NASAA Forums

NASAA hosts a series of public forums to provide a venue for fair and open dialogue on vital issues facing investors, regulators and industry.

Most Recent Event

Financial Services Regulatory Reform Roundtable
December 11, 2008, Washington, DC
A panel of state securities regulators outline the essential elements the incoming Obama Administration and the 111th Congress should consider to ensure that the ongoing policy debate over the future of the nation’s financial services regulatory structure promotes positive and progressive change on Wall Street for the benefit of Main Street.

The Roundtable is scheduled for Thursday, December 11 at the Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC. On-site registration and a light lunch begin at noon, with the program following from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. For details and to register, click here. 

Previous NASAA Forums

NASAA Forum on Securities Arbitration
June 19, 2008, New York 
The forum, Arbitration is Broken: How Can it be Fixed?, was moderated by Massachusetts Securities Division Director Bryan Lantagne and brought together a panel of leading arbitration experts to examine the current securities arbitration system and offer constructive steps to restore choice, fairness, and balance to the securities arbitration process. The panel included:  Barbara Roper, Director of Investor Protection, Consumer Federation of America; Theodore G. Eppenstein, Senior Partner, Eppenstein & Eppenstein; Tanya Solov, Director, Illinois Securities Division; Jill Gross, Associate Professor of Law, Pace University School of Law; and
F. Paul Bland, Jr., Staff Attorney, Public Justice.

Investor Protection Through Effective Enforcement and Regulation
April 26, 2007, Washignton, DC
Panelists showcase how strong and effective regulation enhances the strength of our nation’s capital markets. The panel, moderated by Arizona Securities Director Matthew J. Neubert, featured: Edmund Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director, U.S. Public Interest Research Group; Damon Silvers, General Counsel, AFL-CIO; Bryan Lantagne, Director of the Massachusetts Securities Division; Ira Hammerman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA); and Jake Zamansky, principal, Zamansky & Associates.

Protecting Investors and the Integrity of Financial Markets
March 19, 2007, Washington, DC
Moderated by Mercer Bullard, a leader in the fight for shareholder rights, this symposium featured a diverse panel of experts to respond to recent suggestions that U.S. capital markets are losing their competitive edge because of burdensome regulations and regulators who are aggressively protecting investors. Panelists included: James D. Cox, Professor, Duke University School of Law; Tanya Solov, Illinois Director of Securities; Willis Riccio, Partner, Adler, Pollock & Sheehan; Nancy Smith, Vice President, Investment Services, AARP Financial; and Charles Prestwood, former Enron employee.

The Baby Boom and Beyond
April 27, 2006, Washington, DC
Moderated by Colorado Securities Commissioner Fred Joseph, the forum examined how changing demographics are leading to changes in the way financial products and services, such as variable annuities and investment advice, are being developed and marketed to seniors, and the regulatory challenges these products and services present. Panelists included: James Nelson, II, Mississippi Assistant Secretary of State, Office of the Secretary of State, Business Regulation & Enforcement Division; Lori Richards, Director, Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Marc Lackritz, President, Securities Industry Association; Cecil Swamidoss, Counsel, Senate Special Committee on Aging; Matt Thornhill, Founder, The Boomer Project; and Janice I. Wassel, Director, Gerontology Program, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

NASAA Forum on Hedge Funds
March 30, 2006, New York
The forum, moderated by North Dakota Securities Commissioner Karen Tyler, brought together a diverse panel of experts to discuss hedge funds and their increasing role in the portfolios of pensions and individual investors. Panelists included: William F. Galvin, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth; Michael R. Butowsky, Partner, Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw LLP; Paul M. Weisenfeld, Director, Smith Barney Alternative Investments; Bruce Graham, Managing Director, Shields Associates; Susan M. Mangiero, Managing Member, BVA, LLC and Founder, Pension Governance, LLC, and Ryan Tagal, Hedge Funds Product Manager, Morningstar, Inc.

NASAA Forum on Naked Short Selling
November 22, 2005, Washington, DC
The forum, moderated by Connecticut Securities Director Ralph A. Lambiase, explored possible market manipulation through naked short selling activity. The forum brought together a panel of leading financial and academic experts to examine problems associated with abusive naked short selling and the impact of Regulation SHO on naked short-selling transactions. Panelists included: James Angel, Associate Professor of Finance at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University; James Brigagliano, Assistant Director, Division of Market Regulation, Securities and Exchange Commission; Peter Chepucavage, General Counsel of Plexus Consulting Group, LLC in Washington, DC; John Finnerty, Professor of Finance at Fordham University Graduate School of Business Administration and a Principal with Analysis Group, Inc.; Anand Ramtahal, Vice President, Division of Member Firm Regulation, New York Stock Exchange; Robert Shapiro, co-founder and chairman of Sonecon, LLC, and former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs; and Susanne Trimbath, Chief Executive Officer of STP Advisory Services and Chief Economist.

Regulatory Reform and Consumer Protection: Striking a Resonsible Balance
May 3, 2005, Washington, DC
 A panel of leading experts from government, academia, consumer organizations and the media, examine the challenge of maintaining a responsible balance between regulatory reform and consumer protection in today's world of financial services modernization and scandals in the brokerage, mutual fund, variable annuity, and other financial service industries. Panelists include: Ralph Lambiase, Director, Connecticut Division of Securities and NASAA Past-president; Barbara Roper, Director of Investor Protection, Consumer Federation of America; Elliot Blair Smith, Reporter, USA Today, and Arthur Wilmarth, Professor, George Washington University School of Law.

NASAA Listens Forum on 12b-1 Fees
September 13, 2004, New York
The Forum brought together leading mutual fund industry experts and regulators to examine Rule 12b-1 plans in light of the evolution of the mutual fund industry and discuss whether the rule continues to meet its intended purpose.Moderated by Texas Securities Commissioner Denise Voigt Crawford, the panel included: John C. Bogle, Vanguard Group founder and former CEO; Stuart J. Kaswell, Partner and Chair of the Broker-Dealer Practice Group, Dechert LLP; Elizabeth Krentzman, General Counsel, Investment Company Institute; Richard M. Phillips, Senior Partner and Head of Securities, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart; and Wisconsin Securities Administrator Patricia Struck.

NASAA Forum on Arbitration
July 14, 2004, Washington, DC
WASHINGTON—The addressed a number of topics, including, legal and procedural issues in arbitration cases, the composition of arbitration panels, arbitration awards and remedies, and the view of the current process from the perspectives of both investors and arbitrators. Participants included: (moderator) Tanya Solov, Illinois Securities Director and Chair of the NASAA Broker-Dealer Section; Matthew J. Nestor, First Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Chair of NASAA`s Arbitration Project Group; Linda Fienberg, President of NASD Dispute Resolution; Gary Weiss, Senior Writer, Business Week;  John Mark, an arbitrator; and Thomas Grady, an attorney specializing in securities litigation and arbitration. Audio.