KEN ASHTON is counsel practicing in the Securities Enforcement and Regulatory group, which was named the “Law Firm of the Year” for Securities Regulation in 2020 and 2017 by U.S. News – Best Lawyers and received the 2019 Chambers USA Award for Financial Services Regulation. He conducts a comprehensive securities and regulatory practice in which he represents broker-dealers, banks, investment advisers and their employees before FINRA, the SEC, state securities regulators and others. Ken also regularly counsels the industry on a variety of regulatory reporting and collateral consequences issues, including regulatory reporting on Forms BD/U4/U5 and FINRA Rule 4530.
Ken regularly advises the industry on licensing, background screening and statutory disqualification issues facing broker-dealers, banks, and investment advisers. For more than 11 years, he has advised firms on their obligations with respect to registering and de-registering their investment professionals. This has included a leading role in a range of cases that have set the standards for how firms comply with their regulatory reporting and other obligations regarding their employees.
Prior to joining the firm, Ken served as an examination manager at FINRA’s (formerly NASD) Boston District Office. In his 13 years with FINRA, Ken conducted and managed for cause investigations arising out of broker-dealer examinations, regulatory tips, customer complaints or broker terminations and counseled member regulation staff and industry participants on FINRA and MSRB rules.