(a) Filing Requirements
Each member that sells a security in a non-public offering in reliance on an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act ("private placement") must: (i) submit to FINRA, or have submitted on its behalf by a designated member, a copy of any private placement memorandum, term sheet or other offering document, and any retail communication (as defined in Rule 2210) that promotes or recommends the private placement, including any materially amended versions thereof, used in connection with such sale within 15 calendar days of the date of first sale; or (ii) notify FINRA that no such offering documents or retail communications were used. Members must provide FINRA with the required documents, retail communications, or notification and related information, if known, by filing an electronic form in the manner prescribed by FINRA.
(b) Exemptions
The following private placements are exempt from the requirements of this Rule:
(1) offerings sold by the member or person associated with the member solely to any one or more of the following:
(A) institutional accounts, as defined in
Rule 4512(c);
(B) qualified purchasers, as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) of the Investment Company Act;
(C) qualified institutional buyers, as defined in Securities Act Rule 144A;
(D) investment companies, as defined in Section 3 of the Investment Company Act;
(E) an entity composed exclusively of qualified institutional buyers, as defined in Securities Act Rule 144A;
(F) banks, as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act;
(G) employees and affiliates, as defined in
Rule 5121, of the issuer;
(H) knowledgeable employees as defined in Investment Company Act Rule 3c-5;
(I) eligible contract participants, as defined in Section 3(a)(65) of the Exchange Act; and
(J) accredited investors described in Securities Act Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7).
(2) offerings of exempted securities, as defined in Section 3(a)(12) of the Exchange Act;
(3) offerings made pursuant to Securities Act Rule 144A or SEC Regulation S;
(4) offerings of exempt securities with short term maturities under Section 3(a)(3) of the Securities Act and debt securities sold by members pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act so long as the maturity does not exceed 397 days and the securities are issued in minimum denominations of $150,000 (or the equivalent thereof in another currency);
(5) offerings of subordinated loans under SEA Rule 15c3-1, Appendix D (see NASD Notice to Members
02-32 (June 2002));
(6) offerings of “variable contracts,” as defined in
Rule 2320(b)(2);
(7) offerings of modified guaranteed annuity contracts and modified guaranteed life insurance policies, as referenced in
Rule 5110(h)(2)(D);
(8) offerings of non-convertible debt or preferred securities that meet the transaction eligibility criteria for registering primary offerings of non-convertible securities on Forms S-3 and F-3;
(9) offerings of securities issued in conversions, stock splits and restructuring transactions that are executed by an already existing investor without the need for additional consideration or investments on the part of the investor;
(10) offerings of securities of a commodity pool operated by a commodity pool operator, as defined under Section 1a(11) of the Commodity Exchange Act;
(11) business combination transactions as defined in Securities Act Rule 165(f);
(12) offerings of registered investment companies;
(13) standardized options, as defined in Securities Act Rule 238; and
(14) offerings filed with FINRA under Rules
2310,
5110,
5121 and
5122, or exempt from filing thereunder in accordance with
Rule 5110(h)(1).
(c) Confidential Treatment
FINRA shall accord confidential treatment to all documents and information filed pursuant to this Rule and shall utilize such documents and information solely for the purpose of review to determine compliance with the provisions of applicable FINRA rules or for other regulatory purposes deemed appropriate by FINRA.
(d) Application for Exemption
Pursuant to the
Rule 9600 Series, FINRA may exempt a member or associated person from the provisions of this Rule for good cause shown.
