MFDA announces settlement hearing to take place in the matter of Dennis Duclos

November 25, 2022 (Toronto, Ontario) – The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (“MFDA”) commenced a disciplinary proceeding in respect of Dennis Jerome Duclos (the “Respondent”) by Notice of Hearing dated March 23, 2022 (the “Notice of Hearing”).

As the result of a settlement agreement entered into between Staff of the MFDA and the Respondent, a settlement hearing will take place electronically by videoconference before a Hearing Panel of the MFDA’s Central Regional Council on December 5, 2022, commencing at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern), or as soon thereafter as the matter can be held. Members of the public who would like to obtain further particulars should contact hearings@ciro.ca.

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 the allegations that the Respondent:

1. on or about June 5, 2019, processed a redemption in a client account based on instructions from someone other than the client who did not have trading authorization on the account, contrary to the Member’s policies and procedures and MFDA Rules 2.1.1 and 1.1.2 (as it relates to MFDA Rule 2.5.1);
2. between approximately November 2019 and June 2020, failed to report to the Member complaints received from a client, contrary to the Member’s policies and procedures and MFDA Rules 2.1.1, 1.4(b), 1.1.2 (as it relates to MFDA Rule 2.5.1), and MFDA Policy 6;
3. between approximately September 2014 and October 2018, altered and used to process transactions 4 account forms in respect of 2 clients by altering information on the account forms without having the client initial the alterations, contrary to MFDA Rule 2.1.1; and
4. between approximately October 2019 and September 2020, failed to record and maintain evidence of client trade instructions with respect to 16 redemptions in 4 client accounts, contrary to the Member’s policies and procedures and MFDA Rules 5.1(b) and 1.1.2 (as it relates to MFDA Rule 2.5.1).

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 the Waterloo, Ontario area.

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 76,695 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.