89-051-052a-
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
1/10
N E W Y O R K S T O C K E X C H A N G E, I N C.
In the Matter of ) Appeal from Exchange
Luis S. Mendez ) Hearing Panel Decision 89-5l
In the Matter of ) Appeal from Exchange
Nicholas J. Minucci) Hearing Panel Decision 89-52
The decisions of the Hearing Panel rejecting the Stipulation of
Facts and Consent to Penalty ("Stipulation and Consent") entered
into between Luis S. Mendez and the Division of Enforcement
(Exchange Hearing Panel Decision 89-5l) and Nicholas J. Minucci and
the Division of Enforcement (Exchange Hearing Panel Decision 89-52),
are reversed.
In so doing, the Board of Directors accepts the facts stipulated to
and fixes and imposes the penalties agreed to in the Stipulation andConsent of a censure and a $20,000 fine with respect to Luis S.
Mendez and a censure and a $40,000 fine with respect to Nicholas J.
Minucci.
The Hearing Panel met to consider the proposed Stipulation and
Consent entered into by The First Boston Corporation, Luis S. Mendez
and Nicholas J. Minucci. The Hearing Panel accepted the Stipulation
and Consent as it pertained to The First Boston Corporation ("the
firm") and imposed the penalty consented to by the firm (Exchange
Hearing Panel Decision 89-5O). The Hearing Panel rejected the
Stipulation and Consent with respect to Mr. Mendez and Mr. Minucci.
The Board believes the facts stipulated to support a finding that
the offenses consented to by Mr. Mendez and Mr. Minucci were
committed, and believes the penalties agreed to in the Stipulation
to be reasonable and appropriate for the offenses and facts
stipulated.
Accordingly, the Board accepts the findings stipulated to between
the Division of Enforcement and Mr. Mendez, the substance of which
are: that Mendez violated Exchange Rule 342(a) in that he failed to
reasonably discharge his duties and obligations in connection with
supervision and control of the activities of those employees related
to the business of their employer and compliance with securities
laws and regulations with respect to compliance with the Quiet
Restricted List procedure by the Equity Department.
The Board also accepts the findings stipulated to between the
Division of Enforcement and Mr. Minucci, the substance of which are:
that Minucci engaged in violations of Exchange Rule 342(a) in that
he failed to reasonably discharge his duties and obligations in
connection with supervision and control of the activities of those
employees related to the business of their employer and compliance
with securities laws and regulations with respect to (i) compliance
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
2/10
2with the Quiet Restricted List procedure by the Institutional Block
Trading Desk; and (ii) by ordering a trader to sell a security which
was included on the Quiet Restricted List.
Accordingly, the Board accepts the facts stipulated to between the
Division of Enforcement and Mr. Mendez, and between the Division of
Enforcement and Mr. Minucci, the substance of which are:
1. The firm was incorporated in Massachusetts on
June 27, 1932 and was approved as a member
organization of the Exchange on March 29, 1971.
2. The firm is a broker dealer registered with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
providing a broad spectrum of investment banking
and financial services on an international basis.
3. As of December 3l, 1987, the firm had
approximately 12,000 customer accounts and l8
branch offices.
4. Mendez was born on January 6, 1937, and was
approved as an allied member on May 26, 1975. He
has been employed in the securities industry for
about eighteen years. Since November 1984 and at
all relevant times, Mendez was the Co-Head of the
the firm's Equity Department. Mendez is a
Managing Director and member of the firm's
Management Committee.
5. Mendez has also served as a member of the
Exchange Allocation Committee and the Upstairs
Trading Committee, and as an elected member of
the NASD District Business Conduct Committee of
District #l2. During his career in the
Securities Industry, Mendez has not previously
been the subject of any disciplinary action by
any regulatory or self regulatory organization.
6. Minucci was born on July 29, 1945. He was
approved as a registered representative by the
Exchange in the early 1970's, and has been
employed in the securities industry for nineteen
years. He is a Managing Director of the firm
and, since May 1985, has been the Manager of the
firm's Institutional Block Trading Desk ("IBD").
During his career in the Securities Industry,
Minucci has not previously been the subject of
any disciplinary action by any regulatory or self
regulatory organization.
Securities and Exchange Commission Civil Injunction
7. On May 5, 1986, the united States District Court
for the Southern District of New York, in a civil
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
3/10
3 proceeding, entered a Final Judgment of permanent
Injunction and Other Relief against the firm
enjoining the firm from engaging in transactions,
acts, practices and courses of business which
constitute or would constitute violations of
Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and Rule l0b-5 promulgated thereunder.
