD-97-71 eff. Jan. 15, 1998.

Selected Notice: 99-95, 16-04, 20-11.