A Glimpse Into The 2024 FINRA Annual Conference

May 22nd 2024

by Owen Harnett

Summary of Keypoints

  • HLBS Law attended the 2024 FINRA Annual Conference in Washington, DC from May 14–16, with Founder & Managing Attorney Owen Harnett and Managing Attorney Michael Bessette representing the firm under the conference theme “Navigating Change.”
  • Conference discussions focused on collaboration between FINRA and industry firms, including updates to FINRA’s Disciplinary Hearing Process, distinctions between self-driven hearings and administrative law judge hearings, and efforts to shorten investigation timelines while increasing acceptance, waiver, and consent agreements.
  • A session on crypto assets covered emerging regulatory developments, trends in crypto-related misconduct, and resources available to firms navigating cryptocurrency compliance issues.
  • Another key session provided insights into FINRA’s Enforcement Program, highlighting current enforcement trends, notable cases, and strategies for strengthening firm compliance programs, alongside extensive networking opportunities throughout the event.

We are so honored that HLBS Law was in attendance for the 2024 FINRA Annual Conference! The ultimate theme of the conference was “Navigating Change.” Last week from May 14-16th, our Founder & Managing Attorney, Owen Harnett and our other Managing Attorney, Michael Bessette traveled to Washington DC. They were able to meet with industry experts and FINRA staff members to discuss important current events in the field and new strategies & changes to the industry.

One of the major takeaways involved how FINRA and firms like us at HLBS Law can navigate the latest changes together. One of the topics discussed was “FINRA’s Disciplinary Hearing Process”. They informed the audience of the differences between self-driven hearings and administrative law judge hearings. FINRA ultimately wants to shorten the investigation timeline and go after more acceptance, waiver and consent agreements.

Another session was about “Crypto Assets: trends, regulatory developments & resources.” In this conference session, there was a lot to discover about the latest cryptocurrency regulatory developments and how firms can leverage these resources. They were very informative of crypto misconduct and the available resources.

Finally, the session titled, “A View into FINRA’s Enforcement Program” explained the latest enforcement trends, noteworthy cases, and strategies for strengthening a firm’s compliance program. Overall, the 2024 FINRA Annual Conference had over 30 speaking sessions and many useful networking events, lunches, etc.

Thank you to everyone who was involved in this very successful event. – HLBS Law

Owen Harnett
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