Santos-Buch v. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
Santos-Buch v. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
OPINION AND ORDER
I. INTRODUCTION
Alan Santos-Buch brings this action for breach of contract and invasion of privacy against the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
II. BACKGROUND
A. The Parties
1. FINRA
FINRA is a self-regulated organization
2. Alan Santos-Buch
From 1986 through 1996, Santos-Buch was a Series 7 licensed registered financial services advisor (stockbroker) employed by several members of the NASD.
B.The Central Registry Depository and BrokerCheck Databases
FINRA is required to maintain registration information, including records related to disciplinary proceedings.
On December 18,1998, the NASDR submitted a proposal to make a portion of the CRD’s registration information available on the Internet.
C. Santos-Buch’s Settlement with the NASDR
In 1997, Santos-Buch executed an Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”) Agreement with NASDR to accept a settlement for an alleged rule violation.
D. Public Disclosure of Santas-Buch’s Disciplinary Action
At the time of Santos-Buch’s settlement, NASD Rule IM 8810-2 (“IM-8310-2”)
Originally, the CRD did not provide access to information of people who were no longer associated with an NASD member firm.
E. 2009 Amendment to Rule 8312
In 2009, FINRA proposed and the SEC approved an amendment to FINRA Rule 8312.
F. Santos-Buch’s Claims
Santos-Buch asserts, that FINRA Rule 8310-2, which governed public disclosure at the time of the settlement, allowed only a one time dissemination to members and the- press.
III. APPLICABLE LAW
A. Rule 12(b)(1) Motion to Dismiss
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) allows a party to assert by motion the defense that the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to hear a claim. Federal courts have limited subject matter jurisdiction and may not entertain matters when they do not have jurisdiction.
B. Failure to Exhaust Administrative Remedies
The exhaustion of administrative remedies doctrine is a well-established precept of administrative law.
This Circuit has previously stated that “normally we will not tolerate the interruption of the administrative process to hear piecemeal appeals of a litigant’s claims on the merits” because the exhaustion doctrine was created to prevent such litigation.
The doctrine, however, is also subject to numerous exceptions.
(1) available remedies provide no genuine opportunity for adequate relief;
(2) irreparable injury may occur without immediate judicial relief;
(3) administrative appeal would be futile; and
(4) in certain instances a plaintiff has raised a substantial constitutional question.50
Furthermore, in McCarthy v. Madigan, the United States Supreme Court recognized that “an agency, as a preliminary matter, may be unable to consider whether to grant relief because it lacks institutional competence to resolve the particular type of issue presented, such as the constitutionality of a statute.”
D. Stigma-Plus Claim
A “stigma-plus” claim is a subset of procedural due process. It is “brought for injury to one’s reputation (the stigma) coupled with the deprivation of some ‘tangible interest’ or property right (the plus), without adequate process.”
E. State Action
The Second Circuit has held that “[a] threshold requirement of plaintiffs constitutional claims is a demonstration that in denying plaintiffs constitutional rights, the defendant’s conduct constituted state action.”
First, ... [t]he complaining party must ... show that there is a sufficiently close nexus between the State and the challenged action ... [Constitutional standards are invoked only when it can be said that the State is responsible for the specific conduct of which the plaintiff complains...
Second, ... a State normally can be held responsible for a private decision only when it has exercised coercive power or has provided such significant encouragement, either overt or covert, that the choice must in law be deemed to be that of the State. Mere approval ... is not sufficient to justify holding the State responsible for those initiatives...56
IV. DISCUSSION
FINRA maintains that the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to hear this ease because Santos-Buch failed to exhaust his administrative remedies.
A. Santos-Buch Has Not Met His Burden of Establishing the Substantial Constitutional Question Exception
Santos-Buch argues that he raises a “substantial constitutional question” which renders the exhaustion of remedies doctrine inapplicable.
1. Santos-Buch Has No Constitutionally Vested Rights
Although Santos-Buch relies on Doe v. City of New York to assert that his due process privacy rights have been violated, the privacy claim asserted in Doe is distinguishable from the privacy claim at issue here.
Next, Santos-Buch alleges a constitutionally vested interest in his reputation under the “stigma-plus” test.
2. FINRA Is Not a State Actor
Santos-Buch’s claims also fail to raise a “substantial constitutional question” because FINRA is not a state actor. Santos-Buch argues that because Congress and the SEC have authorized FINRA to regulate member firms, it is “entwined” with the state and should be considered a state actor.