8. The firm consented to the entry of the Final
Judgment without admitting or denying the
allegations contained in the SEC's Complaint for
Permanent Injunction and Other Relief ("the
Complaint").
9. The Complaint for Permanent Injunction and Other
Relief filed by the SEC alleged that the firm, in
breach of a duty of trust and confidence to Z
Corporation (hereinafter "Z"), traded in Z's
securities for the firm's account on January 30,
1986, while in possession of material non-public
information provided by Z concerning aforth-coming announcement of a $l.2 billion
addition to Z's property casualty loss reserves,
in violation of Section 10(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated
thereunder.
10. The Consent Decree which provided for
disgorgement in the amount of $132,138 and the
imposition of a civil fine of $264,276 under the
Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984, included
an undertaking requiring the firm to conduct a
review of its Restricted List and Chinese Wall
Procedures and to submit its report of that
review to the SEC.
Statement of Facts
The Acquisition of the Z Material, Non-Public
Information
ll. On January 20, 1986, the treasurer of Z, a large
publicly held insurance company contacted one of
the firm's Corporate Finance Department Managing
Directors for the purpose of arranging a meeting
in order to obtain advice regarding the
ramifications of a possible increase in the
property-casualty loss reserves of Z.
12. On January 21, 1986, Z's Chief Financial Officer
met at Z's headquarters with the firm's Corporate
Finance Department representatives. At this
meeting, the firm representatives were told that
Z's Management was considering making a
recommendation to its Board of Directors of a $1
to $1.5 billion increase in its property casualty
loss reserves.
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
4/10
4
13. The firm's representatives presented the various
alternatives available to fund the casualty loss
reserves increase. They believed that such
action would negatively affect the short term
value of Z's securities.
14. Following the January 21, 1986 meeting, one of
the firm's representatives contacted the firm's
Legal Department and requested that Z be put on
the Quiet Restricted List ("QRL"). This request
was made because the firm representatives
believed that the subject matter discussed was
"market sensitive information."
January 24, 1986 Z Transaction
15. On January 24, 1986, to facilitate a customer
order to sell 50,500 shares of 2 convertible
preferred stock, the Convertible Preferred
Trading Desk purchased 49,900 shares of thatsecurity on a proprietary basis and executed the
sale of the remaining 600 shares on an agency
basis. The Convertible Preferred Desk also
transferred a 21,000 share position in Z Common
Stock to the Institutional Block Trading Desk.
16. On January 27, 1986, the firm's Legal Department
in the course of its review of trading discovered
the January 24, 1986, Convertible Preferred
Trading Desk position in Z convertible preferred
stock and directed that the position not be
traded. However, the 21,000 share position in Z
common stock at the IBD resulted from an internal
transfer which was not reflected in the trade
runs reviewed by the Legal Department and was not
noted.
17. On January 29, 1986, a written analysis
presenting the alternatives for the financing of
the casualty reserves increase and the probable
impact of the increase on the value of Z
securities, requested on January 24, 1986, was
delivered by the firm to Z's management.
18. The Chief Financial Officer of Z, on the evening
of January 29, 1986, informed the firm that he
expected that Z would publicly announce itsdecision concerning the increase to its casualty
loss reserves after a Z Board of Directors
special meeting to be held on January 30, 1986.
Transmittal of the Z Information to the firm's Trading
Room
19. On January 30, 1986, before Exchange trading had
begun, a firm Corporate Finance Department
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
5/10
5 representative notified a firm Insurance Analyst
("the Insurance Analyst") that Z would make an
announcement which could have a negative effect
on the value of Z's securities and that he should
be prepared to answer questions thereafter
concerning the market impact of such announcement.
20. The firm's Corporate Finance Department
representative told the Insurance Analyst that he
was conveying material information, that Z was
included on the QRL and instructing him to advise
only his superior of the Z information and that
he or his superior should be available to respond
to inquiries subsequent to the announcement.
21. The Insurance Analyst contacted his superior,
advised him of the Z information and was
instructed to convey that information to Minucci,
the Manager of the Institutional Block Trading
Desk.
22. Following this conversation, the Insurance
Analyst went to the trading floor and spoke to
Minucci at the IBD.
23. During a short conversation, the Insurance
Analyst indicated that a significant negative
announcement with respect to Z would be
forthcoming.
