In re GLAZER CAPITAL
Glazer Capital, LLC, a registered investment adviser, agreed to a cease-and-desist order and $2 million civil penalty for violating SEC recordkeeping rules by failing to preserve business communications sent via unapproved platforms from 2018 to 2022.
Glazer Capital, LLC, a registered investment adviser, was found to have willfully violated SEC recordkeeping rules by failing to preserve business communications sent via unapproved platforms like text messages and WhatsApp between 2018 and 2022. The firm's personnel, including senior management, used personal devices for business communications, resulting in a failure to reasonably supervise its personnel. Glazer agreed to pay a civil money penalty of $2,000,000 and was censured by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Glazer Capital, LLC, a registered investment adviser, agreed to a cease-and-desist order and $2 million civil penalty for violating SEC recordkeeping rules by failing to preserve business communications sent via unapproved platforms from 2018 to 2022. The firm's personnel, including senior management, used personal devices for business communications, such as discussing investment strategies and trade executions, while failing to preserve these records as required under Rule 204-2(a)(7). Glazer's policies prohibited such off-channel communications, but it failed to implement adequate monitoring or enforcement, resulting in a failure to reasonably supervise employees under Section 203(e)(6). The firm's recordkeeping failures hindered the SEC's ability to respond to a 2022 document request in an unrelated investigation, compromising regulatory oversight. In settlement, Glazer admitted wrongdoing, implemented remedial measures, including hiring a third-party compliance consultant, adopting an approved messaging platform, and enhancing training. Glazer also agreed to cease and desist from committing or causing any future violations of the Investment Advisers Act.
Extracted insights
- $2.00M $2,000,000 $1M–$10M
- person glazer personnel
- person glazer supervisors
- person senior personnel
- agency the securities and exchange commission
- person these proceedings
- The Securities and Exchange Commission Deems Public Administrative And Cease-And-Desist Proceedings
- Respondent Submitted An Offer Of Settlement
- Respondent Admits The Facts Set Forth In Section Iii
- Respondent Acknowledges Its Conduct Violated The Federal Securities Laws
- Respondent Consents To The Entry Of This Order Instituting Administrative And Cease-And-Desist Proceedings
- The Federal Securities Laws Impose Recordkeeping Requirements On Registered Investment Advisers
- The Commission Has Said Compliance With These Requirements Is Essential To Investor Protection
- These Proceedings Arise Out Of The Widespread And Longstanding Failure Of Glazer Personnel To Adhere To Certain Essential Requirements
- Glazer Personnel Communicated Off-Channel Communications Using Their Personal Devices
- Glazer Failed To Maintain The Substantial Majority Of These Written Communications
- Glazer Violated Section 204 Of The Advisers Act And Rule 204-2(a)(7) Thereunder
- Glazer Supervisors Communicated Off-Channel Using Their Personal Devices
- Senior Personnel Failed To Comply With Glazer’S Policies And Procedures
- Glazer’S Widespread Failure Led To Glazer’S Failure To Reasonably Supervise Its Personnel
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Before the
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
INVESTMENT ADVISERS ACT OF 1940
Release No. 6720 / September 24, 2024
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING
File No. 3-22164
In the Matter of
GLAZER CAPITAL, LLC,
Respondent.
ORDER INSTITUTING ADMINISTRATIVE
AND CEASE-AND-DESIST PROCEEDINGS,
PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 203(e) AND
203(k) OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS
ACT OF 1940, MAKING FINDINGS, AND
IMPOSING REMEDIAL SANCTIONS AND
A CEASE-AND-DESIST ORDER
I.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) deems it appropriate and in
the public interest that public administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings be, and hereby
are, instituted pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(“Advisers Act”) against Glazer Capital, LLC (“Glazer” or “Respondent”).
II.
In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Respondent has submitted an Offer
of Settlement (“Offer”) that the Commission has determined to accept. Respondent admits the facts
set forth in Section III below, acknowledges that its conduct violated the federal securities laws,
admits the Commission’s jurisdiction over it and the subject matter of these proceedings, and
consents to the entry of this Order Instituting Administrative and Cease-and-Desist Proceedings,
Pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Making Findings,
and Imposing Remedial Sanctions and a Cease-and-Desist Order (“Order”), as set forth below.
