CASE STUDY
Investment Banking Experience, Blended with Compliance Skill, Strikes the Right Balance
Situation
Soon he came to understand that knowing the regulations and procedures didn’t help much if they didn’t know the investment banking business. The problem then, was where to find that needle in a very big haystack.
Solution
“I was looking for two things,” he says about that meeting. “Number one was, did she check the boxes in terms of FINRA requirements and broker-dealer licensure. And number two, did she understand the nuts and bolts of my business.”
When Registered Representatives seek out a broker-dealer to hold their FINRA licenses, they look for a professional with a broad array of FINRA licenses themselves, including the Series 7, 79, 24 and 28. But they also look for a financial professional with an intimate knowledge of the rules and procedures required for compliance, and someone who stays ahead of the regulations. Most of all they look for someone who has their back so they can get down to business without any distractions. As an added requirement, this registered rep wanted an investment banker he could work with. “I really wanted someone who was an investment banker, but more importantly, I wanted someone who understood the complexity my deals.”
Results
One specific instance of TOBIN’s compliance style that stands out vividly to him was when he wasn’t sure whether a transaction that he was closing would meet the definition of a securities offering. After evaluation, Tobin & Company’s opinion turned out to be, “No it’s not a security,” but supporting the decision was clearly outlined facts and logic. It meant that TOBIN didn’t make any money this time around, but it was an example of holding integrity above profit, something our client deeply values.
“That was just one instance of her having my back,” he says. “She shoots very straight regardless of what it means to her bottom line. And to be frank that integrity encourages me to work all the harder to get securities in front of her so she can make money.”
“As a compliance officer Justine is certainly an ‘A,’ if not an ‘A+.’ Give her credit, she’s got to be both compliance and customer service and that’s not an easy balance to strike.”
Tobin & Company
Registered Representative