Senior Special Counsel, Hearing Officer - FINRA

Hearing Officers preside over formal disciplinary proceedings on a wide range of cases brought by FINRA’s Department of Enforcement against FINRA-registered firms and persons associated with FINRA-registered firms. Hearing Officers also preside over disciplinary proceedings initiated by the New York Stock Exchange and other self-regulatory organizations against their members and associated persons. Hearing Officers also adjudicate temporary cease and desist proceedings and a variety of other expedited proceedings against FINRA-registered firms and associated persons.

Essential Job Functions:

• Promote efficiency and fairness within the hearing process.
• Effectively preside over, and chair hearing panels at, contested hearings and pre-hearing conferences and regulate the conduct of the proceedings in accordance with applicable procedural rules.
• Ensure that FINRA provides respondents with a full and fair opportunity to defend themselves.
• Prepare timely and well-written hearing panel decisions, default decisions, orders, and expedited decisions.
• Determine whether substantive violations of the federal securities laws, rules, and regulations, FINRA rules, MSRB Rules, or the rules of other self-regulatory organizations have occurred.
• Conduct legal research and draft legally defensible findings and conclusions.
• Address procedural and substantive issues, including those that arise in more complex disciplinary proceedings (multiple respondents and multiple allegations).
• Conduct pre-hearing conferences, administer motions practice, manage development of the hearing record, and certify appellate record to the National Adjudicatory Council.
• Advise hearing panelists on issues of law and procedure.
• Maintain composure under pressure and demonstrate an ability to rule decisively on a variety of matters during hearings, pre-hearing conferences, and panel deliberations.

Other Responsibilities:

• Supervise legal assistants and administrative assistants who work within the Office of Hearing Officers.

Education/Experience Requirements:

• A law degree from an accredited school with admission to a state bar.
• 15 years of litigation experience. Significant experience participating in formal hearings or trials, participating in litigation, and understanding administrative law is preferred.
• Proven experience in preparing legal opinions, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of federal securities laws, Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations, and FINRA or other self-regulatory rules.
• Experience adjudicating disciplinary proceedings involving the federal securities laws or self-regulatory rules is preferred.

Working Conditions:

• Normal office environment.
• Travel required.

For work that is performed in CA, CO, HI, New York, NY and WA, the chart below outlines the proposed salary range for the corresponding location. In addition to location, actual compensation is based on various factors, including but not limited to, the candidate’s skill set, level of experience, education, and internal peer compensation comparisons.

California: Minimum Salary $158,900, Maximum Salary $339,300

Colorado/Hawaii: Minimum Salary $144,500, Maximum Salary $282,700

New York, NY: Minimum Salary $173,500, Maximum Salary $339,300

Washington: Minimum Salary $144,500, Maximum Salary $325,200

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To be considered for this position, please submit an application. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required.

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Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. FINRA provides comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance.  Additional insurance includes basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, supplemental life, spouse/domestic partner and dependent life, and spouse/domestic partner and dependent accidental death and dismemberment, short- and long-term disability, long-term care, business travel accident, disability and legal.  FINRA offers immediate participation and vesting in a 401(k) plan with company match and eligibility for participation in an additional FINRA-funded retirement contribution, tuition reimbursement and many other benefits. 

Time Off and Paid Leave*

FINRA encourages its employees to focus on their health and wellness in many ways, including through a generous time-off program of 15 days of paid time off, 5 personal days and 9 sick days (all pro-rated in the first year). Additionally, we are proud to support our communities by providing two volunteer service days (based on full-time schedule). Other paid leave includes military leave, jury duty leave, bereavement leave, voting and election official leave for federal, state or local primary and general elections, care of a family member leave (available after 90 days of employment); and childbirth and parental leave (available after 90 days of employment). Full-time employees receive nine paid holidays.

*Based on full-time schedule

Important Information

FINRA’s Code of Conduct imposes restrictions on employees’ investments and requires financial disclosures that are uniquely related to our role as a securities regulator. FINRA employees are required to disclose to FINRA all brokerage accounts that they maintain, and those in which they control trading or have a financial interest (including any trust account of which they are a trustee or beneficiary and all accounts of a spouse, domestic partner or minor child who lives with the employee) and to authorize their broker-dealers to provide FINRA with duplicate statements for all of those accounts. All of those accounts are subject to the Code’s investment and securities account restrictions, and new employees must comply with those investment restrictions—including disposing of any security issued by a company on FINRA’s Prohibited Company List or obtaining a written waiver from their Executive Vice President—by the date they begin employment with FINRA. Employees may only maintain securities accounts that must be disclosed to FINRA at one or more securities firms that provide an electronic feed (e-feed) of data to FINRA, and must move securities accounts from other securities firms to a firm that provides an e-feed within three months of beginning employment.

You can read more about these restrictions here.

As standard practice, employees must also execute FINRA’s Employee Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement without qualification or modification and comply with the company’s policy on nepotism.

Search Firm Representatives

Please be advised that FINRA is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, a valid written agreement and task order must be in place before any resumes are submitted to FINRA. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at FINRA without a valid written agreement and task order in place will be deemed the sole property of FINRA and no fee will be paid in the event that person is hired by FINRA.

FINRA is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship status, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any other classification protected by federal state or local laws as appropriate, or upon the protected status of the person’s relatives, friends or associates.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified protected veterans, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans.

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