III.
On the basis of this Order and Respondent’s Offer, the Commission finds
1
that:
1
The findings herein are made pursuant to Respondent’s Offer of Settlement and are not binding
on any other person or entity in this or any other proceeding.
2
Summary
1. The federal securities laws impose recordkeeping requirements on registered
investment advisers to ensure that they responsibly discharge their crucial role in our markets.
The Commission has long said that compliance with these requirements is essential to investor
protection and the Commission’s efforts to further its mandate of protecting investors,
maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation.
2. These proceedings arise out of the widespread and longstanding failure of Glazer
personnel throughout the firm, including at senior levels, to adhere to certain of these essential
requirements and the firm’s own policies and procedures. Using their personal devices, these
personnel communicated both internally and externally by text messages, WhatsApp, and/or
other unapproved written communications platforms (“off-channel communications”).
3. From at least 2018 (the “Relevant Period”), Glazer personnel sent and received
off-channel communications for business purposes. A subset of these business communications
were records required to be maintained pursuant to Rule 204-2(a)(7) under the Advisers Act. At
the time, Glazer did not maintain or preserve the substantial majority of these written
communications. Glazer’s failures were firm-wide and involved personnel at various levels of
authority throughout the organization, including senior management. As a result, Glazer violated
Section 204 of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2(a)(7) thereunder.
4. Glazer’s supervisors, who were responsible for supervising junior personnel,
communicated off-channel using their personal devices. In fact, senior personnel responsible for
supervising junior personnel themselves failed to comply with Glazer’s policies and procedures
by communicating, through non-approved methods, on their personal devices about Glazer’s
investment adviser business.
5. Glazer’s widespread failure to implement its policies and procedures that prohibit
such communications led to Glazer’s failure to reasonably supervise its personnel within the
meaning of Section 203(e)(6) of the Advisers Act.
6. During the Relevant Period, Glazer received and responded to Commission
requests for documents in an unrelated investigation commencing in February 2022 (the
“Unrelated Investigation”) that revealed the use of off-channel and unpreserved communications.
As a result, Glazer’s recordkeeping failures likely impacted the Commission’s ability to carry out
its regulatory functions and investigate violations of the federal securities laws.
7. Glazer initiated a review of its compliance with its recordkeeping policies and
promptly implemented a program of remediation.
Respondent
8. Glazer Capital, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company with its principal
place of business in New York, New York. Since September 2006, it has been registered with the
Commission as an investment adviser.
3
Recordkeeping Requirements Under the Advisers Act
9. Section 204 of the Advisers Act authorizes the Commission to issue rules
requiring investment advisers to make and keep for prescribed periods, and furnish copies of,
such records as necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors.
10. The Commission adopted Rule 204-2 pursuant to this authority. This rule
specifies the manner and length of time that the records made in accordance with Commission
rules, and certain other records made by investment advisers, must be maintained and produced
promptly to Commission representatives.
11. The rules adopted under Advisers Act Section 204, including Rule 204-2(a)(7),
require that investment advisers preserve for at least five years in an easily accessible place, the
first two years in an appropriate office of the investment adviser, originals of all communications
received and copies of all written communications sent relating to, among other things: (a) any
recommendation made or proposed to be made and any advice given or proposed to be given; (b)
any receipt, disbursement, or delivery of funds or securities; (c) the placing or execution of any
order to purchase or sell any security; or (d) predecessor performance and the performance or rate
of return of any or all managed accounts, portfolios, or securities recommendations.
Glazer’s Policies and Procedures
12. Glazer maintained certain policies and procedures designed to ensure the retention
of business-related records, including electronic communications, in compliance with the
relevant recordkeeping provisions.
13. Glazer prohibited its personnel from using unapproved electronic communications
methods for business communications. Glazer’s compliance manual provided that, “[a]lternative
electronic communication by employees . . . is not permitted, i.e. employee personal email, text
messaging, WhatsApp, or any other third party electronic applications.”
