IN THE MATTER OF Lawrence Bradley Chang - Penalty Decision

VANCOUVER, Jan. 31, 2014 /CNW/ - Following a penalty hearing held on November 22, 2013, a Hearing Panel of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) imposed the following penalty on Lawrence Bradley Chang:

(a)     A permanent bar from approval with IIROC; and

(b)     A fine in the amount of $100,000.

Mr. Chang is also required to pay costs in the amount of $7,500.

The penalty decision can be found at: http://docs.iiroc.ca/DisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=B1F43032FA664EE3BAE296F1E133248E&Language=en.

In an earlier decision, dated August 26, 2013, the Hearing Panel found that Mr. Chang made unauthorized purchases of one security in a client account and then made misrepresentations to the client regarding the number of shares of that security that were held in the account.  The decision on Liability can be found at: http://docs.iiroc.ca/DisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=6F24ACE43B8243A5AF47F82344ACE02E&Language=en.

Documents related to ongoing IIROC enforcement proceedings - including Reasons and Decisions of Hearing Panels - are posted on the IIROC website as they become available. Click here to search and access all IIROC enforcement documents.

IIROC formally initiated the investigation into Mr. Chang's conduct in January 2010. The violations occurred when he was a Registered Representative with the Vancouver office of Canaccord Genuity Corp., an IIROC-regulated firm. Mr. Chang is no longer a registrant with an IIROC-regulated firm.

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IIROC is the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada. Created in 2008 through the consolidation of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada and Market Regulation Services Inc., IIROC sets high quality regulatory and investment industry standards, protects investors and strengthens market integrity while maintaining efficient and competitive capital markets.

IIROC carries out its regulatory responsibilities through setting and enforcing rules regarding the proficiency, business and financial conduct of dealer firms and their registered employees and through setting and enforcing market integrity rules regarding trading activity on Canadian equity marketplaces.

IIROC investigates possible misconduct by its member firms and/or individual registrants. It can bring disciplinary proceedings which may result in penalties including fines, suspensions, permanent bars, expulsion from membership, or termination of rights and privileges for individuals and firms.

All information about disciplinary proceedings relating to current and former member firms is available in the Enforcement section of the IIROC website. Background information regarding the qualifications and disciplinary history, if any, of advisors currently employed by IIROC-regulated firms is available free of charge through the IIROC AdvisorReport service. Information on how to make investment dealer, advisor or marketplace-related complaints is available by calling 1 877 442-4322.

SOURCE: Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) - General News