24. Minucci believed that he was receiving only an
analyst's opinion of Z.
The January 30, 1986 Z Transactions
25. Immediately following or at the same time as the
conversation with the Insurance Analyst, Minucci
asked a trader whether he had any exposure in Z
Securities. Upon being told that a long position
of 21,000 shares existed and without checking the
QRL, Minucci directed the trader to liquidate the
position.
26. Acting on Minucci's instructions, the trader sold
the 21,000 share Z position held in the IBD
proprietary account at 9:48 am. at a price of 69
1/8.
27. Shortly after that conversation, the Insurance
Analyst also discussed the Z situation with
Mendez in a brief conversation. Upon checking,
Mendez was not told specifically of any Z
transactions.
28. Shortly thereafter, the trader also purchased 131
Z put options which were sold at a profit the
same day.
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
6/10
6
29. Subsequently, the trader purchased additional Z
put options, Z call options and common stock.
Quiet Restricted List and Chinese Wall Procedures
30. The firm's Chinese Wall procedures prohibited the
transmittal of material, non-public information
from the Corporate Finance Department to the
Equity Trading, Sales, and Research Departments.
31. Except for tender offers (where the applicable
SEC rule explicitly dealt with Chinese Wall
Procedures), the firm's procedures to prevent
trading on the basis of material non-public
information focused upon the QRL rather than upon
Chinese Wall Procedures.
32. The firm's QRL was a list of limited circulation
utilized to restrict the issuance of Research
Reports and trading in proprietary and employeeaccounts when the firm, as the result of a
confidential business relationship, acquired
material non-public information.
33. The Legal Department would prepare and distribute
the QRL which list would be retyped every two
weeks if sufficient revisions were necessary.
34. The QRL was distributed to the heads of the
Trading and other departments who generally
orally informed their staff of the content
thereof on a need to know basis.
35. Under the practice in effect at the time, a copy
of the QRL and typed corrections were distributed
to both Mendez and Minucci.
36. If changes were required prior to the written
revision of the QRL, they would be orally
communicated to the recipients of the list.
Mendez's secretary would type them onto the QRL
and provide a corrected copy to Minucci.
37. The Legal Department also reviewed the prior
day's trading to determine whether a QRL security
had been traded.
Deficiencies in the firm's Chinese Wall and
Quiet Restricted List Procedures
Chinese Wall Procedure
38. The firm's Chinese Wall Procedures did not
prevent the dissemination within the firm of
material non-public information emanating from
the Corporate Finance Department in that:
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
7/10
7
(i) Information with respect to the Z announcement
was conveyed to the Research Department
without sufficient safeguards to prevent
further dissemination;
(ii) As a consequence, a member of the Research
Department had discussions predicated upon
such information with members of the Equity
Trading Department by engaging in brief
conversations with them on the firm's trading
floor; and
(iii) A member of the Research Department also
discussed the Z information with a member of
the Arbitrage Department staff.
Restricted List Procedure
39. The firm's QRL Procedures and their implementation
did not prevent trading in Z while the firm was inpossession of material non-public information with
regard to that security as follows:
(1) On January 30, 1986 trading in Z securities
occurred despite Z's inclusion on the QRL for
nine days.
(a) while the QRL was distributed to a
Co-Head of the Equity Department and the
Manager of the IBD, procedures were not
in place to assure that they were alerted
to its contents and required to take
appropriate steps to prevent trading in
restricted securities by their
subordinates.
(b) The Co-Head of the Equity Department was
apparently unaware of the QRL's contents
for at least two months;
(c) The Manager of the IBD was unaware that Z
was included on the QRL at the time he
directed a sale in Z; and
(d) Further trading occurred in Z Securities
subsequent to the execution of the
transaction ordered by the Manager of theIBD.
40. The firm has represented that after the
undertaking entered into in conjunction with the
settlement of the SEC's Injunctive proceeding,
Modified Chinese Wall and QRL procedures were
adopted.
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
8/10
8 Mendez and Minucci
41. As a Co-Head of the Equity Department, Mendez's
responsibilities included the implementation of
the firm's QRL procedures.
42. Mendez was therefore obligated to assure that he
personally or an appropriate subordinate be kept
apprised of the contents of the QRL.
43. The QRL was distributed to Mendez by the firm's
Legal Department and Mendez directed his secretary
to maintain it and notify him and other
responsible personnel of any changes.
44. Mendez has acknowledged that for two months he was
not aware of the contents of or any changes to the
QRL.
