Serving Your Clients,
Not Your Regulators
- Wall Street Experience
- Practical Solutions
- Nationwide Representation
Broker-Dealers, Registered Investment Advisers & Representatives
Wall Street Experience and Service at Prices That Are Not Wall Street
Broker-Dealers, Registered Investment Advisers & Representatives
Wall Street Experience and Service at Prices That Are Not Wall Street
Broker-Dealers, Registered Investment Advisers & Representatives
Broker-Dealers, Registered Investment Advisers & Representatives
Wall Street Experience and Service at Prices That Are Not Wall Street
Broker-Dealers, Registered Investment Advisers & Representatives
Wall Street Experience and Service at Prices That Are Not Wall Street
Broker-Dealers, Registered Investment Advisers & Representatives
Broker-Dealers & RIAs
A CCO for CCOs, Ryan is a securities compliance attorney with Wall Street experience without the Wall Street rates who helps firms understand and manage their regulatory obligations, respond to examinations and investigations, defend against arbitration claims, and improve compliance programs. Ryan previously served as CCO for a clearing and custody broker-dealer, an in-house attorney for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and an in-house litigator for a large wirehouse. He currently holds an active Series 24 General Securities Principal and Series 7 General Securities Representative licenses.
Contact Ryan today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your compliance or regulatory issue.
before it becomes the long one.
Nationwide Securities and Regulatory Counsel for the Firms and Registered Persons Who Keep the Markets Running.
For broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, and their personnel, compliance must never be considered a secondary concern. Every client interaction, supervisory decision, business objective, and regulatory filing your firm makes should be supported by a strong foundation of compliance. Staying current with a constantly growing body of regulations is part of running your firm.
Ryan Smith, a lawyer who has been active in the securities industry for over 24 years, leads Ryan P. Smith Law, PLC. As an in-house litigator for a large retail broker-dealer, Ryan addressed a wide range of legal and compliance issues. As a lawyer for FINRA, Ryan gained extensive experience in the surveillance of broker-dealers, including examinations and investigations. Before entering private practice, he served as the Chief Compliance Officer and Associate General Counsel for a FINRA member firm.
Today, using his experience as a Series 24 General Securities Principal, he provides securities compliance advice to broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, associated persons, and compliance professionals across the country.
He works with firms to prepare for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and FINRA examinations, handles investigations and enforcement matters, creates supervisory procedures, drafts regulatory filings, responds to customer disputes, and improves day-to-day compliance operations. Essentially, he helps companies manage compliance from start to finish.
It’s been said that Ryan acts as a CCO for CCOs. If you want experienced securities compliance counsel with a practical understanding of how your business operates, Ryan P. Smith Law, PLC can help you.
No Surprises.
FINRA and SEC examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions can feel overwhelming. If your firm is facing a regulatory issue, Ryan P. Smith Law, PLC can help.
Ryan represents broker-dealers, registered investment advisors (RIAs), and their representatives in matters before FINRA, the SEC, and state regulators. His background gives him insight into how regulators conduct examinations and evaluate your firm’s policies, practices, and procedures.
CCO
Small firms need compliance leadership but may not have the resources to hire a full-time chief compliance officer. Ryan provides outsourced CCO services designed around your firm’s needs. Services include ongoing compliance guidance, Written Supervisory Procedure (WSP) reviews, mock examinations, annual compliance assistance, Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) reporting guidance, and general regulatory advisory services.
& RIA Compliance
Broker-dealers and registered investment advisers operate in demanding regulatory environments with their respective laws, rules, standards – and regulatory expectations. Each firm must understand which rules apply to its activities and maintain policies, records, disclosures, and supervisory practices that reflect how the business actually operates.
Defense
Broker-dealers and registered investment advisers face constantly evolving enforcement objectives and ongoing regulatory monitoring. Ryan represents firms in matters involving FINRA, the SEC, and state securities regulators, including examinations, investigations, Wells notices, and enforcement actions — bringing firsthand insight as a former in-house FINRA attorney and current CCO.
Arbitration
FINRA arbitration can address a range of issues, including customer disputes, employment-related matters, promissory note claims, and requests for registration expungements. Ryan represents broker-dealers and associated persons in arbitration and mediation proceedings nationwide. He also assists registered reps in preparing expungement requests to remove eligible information from their Central Registration Depository (CRD) records.
Meet
Ryan P. Smith
From Former Regulator to Trusted Resource.
Ryan’s experience is unique. He spent decades working in-house on Wall Street, including as an attorney at FINRA, before entering private practice. That institutional knowledge allows Ryan to anticipate how examinations are planned, how questions are analyzed by regulators, and how enforcement actions are instituted. Instead of making assumptions about regulatory focus, he brings direct, insider knowledge.
Moreover, Ryan holds an active Series 24 General Securities Principal license and serves as an outsourced CCO. Ryan’s advice is shaped by his awareness that the law is not detached from daily business, incorporating both legal understanding and practical operational experience.
Ryan also offers a service model that caters to smaller firms. Many of the law firm’s clients are sole proprietors or small businesses without an in-house compliance department or large legal budgets. Ryan provides efficient, flat-fee compliance programs and affordable outsourced CCO services to see that clients have access to seasoned counsel without the Wall Street price tag.
Resources
Tips from The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy for Responding to Regulatory Exams
A Strategy for Creating an Effective CAT Compliance Program
Obvious Facts and Bad Company – A Primer on Open Source Due Diligence
Compliance Checkup Form
Read More
The ABCs of WSPs
Who We Serve
Ryan P. Smith Law, PLC provides advice and counsel to broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, associated persons, chief compliance officers, and other financial industry professionals across the country. A significant portion of our clients have smaller firms and require knowledgeable securities compliance counsel, but do not have a formal compliance department.
From responding to a regulatory inquiry to updating supervisory procedures, preparing for an examination, or needing general ongoing compliance support, we work with our clients to provide advice that is practical for their business and compliance needs.
Recent Blog Posts
I recently had the opportunity to assist the Alternative & Direct Investment Securities Association (ADISA) with a comment letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning the SEC’s proposed reforms for federal preemption of registered offerings. Exchange-listed securities generally benefit...
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) posts the disciplinary actions it took to an online database. It also publishes a monthly summary of these actions, which is a worthwhile read for those in the industry—if only for insight into FINRA’s current priorities....
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) posts the disciplinary actions it took to an online database. It also publishes a monthly summary of these actions, which is a worthwhile read for those in the industry—if only for insight into FINRA’s current priorities....
frequently asked questions
Q. Why would I need to be registered with a broker-dealer or an investment adviser?
A. If you are earning compensation for helping an organization raise capital or advising on investment strategies, then I recommend that we discuss this.
Q. What can I do when my regulator informs me that it is examining me/my firm?
A. Download my guide for practical tips on responding to a regulatory exam. If you would like specific advice on dealing with your regulator—regardless of whether it is FINRA, the SEC, or a state regulator—feel free to contact me.
Q. How can I remove disclosures on my BrokerCheck / Investment Adviser Public Disclosure report?
A. Your options depend on who made the disclosure. If your firm amended your Form U4 to report a customer complaint or the reason for your termination, you may be able to challenge this through a lawsuit or arbitration claim. However, if a regulator made the disclosure, your ability to remedy the situation is much more limited. Please contact me to discuss further.
Q. Can you still help me if I am not registered with a broker-dealer or an investment adviser?
A. I can. I have helped a number of unregistered individuals address issues involving the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and state regulators. This includes advice concerning the “M&A Brokers Exemption” in the Securities Exchange Act. Please contact me to discuss.
