A member shall provide an associated person with the following written statement whenever the associated person is asked, pursuant to FINRA
Rule 1010, to sign an initial or amended Form U4, or otherwise provide written (which may be electronic) acknowledgment of an amendment to the Form U4:
The Form U4 contains a predispute arbitration clause. It is in item 5 of Section 15A of the Form U4. You should read that clause now. Before signing the Form U4, you should understand the following:
(1) You are agreeing to arbitrate any dispute, claim or controversy that may arise between you and your firm, or a customer, or any other person that is required to be arbitrated under the rules of the self-regulatory organizations with which you are registering. This means you are giving up the right to sue a member, customer, or another associated person in court, including the right to a trial by jury, except as provided by the rules of the arbitration forum in which a claim is filed.
(2) A claim alleging employment discrimination in violation of a statute is not required to be arbitrated under FINRA rules. Such a claim may be arbitrated at FINRA only if the parties have agreed to arbitrate it, either before or after the dispute arose. The rules of other arbitration forums may be different.
(3) A dispute arising under a whistleblower statute that prohibits the use of predispute arbitration agreements is not required to be arbitrated under FINRA rules. Such a dispute may be arbitrated only if the parties have agreed to arbitrate it after the dispute arose.
(4) A party alleging a sexual assault claim or sexual harassment claim that has agreed to arbitrate before the dispute arose may elect post dispute not to arbitrate such a claim under the Code. Such a claim may be arbitrated if the parties have agreed to arbitrate it after the dispute arose.
(5) Arbitration awards are generally final and binding; a party's ability to have a court reverse or modify an arbitration award is very limited.
(6) The ability of the parties to obtain documents, witness statements and other discovery is generally more limited in arbitration than in court proceedings.
(7) The arbitrators do not have to explain the reason(s) for their award unless, in an eligible case, a joint request for an explained decision has been submitted by all parties to the panel at least 20 days prior to the first scheduled hearing date.
(8) The panel of arbitrators may include arbitrators who were or are affiliated with the securities industry or public arbitrators, as provided by the rules of the arbitration forum in which a claim is filed.
(9) The rules of some arbitration forums may impose time limits for bringing a claim in arbitration. In some cases, a claim that is ineligible for arbitration may be brought in court.
