Securities Lawyers Blog
We represent clients of financial advisors and brokerage firms in investment disputes against their firms, such as The Benchmark Company, LLC. Our services cover a wide spectrum of broker misconduct, including unsuitable investments, failure to supervise, and losses in various investment products. Our firm can analyze your brokerage accounts, determine the extent of your investment losses, and understand the issues and remedies available.
The Benchmark Company is an investment bank offering equity research, institutional sales and trading, and investment banking services, with strong client relationships in the technology, industrials, consumer and healthcare sectors. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in New York City with operations across the United States, the firm was acquired by StoneX Group in 2025 and became part of its institutional division.
The Benchmark Company, LLC – By the Numbers:
- CRD #: 22982
- Regulatory Events: 18
- Arbitration Events: 1
- Broker Employees: 38
The Benchmark Company, LLC – In the News:
FINRA v. The Benchmark Company, LLC (Case #2022074359701) – Between September 2021 and June 2022, Benchmark failed to establish and maintain a supervisory system, including written supervisory procedures (WSPs), reasonably designed to prevent prohibited trade-throughs of protected quotations in National Market System securities. Benchmark additionally failed to take reasonable steps to establish that the intermarket sweep orders (ISOs) it routed to certain market centers met the requirements for an ISO. As a result, Benchmark violated Rules 611(a) and (c) of Regulation NMS of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and FINRA Rules 3110 and 2010. For these violations, Benchmark is censured and fined $65,000.
FINRA v. The Benchmark Company, LLC (Case #2019060649901) – From February 2018 through February 2019, Benchmark failed to establish, maintain, and enforce policies and procedures reasonably designed to restrict the flow of potentially material nonpublic research information between the research department and sales and trading personnel or prevent the selective dissemination of potentially material nonpublic research information to certain customers. The firm’s failures concern research notes, which were emails typically following a newsworthy event prepared by a research analyst, approved for external use by the firm’s research department and distributed outside the research department in advance of published research reports. These research notes contained analysis drafted by a research analyst utilizing the firm’s internal financial modeling, which informed Benchmark’s views of covered companies, including ratings, price targets, and earnings estimates. The firm failed to reasonably address the risk that these types of research notes could constitute research reports or include material nonpublic information that the firm’s sales and trading personnel might misuse, including the potential for sales and trading personnel to utilize non-public advance knowledge of the information for the benefit of the firm or any other person. The firm also failed to reasonably address the risk that firm personnel would selectively disseminate these types of research notes to parties external to Benchmark. By virtue of the foregoing, Benchmark violated FINRA Rules 5280(b), 2241(g), 3110, and 2010.
FINRA v. The Benchmark Company, LLC (Case #2016048745701) – In Matter No. 20160487457, the OATS Compliance Team staff of FINRA’s Department of Market Regulation (the “staff”) reviewed the firm’s compliance with Order Audit Trail System (“OATS”) reporting and related supervision requirements from Jan. 1, 2011 through Feb. 10, 2016 (the “Review Period”). During the Review Period the firm violated FINRA Rules 7450, 3110 and 2010 and NASD Rule 3010.
FINRA v. The Benchmark Company, LLC (Case #2015048109201) – This matter concerns Benchmark’s conduct of a securities business while net capital deficient during the period July 31, 2015, through December 10, 2015, (the “Relevant Period”), and its maintenance of inaccurate financial books and records during the same time period.
FINRA v. The Benchmark Company, LLC (Case #2013036707701) – The Customer Issues staff of FINRA’s Department of Market Regulation reviewed the firm’s compliance with FINRA Rule 5320 pertaining to customer order protection concerning OTC Equity Securities transactions and related supervision and books and records requirements during the third quarter of 2012 and the second quarter of 2013 (the “review period”). During the review period, the firm violated FINRA Rules 5320, 4511 and 2010, NASD Rule 3010 and SEC Rule 17a-3.
Gana Weinstein LLP has successfully handled hundreds of customer investment disputes with their brokerage firms. Our attorneys can help you detect and uncover suspicious activity in your accounts. Our consultations are free and we welcome all inquiries.