B. Santos-Buch Has Not Met His Burden of Establishing Any Other Exception
First, relying on Barbara v. New York Stock Exchange, Inc., Santos-Buch claims that the available administrative remedies offer “no genuine opportunity for relief because he is seeking money damages which cannot be obtained through the administrative process.”
Second, Santos-Buch argues that an appeal to the SEC would be futile because the SEC is not competent to hear questions of constitutional law.
For the reasons set forth above, FIN-RA’s motions to dismiss are GRANTED. The Clerk is directed to close these motions [Docket Nos. 9, 19] and this case.
SO ORDERED.
. See Second Amended Complaint ("Am. Compl.”) ¶¶ 63-139.
. See id.
. See id.
. See Defendant's Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss ("Def. Mem.”) at 1.
.On March 3, 2014, FINRA moved to dismiss the original Complaint. See Docket No. 9. After Santos-Buch twice amended the Complaint, FINRA moved to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint. See Docket No. 19. However, FINRA neither renewed nor withdrew its original motion. As such, this Order closes both motions.
. See Am. Compl. ¶ 2.
. See 15 U.S.C. § 78o-3
. See Am. Compl. ¶ 2.
. See id.
. See id. ¶ 17.
. See id. ¶ 18.
. See id. ¶ 19.
. See id. ¶ 9.
. See id.
. See id.
. See id. ¶ 33.
. See id.
. See id. ¶ 34.
. See id.
. See id. ¶ 22.
. See id. ¶ 24.
. See id. ¶¶ 25-26.
. Id. ¶ 26.
. See id. ¶ 32.
. See id. ¶ 36.
. See id.
. See id. V 37.
. Id.
. See id. ¶ 38.
. See id. 1139.
. See id. ¶ 49.
. See id. ¶ 26.
. See id. ¶¶ 27-28.
. Seeld. ¶¶ 9, 57.
. See id. ¶¶ 9, 39.
. See In re Standard & Poor's Rating Agency Litig., No. 13 MDL. 2446, 23 F.Supp.3d 378, 391-92, 2014 WL 2481906, at *8 (S.D.N.Y.
. Al-Khazraji v. United States, 519 Fed.Appx. 711, 713 (2d Cir. 2013) (citing Liranzo v. United States, 690 F.3d 78, 84 (2d Cir. 2012) (quotation marks omitted)).
. In re Standard & Poor’s Rating Agency Litig., 23 F.Supp.3d at 385, 2014 WL 2481906, at *2.
. See Hijazi v. Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to United Nations, 403 Fed.Appx. 631, 632 (2d Cir. 2010).
. Jordan v. Verizon Corp., 391 Fed.Appx. 10, 12 (2d Cir. 2010) (citing APWU v. Potter, 343 F.3d 619, 623 (2d Cir. 2003) (quotation marks omitted)).
. Burfeindt v. Postupack, 509 Fed.Appx. 65, 67 (2d Cir. 2013) (quoting Makarova v. United States, 201 F.3d 110, 113 (2d Cir. 2000)).
. See McKart v. United States, 395 U.S. 185, 193, 89 S.Ct. 1657, 23 L.Ed.2d 194 (1969).
. McCarthy v. Madigan, 503 U.S. 140, 145, 112 S.Ct. 1081, 117 L.Ed.2d 291 (1992).
. Id. at 144, 112 S.Ct. 1081 (citing Myers v. Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., 303 U.S. 41, 50-51, §8 S.Ct. 459, 82 L.Ed. 638 (1938)). Accord American Benefits Grp., Inc. v. National Ass’n of Sec. Dealers, No. 99 Civ. 4733, 1999 WL 605246, at *5 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 10, 1999) (citing Touche Ross & Co. v. SEC, 609 F.2d 570, 574 (2d Cir. 1979) (holding that "a litigant is required to pursue all of his administrative remedies before he will be permitted to seek judicial relief”)).
. McKart, 395 U.S. at 193, 89 S.Ct. 1657.
. See American Benefits Grp., Inc., 1999 WL 605246, at *8; see also MFS Sec. Corp. v. SEC, 380 F.3d 611, 622 (2d Cir. 2004) (holding that the exhaustion of remedies doctrine applies to self-regulated organizations).
. Touche Ross & Co., 609 F.2d at 574-75.
. MFS Sec. Corp., 380 F.3d at 622. Accord McKart, 395 U.S. at 192, 89 S.Ct. 1657.
. See McKart, 395 U.S. at 193, 89 S.Ct. 1657.
. 967 F.2d 737, 741 (2d Cir. 1992).
. 503 U.S. at 147-48, 112 S.Ct. 1081.
