The Statement of Claim is a written narrative
that sets forth the facts of the dispute. While the Statement of Claim
does not have to be in a special form, it should set forth the details of
the dispute, including all relevant dates, names, and account numbers, in
a clear, concise, and chronological fashion, and should conclude by
indicating what relief (e.g., the amount of money damages, specific
performance, interest) is requested. The text of
your Statement of Claim should contain an explanation of how and why each
of the respondents is liable. Number each page of your Statement of Claim
in this manner: "Page 1 of 4 pages."
An electronic Statement of Claim should be submitted in Adobe Portable Document format (PDF) only. This is the only acceptable format.
Software to create Adobe PDF files can be obtained online for free from several sources. Microsoft Office applications have the built-in ability to save documents as Adobe PDF as well.
Statement of Claim document should be preferably in a 12-point font, using Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Arial style typeface, with 1.5 -inch margins.
A person or entity (not acting in the capacity
of an associated person or member) that transacts business with any
member firm and/or associated person.
An associated person is a natural person who
is registered or has applied for registration under FINRA Rules; 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.
The term "member" means any broker
or dealer admitted to membership in FINRA, whether or not the membership
has been terminated or cancelled; 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 and/or to be
treated as members of FINRA for purposes of the Code, whether or not the
membership has been terminated or cancelled.
You must use "Other" if you tried to
enter a "Member Firm" or "Person Associated with a Member
Firm", but could not find their name using the CRD Search function.
Each Member is assigned a Broker-Dealer number
(BD#) when it registers with FINRA. Likewise, Associated Persons are given
a Central Registration Depository number (CRD#) when they register.
Collectively, these numbers are sometimes called a CRD/BD# or BD/CRD#.
The displayed address for the firm may be different from the address you
expected to see. Firms have many addresses, and this system selects the
appropriate address for FINRA Dispute Resolution's purposes.