14. Messages sent through Glazer’s approved communications methods were
monitored, subject to review, and archived. Messages sent through unapproved communications
methods, such as unapproved applications on personal devices, were not monitored, subject to
review, or archived.
15. Glazer conducted trainings for its employees, which were designed to address the
firm’s supervision of its personnel and adherence to Glazer’s books and recordkeeping
requirements. Glazer’s policies and procedures and related trainings notified personnel that
electronic communications on approved platforms were subject to surveillance by Glazer.
16. Glazer’s personnel, including supervisors, also acknowledged during the Relevant
Period in writing that they read, understood, and abided by Glazer’s electronic messaging policy,
which provided that they will communicate about firm business only via Glazer email or
Bloomberg messaging, and will report any communication outside of such pre-approved
methods to the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) for record retention purposes.
4
17. Glazer, however, failed to implement a system reasonably expected to determine
whether all personnel, including supervisors, were following its electronic communications
policies and procedures. While permitting its personnel to use approved communications
methods for business communications, Glazer failed to implement sufficient monitoring to
ensure that its recordkeeping and communications policies were being followed.
Glazer’s Recordkeeping Failures
18. During the course of the Unrelated Investigation, Commission staff requested that
Glazer search for and produce any documents, including off-channel communications,
responsive to its request for documents. Glazer represented that its electronic communications
policy prohibited off-channel communications. Commission staff subsequently discovered that
certain current Glazer personnel impermissibly used off-channel communications for business-
related purposes and some of those communications had been deleted. Commission staff also
discovered that certain former Glazer personnel had impermissibly used off-channel
communications for business-related purposes; some of those communications were likely
responsive to the Commission’s document request. As a result of this discovery, Glazer undertook
to gather and image communications from the personal devices of its personnel.
19. Commission staff’s investigation found pervasive off-channel communications by
Glazer personnel, including senior management. Glazer personnel whose communications were
reviewed had sent or received off-channel communications that, whether or not responsive to the
investigation document request, were records required to be preserved under the Advisers Act.
These communications were sent largely amongst Glazer colleagues and occasionally to and from
other financial industry participants.
20. Off-channel communications included records required to be preserved under the
Advisers Act because they related to an advisory recommendation made or proposed to be made
or advice given or proposed to be given. For example, Glazer personnel exchanged text messages
on an unapproved electronic platform discussing and operationalizing Glazer’s investment
strategy with respect to certain securities and trades.
21. Other off-channel communications were records required to be preserved under
the Advisers Act because they related to the placing or execution of orders to purchase or sell
securities. For example, Glazer personnel texted about the buying and selling of securities, as
well as the making of offers and bids for securities.
5
Glazer’s Failure to Preserve Required Records
Potentially Compromised and Delayed Commission Matters
22. During the Relevant Period, Glazer received and responded to a Commission
document request. By failing to maintain and preserve required records relating to its business,
Glazer likely deprived the Commission of responsive off-channel communications.
Glazer’s Violations and Failure to Supervise
23. As a result of the conduct described above, Glazer willfully
2
violated Section 204
of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2(a)(7) thereunder.
24. As a result of the conduct described above, Glazer failed reasonably to supervise its
personnel, with a view to preventing or detecting certain of its supervised persons’ aiding and
abetting violations of Section 204 of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2(a)(7) thereunder, within the
meaning of Section 203(e)(6) of the Advisers Act.
Glazer’s Efforts to Comply
25. In determining to accept the Offer, the Commission considered remedial steps
promptly undertaken by Glazer prior to and after being approached by Commission staff and
cooperation afforded Commission staff. Glazer added a third-party compliance consultant to
supplement the internal team and hired additional, internal resources with experience with
registered investment advisers. Glazer also approved a new on-channel chat application for its
personnel on their personal devices and enhanced the firm’s attestation processes, and Glazer’s
third-party compliance consultant made enhancements to the ongoing monitoring Glazer
conducts for potential non-compliance with its policies and procedures.
IV.
In view of the foregoing, the Commission deems it appropriate and in the public interest
to impose the sanctions agreed to in Respondent’s Offer.
Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Advisers Act, it is hereby
ORDERED that:
2
“Willfully,” for purposes of imposing relief under Section 203(e) of the Advisers Act, “‘means no
more than that the person charged with the duty knows what he is doing.’” See Wonsover v. SEC,
205 F.3d 408, 414 (D.C. Cir. 2000) (quoting Hughes v. SEC, 174 F.2d 969, 977 (D.C. Cir. 1949)).
There is no requirement that the actor “also be aware that he is violating one of the Rules or
Acts.” Tager v. SEC, 344 F.2d 5, 8 (2d Cir. 1965). The decision in The Robare Group, Ltd. v.
SEC, which construed the term “willfully” for purposes of a differently structured statutory
provision, does not alter that standard. 922 F.3d 468, 478-79 (D.C. Cir. 2019) (setting forth the
showing required to establish that a person has “willfully omit[ted]” material information from a
required disclosure in violation of Section 207 of the Advisers Act).
6
A. Respondent cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any
future violations of Section 204 of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2 thereunder.
B. Respondent is censured.
C. Respondent shall, within 14 days of the entry of this Order, pay a civil money
penalty in the amount of $2,000,000 to the Securities and Exchange Commission
for transfer to the general fund of the United States Treasury, subject to Exchange
Act Section 21F(g)(3). If timely payment is not made, additional interest shall
accrue pursuant to 31 U.S.C. § 3717.
Payment must be made in one of the following ways:
(1) Respondent may transmit payment electronically to the Commission,
which will provide detailed ACH transfer/Fedwire instructions upon
request;
(2) Respondent may make direct payment from a bank account via Pay.gov
through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm; or
(3) Respondent may pay by certified check, bank cashier’s check, or United
States postal money order, made payable to the Securities and Exchange
Commission and hand-delivered or mailed to:
Enterprise Services Center
Accounts Receivable Branch
HQ Bldg., Room 181, AMZ-341
6500 South MacArthur Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73169
Payments by check or money order must be accompanied by a cover letter identifying
Glazer as the Respondent in these proceedings, and the file number of these proceedings; a copy
of the cover letter and check or money order must be sent to Samantha Martin, Assistant Director,
Division of Enforcement, Securities and Exchange Commission, 801 Cherry St., 19th Floor, Fort
Worth, Texas 76102.
D. Amounts ordered to be paid as a civil money penalty pursuant to this Order shall
be treated as a penalty paid to the government for all purposes, including tax purposes. To
preserve the deterrent effect of the civil penalty, Respondent agrees that in any Related Investor
Action, it shall not argue that it is entitled to, nor shall it benefit by, offset or reduction of any
award of compensatory damages by the amount of any part of Respondent’s payment of a civil
penalty in this action (“Penalty Offset”). If the court in any Related Investor Action grants such a
Penalty Offset, Respondent agrees that it shall, within 30 days after entry of a final order
granting the Penalty Offset, notify the Commission’s counsel in this action and pay the amount
of the Penalty Offset to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such a payment shall not be
7
deemed an additional civil penalty and shall not be deemed to change the amount of the civil
penalty imposed in this proceeding. For purposes of this paragraph, a “Related Investor Action”
means a private damages action brought against Respondent by or on behalf of one or more
investors based on substantially the same facts as alleged in the Order instituted by the
Commission in this proceeding.
By the Commission.
Vanessa A. Countryman
Secretary UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Before the
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
INVESTMENT ADVISERS ACT OF 1940
Release No. 6720 / September 24, 2024
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING
File No. 3-22164
In the Matter of
GLAZER CAPITAL, LLC,
Respondent.
ORDER INSTITUTING ADMINISTRATIVE
AND CEASE-AND-DESIST PROCEEDINGS,
PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 203(e) AND
203(k) OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS
ACT OF 1940, MAKING FINDINGS, AND
IMPOSING REMEDIAL SANCTIONS AND
A CEASE-AND-DESIST ORDER
I.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) deems it appropriate and in
the public interest that public administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings be, and hereby
are, instituted pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(“Advisers Act”) against Glazer Capital, LLC (“Glazer” or “Respondent”).
