The National Introducing Brokers Association (NIBA) has started a petition asking the judge in the MF Global bankruptcy proceeding to release customer segregated funds. Below we have provided the full text of the petition which members of the community can sign by going here. It is unclear how this would work in conjunction with the CME’s promise to guarantee up to $300M of the missing $650M or so (for more information on this, please see the CME release).
Below the reprint of the petition, we have also posted a recent statement by the FIA on MF Global.
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Release remaining cash balances of former MF Global customers
Greetings NIBA members and supporters,
We urge you to sign the following petition in order for the bankruptcy court to have a chance to hear from you – the broker, the trading advisor, the IB – directly. Some of you have the resources to pursue your interests individually, that’s great. But, the court needs to hear from all of you. Our voice is much stronger if we are unified; acting collectively, we can make a difference. This is one of the reasons you belong to and support the NIBA. We are standing up for the rights of all our members. Please sign regardless of whether you cleared with MFG.
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Honorable Martin Glenn
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Courtroom 501
One Bowling Green
New York City, NY 10004
The National Introducing Brokers Association (NIBA) submits this Petition urging you to exercise your authority and immediately, to the extent it does not hinder the bankruptcy process, permit the release of the remaining cash balances of liquidating and transferred customers of MF Global, and of customers who were included in the bulk transfer process. To the extent there are sufficient “segregated” funds available, they are the assets of the customers. Further, those funds are absolutely vital for the marketplace to function fully. The result of withholding these funds is affecting the ability of customers to maintain and trade their positions, and will impact liquidity and trading volume – absolutely necessary for an efficient market.
The NIBA is a 20-year old non-profit association of registered Introducing Brokers, Commodity Trading Advisors and Associated Persons who transact business for customers in the retail sector of the futures industry, as well as in managed futures. Our membership includes professionals associated with MF Global, as well as IBs, CTAs and APs at the receiving futures commission merchants. Our customers include individuals and entities as diverse as farmers, pension funds and users of energy and metals.
Customers and futures professional alike are suffering under the current scheme. We urge you to heed Petition and release these funds. We want to get back to work.
Respectfully, The National Introducing Brokers Association
(www.theniba.com)
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Sincerely,
[Your name]
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FIA Issues Statement Regarding MF Global
WASHINGTON, D.C. ―Nov. 9, 2011― The Futures Industry Association issued the following statement in response to the events involving the bankruptcy of MF Global.
The Futures Industry Association (FIA) is deeply troubled by the failure of MF Global (MFG) and the financial distress that the apparent shortfall in customer segregated funds has caused our members’ customers and the markets generally. Segregation of customer funds is the cornerstone that assures the financial integrity of our markets and any violation of these segregation requirements cannot be tolerated.
Since the appointment of a Trustee for MFG on October 31, FIA member firms have been working closely with all affected stakeholders, including the CME Group, ICE Clear US, ICE Clear Europe and other relevant derivatives clearing organizations, to effect the prompt and orderly transfer of customer positions to other futures commission merchants (FCMs).
FIA supports a full review of the circumstances that led to the failure of MFG and, in particular, the apparent shortfall in customer segregated funds. FIA recognizes that this apparent shortfall will delay the date by which customers will receive all of the funds that were on deposit with MFG. Futures customers cannot afford to have the funds they had deposited to support their positions held up while the claims process runs its course. FIA strongly encourages the Trustee, with the assistance of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the clearing organizations, to complete an interim accounting and facilitate the prompt return of all customer funds.
The FIA is the primary industry association for centrally cleared futures and swaps. Its membership includes the world’s largest derivatives clearing firms as well as derivatives exchanges from more than 20 countries. For more information, please contact Joanne Morrison ([email protected]) at 202.466.5460 or visit our website at www.futuresindustry.org.
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Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP provides legal services to the managed futures community. Please contact us if you have questions or call Bart Mallon directly at 415-868-5345.