A guide to rules on electronic communications in the USA

The New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (NYSE) and the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASD) have proposed changes to their rules regarding the supervision and review of its member firms' supervision of electronic communications. The rule changes provide brokerage firms with more flexibility by removing the requirement that firms review each and every item of correspondence between brokers and their clients and, instead, require that firms establish reasonable procedures for review of communications with the public. The proposed changes will allow brokerage firms to take advantage of the many benefits and efficiencies offered by electronic mail and Internet communication. The paper offers a practitioner's guide on the latest rulings regarding electronic communications from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the NASD, the NYSE, the North American Securities Administrators Association and foreign regulators. This outline covers virtually every Release issued on the Internet in the USA and abroad.