II.
In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Respondent has submitted an Offer
of Settlement (“Offer”) that the Commission has determined to accept. Respondent admits the facts
set forth in Section III below, acknowledges that its conduct violated the federal securities laws,
admits the Commission’s jurisdiction over it and the subject matter of these proceedings, and
consents to the entry of this Order Instituting Administrative and Cease-and-Desist Proceedings,
Pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Making Findings,
and Imposing Remedial Sanctions and a Cease-and-Desist Order (“Order”), as set forth below.
III.
On the basis of this Order and Respondent’s Offer, the Commission finds1 that:
1 The findings herein are made pursuant to Respondent’s Offer of Settlement and are not binding
on any other person or entity in this or any other proceeding.
2
Summary
1. The federal securities laws impose recordkeeping requirements on registered
investment advisers to ensure that they responsibly discharge their crucial role in our markets.
The Commission has long said that compliance with these requirements is essential to investor
protection and the Commission’s efforts to further its mandate of protecting investors,
maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation.
2. These proceedings arise out of the widespread and longstanding failure of Glazer
personnel throughout the firm, including at senior levels, to adhere to certain of these essential
requirements and the firm’s own policies and procedures. Using their personal devices, these
personnel communicated both internally and externally by text messages, WhatsApp, and/or
other unapproved written communications platforms (“off-channel communications”).
3. From at least 2018 (the “Relevant Period”), Glazer personnel sent and received
off-channel communications for business purposes. A subset of these business communications
were records required to be maintained pursuant to Rule 204-2(a)(7) under the Advisers Act. At
the time, Glazer did not maintain or preserve the substantial majority of these written
communications. Glazer’s failures were firm-wide and involved personnel at various levels of
authority throughout the organization, including senior management. As a result, Glazer violated
Section 204 of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2(a)(7) thereunder.
4. Glazer’s supervisors, who were responsible for supervising junior personnel,
communicated off-channel using their personal devices. In fact, senior personnel responsible for
supervising junior personnel themselves failed to comply with Glazer’s policies and procedures
by communicating, through non-approved methods, on their personal devices about Glazer’s
investment adviser business.
5. Glazer’s widespread failure to implement its policies and procedures that prohibit
such communications led to Glazer’s failure to reasonably supervise its personnel within the
meaning of Section 203(e)(6) of the Advisers Act.
6. During the Relevant Period, Glazer received and responded to Commission
requests for documents in an unrelated investigation commencing in February 2022 (the
“Unrelated Investigation”) that revealed the use of off-channel and unpreserved communications.
As a result, Glazer’s recordkeeping failures likely impacted the Commission’s ability to carry out
its regulatory functions and investigate violations of the federal securities laws.
7. Glazer initiated a review of its compliance with its recordkeeping policies and
promptly implemented a program of remediation.
Respondent
8. Glazer Capital, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company with its principal
place of business in New York, New York. Since September 2006, it has been registered with the
Commission as an investment adviser.
3
Recordkeeping Requirements Under the Advisers Act
9. Section 204 of the Advisers Act authorizes the Commission to issue rules
requiring investment advisers to make and keep for prescribed periods, and furnish copies of,
such records as necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors.
10. The Commission adopted Rule 204-2 pursuant to this authority. This rule
specifies the manner and length of time that the records made in accordance with Commission
rules, and certain other records made by investment advisers, must be maintained and produced
promptly to Commission representatives.
11. The rules adopted under Advisers Act Section 204, including Rule 204-2(a)(7),
require that investment advisers preserve for at least five years in an easily accessible place, the
first two years in an appropriate office of the investment adviser, originals of all communications
received and copies of all written communications sent relating to, among other things: (a) any
recommendation made or proposed to be made and any advice given or proposed to be given; (b)
any receipt, disbursement, or delivery of funds or securities; (c) the placing or execution of any
order to purchase or sell any security; or (d) predecessor performance and the performance or rate
of return of any or all managed accounts, portfolios, or securities recommendations.