45. Mendez's failure to assure that the QRL Procedure
was properly implemented contributed to thetrading which occurred on January 30, 1986 in the
securities of Z, a QRL listed security.
46. Furthermore, Mendez failed to check the QRL after
his conversation with the Insurance Analyst
regarding upcoming significant events affecting Z.
47. In addition, after a later conversation with a
staff member of the Corporate Finance Department
during which he was advised that Z should not be
traded, Mendez neither checked the QRL or took any
other steps to assure that trading would not occur.
48. In fact, unknown to Mendez, further trading in Z
securities occurred subsequent to that
conversation.
49. Minucci, as Manager of the Institutional Block
Trading Desk, was responsible for preventing
trading in QRL listed securities by IBD traders.
50. The QRL was distributed to Minucci and he had the
obligation to be aware of its contents and to take
necessary steps to assure that traders under his
supervision did not effect transactions in QRL
listed securities.
51. On Jannary 24, 1986, an IBD trader reporting to
Minucci acquired a 21,000 share position in Z
Common Stock from the Convertible Preferred Desk
while Z was included on the QRL.
52. However, Minucci was unaware of this position and
that it was in a QRL listed security until January
30, 1986.
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
9/10
953. On the morning of January 30, 1986, the Insurance
Analyst approached Minucci at the IBD.
54. During a short conversation, the Insurance Analyst
indicated that a significant negative announcement
with respect to Z would be forthcoming.
55. Minucci believed that he was receiving only an
analyst's opinion of Z.
56. Immediately thereafter, Minucci determined from a
trader that a 21,000 share position in Z Common
Stock was being held by the IBD.
57. Without checking the QRL which was in his
possession and which included Z, Minucci
instructed the trader to liquidate the position.
58. After liquidating the 21,000 share position, the
trader engaged, at his own discretion and without
the knowledge of Minucci, in a series of put andcall option transactions in Z and a purchase of Z
Common Stock.
59. Certain of these transactions occurred after
Minucci learned that Z was included on the QRL.
The firm, Mendez, and Minucci have represented the
following:
60. At the time the discussions between Z staff and
the firm representatives were initiated (see
paragraphs 11-l8 above), Mendez and Minucci were
neither involved in nor aware of such discussions.
61. Mendez and Minucci were not made aware of the
transfer, on January 24, 1986, of a 21,000 share
position in Z Common Stock from the firm's
Convertible Preferred Desk to the Institutional
Block Trading Desk.
62. The direction by the firm Legal Department that
the Convertible Preferred Desk position in Z not
be traded was not communicated to Mendez or
Minucci.
63. Minucci was not told the Z information was
confidential when the Insurance Analyst spoke tohim.
64. Mendez was unaware of the sale on January 30, 1986
at 9:48 a.m. of 21,000 shares of Z Common Stock
when it occurred.
65. On January 30, 1986, subsequent to the sale of the
21,000 shares of Z, Minucci, in referring to the
QRL, learned that 2 was on it. He immediately
-
8/12/2019 89-051-052a-
10/10
10 realized that the 21,000 share trade which he had
directed to be made was in violation of the QRL
procedures and thereafter reported what had
occurred to Mendez.
66. The firm's Legal Department was also alerted to
what had occurred within 24 hours of the 21,000
share trade and the purchase of the put options.
Mendez insisted that the matter be brought to the
attention of the top management of the firm, and
this was done. Minucci cooperated with the firm's
Management in every respect.
67. The matter was thereafter promptly reported to the
Exchange and SEC.
Consideration of SEC Proceeding
68. In entering into this Stipulation of Facts and
Consent to Penalty with respect to the firm, the
Division of Enforcement has taken into account theInjunctive proceeding initiated by the SEC which
resulted in the imposition of sanctions including
disgorgement and a civil fine and also required
that the firm review its Chinese Wall procedures
and submit a report of that review to the SEC.
The Board, in accepting the Stipulation and Consent, finds Mr.
Mendez guilty as set forth in the Stipulation and Consent.
The Board further imposes the penalty consented to by Mr. Mendez of
a censure and a $20,000 fine.
The Board, in accepting the Stipulation and Consent, finds Mr.
Minucci guilty as set forth in the Stipulation and Consent.
The Board further imposes the penalty consented to by Mr. Minucci of
a censure and a $40,000 fine.
January 4, 1990 By the Board of Directors
New York Stock Exchange, Inc.