Tr?id=566623520170033&ev=PageView&noscript=1

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½

Brokerage Firm Settles FINRA Allegations for Texting Lapses and Due Diligence Deficiencies

Posted on July 2nd, 2024 at 9:16 AM
Brokerage Firm Settles FINRA Allegations for Texting Lapses and Due Diligence Deficiencies

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½

A recent settlement between a Florida-based brokerage firm and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has drawn attention to the importance of retaining business-related text messages and conducting due diligence on private placement offerings. Dawson James Securities has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle allegations by FINRA that it failed to retain over 10,000 business-related text messages spanning a decade.

According to Ä¢¹½´«Ã½althManagement.com, the settlement stemmed from a FINRA examination, during which it was discovered that Dawson James prohibited texting for business purposes from August 2011 to December 2017, and again from January 2021 onwards, without implementing a system to monitor, detect, review, or preserve such messages. CEO Robert Dawson Keyser Jr. sent and received approximately 4,400 business-related text messages using his firm-issued mobile phone despite the prohibition.

In addition to the texting lapses, FINRA found deficiencies in Dawson James' supervisory systems for due diligence of private placement offerings. Specifically, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½althManagement.com reports that the firm's procedures failed to address conflicts of interest when its investment bankers conducted due diligence on offerings by affiliated issuers.

Dawson James neither admitted nor denied the findings, however, the firm consented to a $500,000 fine and a censure. Additionally, the firm agreed to hire a third-party compliance consultant to evaluate its procedures for retaining and reviewing business-related texts, among other measures. Keyser Jr. accepted a one-month suspension and a $10,000 fine as part of the settlement.

 

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

Hiring Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ has been one of the best career decisions I have made and this "investment" to maintain my sterling regulatory record has been returned many times over.  If you are in a situation where you've been unfairly accused, don't hesitate to talk with Ä¢¹½´«Ã½. They are the best.

Thomas C.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1786980584 Law
August 17, 2026
Federal Judge Allows Investor Class Action Over Lightstone REIT Disclosures to Proceed

A federal judge has allowed investors to proceed with a class-action lawsuit alleging that directors and advisors of three Lightstone Value Plus REITs failed to disclose a significant conflict of interest before shareholders voted on amendments extending the funds' operating periods.

1786734880 Law
August 14, 2026
Cash Sweep Litigation Continues to Drive Legal Costs

Cash sweep litigation continues to increase legal costs for wealth management firms despite the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) decision under the Trump administration to close pending investigations without imposing enforcement penalties, according to AdvisorHub.

1786636784 Law
August 13, 2026
FINRA Orders Centaurus Financial to Pay $1.1 Million Over Variable Annuity Supervision Failures

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has ordered Centaurus Financial Inc.