ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING:
I. The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) deems it appropriate and in the public interest that public administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings be, and hereby are, instituted pursuant to Sections 203(e), 203(f), and 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) against Sands Brothers Asset Management LLC (“SBAM”), Steven Sands (“S. Sands”), and Martin Sands (“M. Sands”).
II. In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, SBAM, S. Sands, and M. Sands have submitted an Offer of Settlement (the “Offer”), which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the Commission, or to which the Commission is a party, and without admitting or denying the findings herein, except as to the Commission’s jurisdiction over it and the subject matter of these proceedings, which are admitted, SBAM, S. Sands, and M. Sands consent to the entry of this Order Instituting Administrative and Cease-and-Desist Proceedings, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial Sanctions and a Cease-and-Desist Order Pursuant to Sections 203(e), 203(f), And 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as set forth below.
III. On the basis of this Order and SBAM, S. Sands, and M. Sands’ Offer, the Commission finds that:
RESPONDENTS
1. SBAM, a New York limited liability company formed in June 1998, has been registered with the Commission as an investment adviser since July 1998. SBAM maintains offices in New York, New York and provides portfolio management and investment advisory services to its clients, among which are a number of funds organized as limited liability companies or limited partnerships. According to its Form ADV filed on March 22, 2010, SBAM has $95,340,474 in assets under management.
2. S. Sands, age 51, resides in Locust Valley, New York. He is a direct owner and currently serves as co-chairman of Sands Brothers Asset Management Ltd., the manager of SBAM. S. Sands is also a founder, partner and senior portfolio manager of SBAM. S. Sands is also currently employed as a registered representative at Lane Capital Markets LLC, a broker-dealer located in Greenwich, CT, and was formerly employed as a registered representative at Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd., a broker-dealer with its main office in London, England. He maintains Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.
3. M. Sands, age 49, resides in Greenwich, Connecticut. He is a direct owner and currently serves as co-chairman of Sands Brothers Asset Management Ltd., the manager of SBAM. M. Sands is also a founder, partner and senior portfolio manager of SBAM. M. Sands is also currently employed as a registered representative at Lane Capital Markets LLC and was also formerly employed as a registered representative at Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd. He maintains Series 3, 7, 8, 24 and 63 licenses.
FACTS
4. These proceedings stem from the failures of SBAM, an investment adviser registered with the Commission, to comply with certain record-keeping and other provisions of the Advisers Act. In particular, SBAM violated (i) Section 204 of the Advisers Act and Rule 204(2) governing the retention and production to the staff upon request of certain required documents and books and records; (ii) Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-2 governing the delivery of account statements and surprise examination requirements for certain SBAM funds; and (iii) Sections 204 and 207 of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-1 governing the disclosures and amendments to SBAM’s investment adviser registration statement on Form ADV. M. Sands and S. Sands, sometimes acting through employees and agents including compliance personnel, were principal contact persons for SBAM in responding to the Commission staff’s inquiries and otherwise communicating with the staff during examinations of SBAM. As the lead principals of SBAM, S. Sands and M. Sands, acting through employees and agents including compliance personnel, were also responsible for ensuring that SBAM’s filings on Form ADV were accurate and up to date.
Advisers Act Books And Records Deficiencies
5. Section 204 of the Advisers Act provides that every investment adviser who makes use of the mails or interstate commerce in connection with its advisory business shall make and keep for prescribed periods those records that the Commission, by rule, may prescribe as necessary, and that all records are “subject at any time, or from time to time, to such reasonable periodic, special, or other examinations by representatives of the Commission as the Commission deems necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors.” Rule 204-2(a) sets forth certain categories of books and records that registered investment advisers are required to “make and keep true, accurate and current” with respect to their investment advisory business. Rule 204-2(b) sets forth categories of additional documents that must be maintained by registered investment advisers that have custody of client assets.
6. SBAM failed to maintain or provide to the staff, among other things, the following documents relating to one or more of its advisory clients: bank and brokerage account opening documents for certain advisory clients, as required by Rule 204-2(a)(10); bank account statements for certain advisory clients, as required by Rule 204-2(a)(7); brokerage account statements or similar records, as required by Rules 204-2(b)(3) and (4); certain client advisory contracts, as required by Rule 204-2(a)(10); order memoranda detailing each purchase, sale, receipt or delivery of securities on behalf of certain advisory clients, as required by Rule 2042(a)(3); securities transaction confirmations for certain advisory clients, as required by Rule 2042(b)(3); and documentation of deposits into and payments out of certain client accounts, as required by Rules 204-2(b)(1) and (2).
Advisers Act Custody Rule Deficiencies
7. SBAM failed to comply with the provisions of Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-2(a) thereunder, which, during the relevant period,1 imposed on registered investment advisers, like SBAM, that have custody of clients’ funds or securities certain requirements concerning the distribution of client account statements and surprise examinations for certain funds. Rule 206(4)-2(a)(3) required investment advisers with custody of client assets
(i) to have a reasonable belief that a qualified custodian holding the client assets, such as a bank or a broker-dealer, was providing quarterly account statements directly to the clients or (ii) to send quarterly account statements directly to their clients and have an independent public accountant conduct a surprise examination of the funds at least once a year.