Glazer’s Policies and Procedures
12. Glazer maintained certain policies and procedures designed to ensure the retention
of business-related records, including electronic communications, in compliance with the
relevant recordkeeping provisions.
13. Glazer prohibited its personnel from using unapproved electronic communications
methods for business communications. Glazer’s compliance manual provided that, “[a]lternative
electronic communication by employees . . . is not permitted, i.e. employee personal email, text
messaging, WhatsApp, or any other third party electronic applications.”
14. Messages sent through Glazer’s approved communications methods were
monitored, subject to review, and archived. Messages sent through unapproved communications
methods, such as unapproved applications on personal devices, were not monitored, subject to
review, or archived.
15. Glazer conducted trainings for its employees, which were designed to address the
firm’s supervision of its personnel and adherence to Glazer’s books and recordkeeping
requirements. Glazer’s policies and procedures and related trainings notified personnel that
electronic communications on approved platforms were subject to surveillance by Glazer.
16. Glazer’s personnel, including supervisors, also acknowledged during the Relevant
Period in writing that they read, understood, and abided by Glazer’s electronic messaging policy,
which provided that they will communicate about firm business only via Glazer email or
Bloomberg messaging, and will report any communication outside of such pre-approved
methods to the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) for record retention purposes.
4
17. Glazer, however, failed to implement a system reasonably expected to determine
whether all personnel, including supervisors, were following its electronic communications
policies and procedures. While permitting its personnel to use approved communications
methods for business communications, Glazer failed to implement sufficient monitoring to
ensure that its recordkeeping and communications policies were being followed.
Glazer’s Recordkeeping Failures
18. During the course of the Unrelated Investigation, Commission staff requested that
Glazer search for and produce any documents, including off-channel communications,
responsive to its request for documents. Glazer represented that its electronic communications
policy prohibited off-channel communications. Commission staff subsequently discovered that
certain current Glazer personnel impermissibly used off-channel communications for business-
related purposes and some of those communications had been deleted. Commission staff also
discovered that certain former Glazer personnel had impermissibly used off-channel
communications for business-related purposes; some of those communications were likely
responsive to the Commission’s document request. As a result of this discovery, Glazer undertook
to gather and image communications from the personal devices of its personnel.
19. Commission staff’s investigation found pervasive off-channel communications by
Glazer personnel, including senior management. Glazer personnel whose communications were
reviewed had sent or received off-channel communications that, whether or not responsive to the
investigation document request, were records required to be preserved under the Advisers Act.
These communications were sent largely amongst Glazer colleagues and occasionally to and from
other financial industry participants.
20. Off-channel communications included records required to be preserved under the
Advisers Act because they related to an advisory recommendation made or proposed to be made
or advice given or proposed to be given. For example, Glazer personnel exchanged text messages
on an unapproved electronic platform discussing and operationalizing Glazer’s investment
strategy with respect to certain securities and trades.
21. Other off-channel communications were records required to be preserved under
the Advisers Act because they related to the placing or execution of orders to purchase or sell
securities. For example, Glazer personnel texted about the buying and selling of securities, as
well as the making of offers and bids for securities.
5
Glazer’s Failure to Preserve Required Records
Potentially Compromised and Delayed Commission Matters
22. During the Relevant Period, Glazer received and responded to a Commission
document request. By failing to maintain and preserve required records relating to its business,
Glazer likely deprived the Commission of responsive off-channel communications.
Glazer’s Violations and Failure to Supervise
23. As a result of the conduct described above, Glazer willfully2 violated Section 204
of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2(a)(7) thereunder.
24. As a result of the conduct described above, Glazer failed reasonably to supervise its
personnel, with a view to preventing or detecting certain of its supervised persons’ aiding and
abetting violations of Section 204 of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2(a)(7) thereunder, within the
meaning of Section 203(e)(6) of the Advisers Act.
