On August 3, 2009, amendments to the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority's ("FINRA") trade reporting
obligations for over-the-counter ("OTC") equity
transactions became effective. The amendments, which the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") approved
in November 20081, (i) replace the current market
maker-based trade reporting structure with an "executing
party" structure and (ii) require firms with the trade
reporting obligations that are acting in a riskless principal or
agency capacity on behalf of another member firm to submit non-tape
reports to FINRA to identify such other firm as a party to the
trade.
Trade Reporting Structure
The new "executing party" trade reporting structure
applies to reporting trades to FINRA in National Market System
securities, OTC equity securities, Direct Participation Program
securities and PORTAL equity securities. Pursuant to the new
structure, the trade reporting obligation falls (i) on the
"executing