. DiBlasio v. Novello, 344 F.3d 292, 302 (2d Cir. 2003) (quotation marks omitted). Accord S & D Maintenance Co. v. Goldin, 844 F.2d 962, 970 (2d Cir. 1988) ("A government employee's liberty interest is implicated where the government dismisses him based on charges that might seriously damage his standing and associations in his community or that might impose on him a stigma or other disability that forecloses his freedom to take advantage of other employment opportunities.”) (quotation marks and alterations omitted).
. Patterson v. City of Utica, 370 F.3d 322, 330 (2d Cir. 2004) (quotation marks omitted). With regard to the publication requirement, "[t]he defamatory statement must be sufficiently public to create or threaten a stigma; hence, a statement made only to the plaintiff, and only in private, ordinarily does not implicate a liberty interest.” Velez v. Levy, 401 F.3d 75, 87 (2d Cir. 2005).
. Desiderio v. National Ass’n of Sec. Dealers, Inc., 191 F.3d 198, 206 (2d Cir. 1999). Accord D.L. Cromwell Inv., Inc. v. NASD Regulation, Inc., 279 F.3d 155, 161 (2d Cir. 2002) (stating that “the Fifth Amendment restricts only governmental conduct, and will constrain a private entity only insofar as its actions are found to be fairly attributable to the government”) (quotation marks omitted).
. D.L. Cromwell Inv., Inc., 279 F.3d at 161.
. Desiderio, 191 F.3d at 206 (citing Blum v. Yaretsky, 457 U.S. 991, 1004-05, 102 S.Ct. 2777, 73 L.Ed.2d 534 (1982)).
. See Def. Mem. at 1.
. See Am. Compl. ¶ 6.
.Id.
. See id. ¶ 9.
. 15 F.3d 264, 266 (2d Cir. 1994).
. See id. at 267.
.Id.
. See Am. Compl. ¶ 41.
. See Patterson, 370 F.3d at 330.
. 18 F.3d 992, 1001 (2d Cir. 1994).
. Id.
. See 15 U.S.C. § 78o~3. In any event, Santos-Buch’s breach of contract and invasion of privacy claims likely lack merit because he agreed to the terms of the AWC, which allows public dissemination of his disciplinary action as the NASDR may deem appropriate. See Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent No. Cl 1960032, Ex. A to Def. Mem. at 4 (stating that the NASD may "make such public announcement concerning this agreement ... as NASDR may deem appropriate”).
. Plaintiff's Opposition to Motion to Dismiss ("Opp. Mem.”) at 6.
. See Brentwood Acad. v. Tennessee Secondary Sch. Athletic Ass'n, 531 U.S. 288, 302, 121 S.Ct. 924, 148 L.Ed.2d 807 (2001).
. Id. at 300, 121 S.Ct. 924.
. See id. at 302, 121 S.Ct. 924.
. See Desiderio, 191 F.3d at 206. Moreover, the Exchange Act offers no private right of
. See, e.g., Perpetual Sec., Inc. v. Tang, 290 F.3d 132, 138-39 (2d Cir. 2002) (holding that even after Brentwood the NASD is not a private entity engaged in state action).
. Id. at 138. (quoting Desiderio, 191 F.3d at 206).
. 99 F.3d 49, 57 (2d Cir. 1996) (citations and quotation marks omitted) (holding that when a plaintiff primarily seeks money damages under the Exchange Act the court should not dismiss the plaintiff’s money damages claims for failure to exhaust administrative remedies).
.Id.
. Id. at 59 (holding that "absolute immunity is particularly appropriate in the unique context of the self-regulation of the national securities exchanges”); see also Scher v. National Ass’n of Sec. Dealers, Inc., 386 F.Supp.2d 402, 408 (S.D.N.Y. 2005) ("it is by no means inconsistent to find that, on the one hand, the NASD exercises insufficient state action to trigger constitutional protections ... while nevertheless holding that the NASD is entitled to absolute immunity in the exercise of its quasi-public regulatory duties.").
. See Opp. Mem. at 18-19.
. This argument misapplies the exhaustion of remedies doctrine, which ”require[s] that the agency be given a chance to discover arid correct its own errors.” McKart, 395 U.S. at 195, 89 S.Ct. 1657. Accord MFS Sec. Corp., 380 F.3d at 622 (stating that even obvious errors by an agency do not excuse a party from exhausting available administrative remedies).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Alan SANTOS-BUCH v. FINANCIAL INDUSTRY REGULATORY AUTHORITY, INC.
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published