SCAMS-R-US

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VERT DD: A collection of my notes. Connect the dots for yourself:


The Vertical Group ("VERT") maintains a clearing relationships with Broadcort (A Division of Merrill Lynch), Assent LLC and the Alpine Clearing Corporation.

These clearing relationships is governed by the terms of a fully disclosed clearing agreement between VERT and its clearing corporation relationships. The below notice serves to disclose the nature of the relationships between VERT and clearing corporation relationships as well as to advise you how its clearing corporation relationships

Broadcort handles, protects, and limits the use of personal information about you that it collects while serving as clearing agent for VERT and to provide you with other important information concerning the accounts carried at Broadcort, Assent and Alpine on your behalf.

Please read this notice carefully as VERT maintains the same standards of customer privacy and ethical policy as Broadcort, Assent and Alpine:

- VERT is an Introducing Broker
- VERT does not hold customer securities or funds
- VERT does not solicit orders
- VERT is exempt from reporting under Rule 605-606 605/606 are order routing (we don't do) and order execution (we do not execute held orders) statistics that would need to be published and linked to.



http://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-08-09/s70809-3684.pdf

The Vertical Trading Group, LLC ( CRD #104353, NewYork, NewYork) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which the firm was censured, fined $25,000 and required to revise its written supervisory procedures regarding the One Percent Rule; the dissemination of quotations to vendors; monthly order execution information; SEC Regulation SHO’s locate requirements; the acceptance of short sale orders for threshold securities; maintaining identical quotes; market order protection; best execution for block orders, not held orders and orders with special pricing terms or conditions; reporting the capacity in which trades are executed; ensuring the accuracy of trades reported on the member’s behalf; the tick test; and books and records. Without admitting or denying the findings, the firm consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings that it failed to properly identify orders as short sale orders and, therefore, failed to report to the NNTRF the correct symbol indicating whether transactions were buy, sell, sell short, sell short exempt or cross for transactions in reportable securities, and to properly mark the orders as short. The findings stated that the firm’s supervisory system did not provide for supervision reasonably designed to achieve compliance with applicable laws, regulations and FINRA rules concerning the One Percent Rule; the dissemination of quotations to vendors; monthly order execution information; Regulation SHO’s locate requirements; the acceptance of short sale orders for threshold securities; maintaining identical quotes; market order protection; best execution for block orders, not held orders and orders with special pricing terms or conditions; reporting the capacity in which trades are executed; ensuring the accuracy of trades reported on the member’s behalf; the tick test; and books and records. The findings also stated that the firm failed to produce documentation that it enforced its written supervisory procedures concerning the marking of order tickets and locate requirements. The findings also included that the firm failed to report the correct symbol to the NNTRF or OTCRF indicating whether the firm executed transactions in reportable securities in a principal, “riskless” principal or agency capacity. (FINRA Case #2006004088101)


(Note: VERT is widely recognized by investors as a market maker who abuses their market making obligations and manipulates stock prices for profit. They are the firm the less than reputable clients trade through when they want a “job done” and this enforcement case, despite the paltry fine, illustrates their willingness to avoid the rules.)
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Following info is from cached copies of OfficeTHUG.com

OfficeThug.com is a graphic design and web development company founded by Zak Young. We specialize in designing and building custom websites and creating logos, branding and I.D. packages. We can build custom wordpress sites and we offer many web services including hosting, domain name management, advertising campaigns, social networking integration (facebook, twitter, etc.), and more. We also do print work such as album covers, posters, letterhead, business cards, promotional material, etc.


417 Fifth Avenue, Sixth Floor, New York, NY 10016
212-918-1202 [e-mail]

Careers
The Vertical Group is always seeking experienced sales traders or market makers with relationships to expand our trading desk. Compensation is on a competitive basis. For more information regarding opportunities at The Vertical Group, please contact us at [e-mail]

Our Business
The Vertical Group specializes in distressed equities and special situation trading. We currently make a market in over 3,000 stocks in the OTC Bulletin Board and Pink Sheets in addition to trading listed and non-listed ADRs and foreign securities. Our employees provide execution services for broker – dealers, institutions and retail customers from our office in New York City.

History
The Vertical Group is a privately held LLC and was founded as a wholesale market making firm by Rob Schaffer and Tom Martin in 2002. The Vertical Group is a registered Broker – Dealer with the SEC and FINRA. Since inception the focus of the firm has been to give its customers the highest level of execution and service.




Principal – Rob Schaffer
Rob has 15 years of market making and securities industry experience. Prior to founding Vertical, he was at Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. and Sharpe Capital.

Principal – Tom Martin
Tom is the firm's CFO and financial operations principal. He has over 15 years of accounting, finance and securities industry experience. Prior to founding Vertical, he worked for Goldman Sachs and PriceWaterhouseCoopers and has an MBA in finance from NYU's Stern School of Business.


Copyright © The Vertical Group 2011 All rights reserved. Member FINRA, SIPC Disclosures Clearing
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Phone numbers for VERT or closely associated with VERT.

212-918-1202 Ras Holdings Llc
212-918-1202 Vertical Group
212-918-1202 Vertical Group Inc
212-918-1210 Magic Works Llc
212-918-1211 Schonfeld & Co Llc
212-918-1211 Vertical Group
212-918-1220 Broadway Trading Llc
212-918-1220 Marksmen Trading Partner
212-918-1220 T3 Capital Management Ll

VERT |The Vertical Trading Group ||Trading| 212-918-1202
VERT |The Vertical Trading Group ||B/D Sales NY| 212-430-3561
VERT |The Vertical Trading Group ||B/D Sales Richmond| 212-430-3560

from http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=45995840
VERT M The Vertical Trading Group, LLC Trading 212-918-1202
VERT M The Vertical Trading Group, LLC B/D Sales NY 212-430-3561
VERT M The Vertical Trading Group, LLC B/D Sales Richmond 804-282-4650
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NYS Department of State

Division of Corporations

Entity Information

The information contained in this database is current through January 27, 2012.
Selected Entity Name: VERTICAL TRADING, LLC
Selected Entity Status Information Current Entity Name: VERTICAL TRADING, LLC
Initial DOS Filing Date: MARCH 07, 2002
County: NEW YORK
Jurisdiction: NEW YORK
Entity Type: DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Current Entity Status: ACTIVE

Selected Entity Address Information DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity)
NEVIS MCCANN **** error in filing NEVINS
C/O CONNELL FOLEY LLP
85 LIVINGSTON AVENUE
ROSELAND, NEW JERSEY, 07068
Registered Agent
NONE