Glazer’s Efforts to Comply
25. In determining to accept the Offer, the Commission considered remedial steps
promptly undertaken by Glazer prior to and after being approached by Commission staff and
cooperation afforded Commission staff. Glazer added a third-party compliance consultant to
supplement the internal team and hired additional, internal resources with experience with
registered investment advisers. Glazer also approved a new on-channel chat application for its
personnel on their personal devices and enhanced the firm’s attestation processes, and Glazer’s
third-party compliance consultant made enhancements to the ongoing monitoring Glazer
conducts for potential non-compliance with its policies and procedures.
IV.
In view of the foregoing, the Commission deems it appropriate and in the public interest
to impose the sanctions agreed to in Respondent’s Offer.
Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Advisers Act, it is hereby
ORDERED that:
2 “Willfully,” for purposes of imposing relief under Section 203(e) of the Advisers Act, “‘means no
more than that the person charged with the duty knows what he is doing.’” See Wonsover v. SEC,
205 F.3d 408, 414 (D.C. Cir. 2000) (quoting Hughes v. SEC, 174 F.2d 969, 977 (D.C. Cir. 1949)).
There is no requirement that the actor “also be aware that he is violating one of the Rules or
Acts.” Tager v. SEC, 344 F.2d 5, 8 (2d Cir. 1965). The decision in The Robare Group, Ltd. v.
SEC, which construed the term “willfully” for purposes of a differently structured statutory
provision, does not alter that standard. 922 F.3d 468, 478-79 (D.C. Cir. 2019) (setting forth the
showing required to establish that a person has “willfully omit[ted]” material information from a
required disclosure in violation of Section 207 of the Advisers Act).
6
A. Respondent cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any
future violations of Section 204 of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2 thereunder.
B. Respondent is censured.
C. Respondent shall, within 14 days of the entry of this Order, pay a civil money
penalty in the amount of $2,000,000 to the Securities and Exchange Commission
for transfer to the general fund of the United States Treasury, subject to Exchange
Act Section 21F(g)(3). If timely payment is not made, additional interest shall
accrue pursuant to 31 U.S.C. § 3717.
Payment must be made in one of the following ways:
(1) Respondent may transmit payment electronically to the Commission,
which will provide detailed ACH transfer/Fedwire instructions upon
request;
(2) Respondent may make direct payment from a bank account via Pay.gov
through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm; or
(3) Respondent may pay by certified check, bank cashier’s check, or United
States postal money order, made payable to the Securities and Exchange
Commission and hand-delivered or mailed to:
Enterprise Services Center
Accounts Receivable Branch
HQ Bldg., Room 181, AMZ-341
6500 South MacArthur Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73169
Payments by check or money order must be accompanied by a cover letter identifying
Glazer as the Respondent in these proceedings, and the file number of these proceedings; a copy
of the cover letter and check or money order must be sent to Samantha Martin, Assistant Director,
Division of Enforcement, Securities and Exchange Commission, 801 Cherry St., 19th Floor, Fort
Worth, Texas 76102.
D. Amounts ordered to be paid as a civil money penalty pursuant to this Order shall
be treated as a penalty paid to the government for all purposes, including tax purposes. To
preserve the deterrent effect of the civil penalty, Respondent agrees that in any Related Investor
Action, it shall not argue that it is entitled to, nor shall it benefit by, offset or reduction of any
award of compensatory damages by the amount of any part of Respondent’s payment of a civil
penalty in this action (“Penalty Offset”). If the court in any Related Investor Action grants such a
Penalty Offset, Respondent agrees that it shall, within 30 days after entry of a final order
granting the Penalty Offset, notify the Commission’s counsel in this action and pay the amount
of the Penalty Offset to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such a payment shall not be
7
deemed an additional civil penalty and shall not be deemed to change the amount of the civil
penalty imposed in this proceeding. For purposes of this paragraph, a “Related Investor Action”
means a private damages action brought against Respondent by or on behalf of one or more
investors based on substantially the same facts as alleged in the Order instituted by the
Commission in this proceeding.
By the Commission.
Vanessa A. Countryman
Secretary
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
I.
II.
III.
Summary
Recordkeeping Requirements Under the Advisers Act
Glazer’s Policies and Procedures
Glazer’s Recordkeeping Failures
Glazer’s Violations and Failure to Supervise
Glazer’s Efforts to Comply
IV.