9311. Appeal by Any Party; Cross-Appeal

A Respondent or the Department of Enforcement may file a written notice of appeal within 25 days after service of a decision issued pursuant to Rule 9268 or Rule 9269.

An appeal to the National Adjudicatory Council from a decision issued pursuant to Rule 9268 or Rule 9269 shall operate as a stay of that decision until the National Adjudicatory Council issues a decision pursuant to Rule 9349 or, in cases called for discretionary review by the FINRA Board, until a decision is issued pursuant to Rule 9351. Any such appeal, however, will not stay a decision, or that part of a decision, that imposes a permanent cease and desist order. Notwithstanding the stay of sanctions under this Rule, the Hearing Officer may impose such conditions and restrictions on the activities of a Respondent as the Hearing Officer considers reasonably necessary for the purpose of preventing customer harm in accordance with Rule 9285(a), and the Review Subcommittee shall consider any motion filed pursuant to Rule 9285(b) to modify or remove any or all of the conditions or restrictions.

A Party appealing pursuant to this Rule shall file a written notice of appeal with the Office of Hearing Officers and serve the notice on the Parties. The notice of appeal shall be signed by the appealing Party, or his or her counsel or representative, and shall contain:

A Party who is served with a notice of appeal may file a written notice of cross-appeal and serve the notice of cross-appeal on the Parties. The notice of cross-appeal shall be filed within five days after service of the notice of appeal. The notice of cross-appeal shall be signed by the Party cross-appealing, or his or her counsel, and shall contain the information set forth in paragraphs (c)(1), (c)(2), (c)(4), and (c)(5), and the name of the Party on whose behalf the cross-appeal is made.

The National Adjudicatory Council may, in its discretion, deem waived any issue not raised in the notice of appeal or cross-appeal. The National Adjudicatory Council, the Review Subcommittee, a Subcommittee, the General Counsel or, if applicable, an Extended Proceeding Committee, shall provide the Parties with notice of, and an opportunity to submit briefs on, any issue that shall be considered by the National Adjudicatory Council if such issue was not previously set forth in the notice of appeal. Parties may submit motions to either the Review Subcommittee or the National Adjudicatory Council challenging requests for briefing made by the General Counsel under this Rule of issues that were not previously set forth in the notice of appeal.

A Party may withdraw a notice of appeal or a notice of cross-appeal filed by him or her at any time by filing a written notice of withdrawal of appeal or cross-appeal with the Office of Hearing Officers and serving notice thereof on the Parties. The notice of withdrawal of appeal or cross-appeal shall contain: the name of the disciplinary proceeding; the disciplinary proceeding docket number; and the name of the Party on whose behalf the notice of appeal or cross-appeal was filed previously. The notice of withdrawal of appeal or cross-appeal shall be signed by the Party, or his or her counsel or representative. Upon the withdrawal of a notice of appeal, any outstanding cross-appeal shall be treated as an appeal unless it is withdrawn.

When an appeal is filed from a decision finding that a Respondent violated a statute or rule provision, the Office of Hearing Officers shall promptly notify each FINRA member with which the Respondent is associated that an appeal has been filed.