MFDA announces settlement hearing to take place in respect of Grace Wong Uy

May 24, 2018 (Toronto, Ontario) – The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (“MFDA”) commenced a disciplinary proceeding in respect of Grace Wong Uy (“Respondent”) by Notice of Hearing dated January 8, 2018.

As the result of a settlement agreement entered into between Staff of the MFDA and the Respondent, the settlement hearing in this matter will take place on May 31, 2018, commencing at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern) or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, in the hearing room at the offices of the MFDA, located at 121 King Street West, Suite 1000, Toronto, Ontario.

The subject matter of the proposed settlement agreement concerns matters for which the Respondent may be disciplined pursuant to ss. 20 and 24.1.1 of By-law No. 1 of the MFDA. In particular, the settlement agreement concerns allegations that the Respondent:

1. between 2012 and 2013, engaged in securities related business which was not carried on for the account of the Member or conducted through its facilities by recommending, selling, facilitating the sale of, and/or making referrals in respect of investments to at least 10 clients totaling approximately $360,000, contrary to the Member’s policies and procedures, MFDA Rules 1.1.1, 2.1.1, 2.4.2, 2.5.1 and 1.1.2, and the requirements of sections 13.7 and 13.8 of National instrument 31-103;
2. between 2012 and 2013, engaged in another gainful occupation, which was not disclosed to and approved by Member, by recommending, selling, facilitating the sale of, and/or making referrals in respect of the sale of investments to at least 10 clients totaling approximately $360,000, contrary to the Member’s policies and procedures, MFDA Rules 1.2.1(c) (now MFDA Rule 1.3), 2.1.1, 2.4.2, 2.5.1 and 1.1.2, and the requirements of sections 13.7 and 13.8 of National Instrument 31-103;
3. between 2012 and 2013, referred clients to Approved Person HL to purchase investments outside the Member, and received at least $18,000 in referral fees for doing so, thereby participating in an unapproved referral arrangement to which the Member was not a party, contrary to the Member’s policies and procedures, MFDA Rules 2.1.1, 2.4.2, 2.5.1 and 1.1.2, and the requirements of sections 13.7 and 13.8 of National Instrument 31-103; and
4. between December 18, 2015 and January 24, 2017, misled the Member and the MFDA during its investigations into her conduct with respect to her knowledge and involvement in referring clients to purchase investments outside the Member, contrary to MFDA Rule 2.1.1.

MFDA settlement hearings are typically held in the absence of the public pursuant to section 20.5 of MFDA By-law No. 1 and Rule 15.2(2) of the MFDA Rules of Procedure. If the Hearing Panel accepts the settlement agreement, then the proceeding will become open to the public and a copy of the decision of the Hearing Panel and the settlement agreement will be made available at www.mfda.ca.

A copy of the Notice of Hearing is available on the MFDA website at www.mfda.ca. During the period described in the Notice of Hearing, the Respondent conducted business in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

The MFDA is the self-regulatory organization for Canadian mutual fund dealers, regulating the operations, standards of practice and business conduct of its Members and their approximately 82,000 Approved Persons with a mandate to protect investors and the public interest. For more information about the MFDA’s complaint and enforcement processes, as well as links to ‘Check an Advisor’ and other Investor Tools, visit the For Investors page on the MFDA website.