(a) When required. The National Futures Association shall promptly serve all parties, as well as the Proceedings Clerk and the Secretary of the Commission, with a written notice of any final decision in a disciplinary action, membership denial action or registration action subject to these rules. The notice may be contained in the written decision issued by the National Futures Association.

(b) Content of the notice. At a minimum, the notice shall provide the following information:

(1) The names of the parties to the proceeding;

(2) The date the notice was served and the effective date of the decision;

(3) A statement informing the parties of their right to appeal the decision to the Commission pursuant to § 171.28 as well as their right to seek a stay of the effective date of the decision pursuant to § 171.27.

(4) For a disciplinary action:

(i) A statement setting forth the relevant acts of practices engaged in or omitted by the parties to the proceeding;

(ii) A statement setting forth the specific rule or rules of the association violated by the relevant acts or practices or omissions to act of the parties to the proceeding;

(iii) A statement setting forth the penalty imposed and the basis for its imposition.

(5) For a membership action:

(i) The specific grounds for the denial, bar, expulsion, or restriction;

(ii) The findings made concerning those grounds;

(iii) An explanation of the result reached in light of the grounds for ineligibility found and the findings made.

(6) For a registration action:

(i) The statutory disqualification at issue;

(ii) The findings made concerning the statutory disqualification;

(iii) An explanation of the result reached in light of the statutory disqualification shown and the findings made.

(c) Effect of inadequate notice. (1) If the National Futures Association issues a notice of a final decision subject to these rules that is not substantially consistent with the requirements of this section, and the record does not establish that the errors therein are harmless, the notice may be stricken. The Commission may act on its own motion or on the motion of a party.

(2) When a notice is struck, the final decision of the National Futures Association shall not be effective until a proper notice is served.

(a) General rule. A final decision of the National Futures Association in a disciplinary action, membership denial action or registration action shall be effective thirty days after service of the notice described in § 171.21.

(b) Petitions for stay pending review or for an emergency effective date—(1) Stay pending review. Within ten days of service of the notice described in § 171.21, any aggrieved party may seek from the Commission a stay pending consideration of the merits of an appeal by filing and serving an appropriate petition. The mere filing of such a petition shall not stay the effective date of the decision. The burden of persuasion shall rest with the party seeking the stay. If the Commission does not grant the petition prior to the effective date of the decision under review, it shall be deemed denied. All petitions for stay must be accompanied by a notice of appeal.

(2) Emergency effective date. Within ten days of service of the notice described in § 171.21, the National Futures Association may seek from the Commission an order establishing an emergency effective date for the decision by filing and serving an appropriate petition. The mere filing of such a petition shall not alter the effective date of the decision. The burden of persuasion rests with the National Futures Association. If the Commission does not grant the petition by the date specified as the emergency effective date, it shall be deemed denied.

(3) Contents of petition for stay and petition for an emergency effective date. A petition for stay or for an emergency effective date shall be in writing. Material factual allegations shall be supported by an affidavit or other sworn statement unless the parties stipulate that the material facts are not in dispute.

(4) Response. Within five days of the service of the petition, a party may file in opposition to the petition. Material factual allegations shall be supported by an affidavit or other sworn statement unless the parties stipulate that the material facts are not in dispute.

(c) Standards for determining petitions for a stay or an emergency effective date petition. In reviewing petitions filed under this seciton, the Commission shall consider:

(1) The likelihood that a challenge to the merits of the decision will be successful; and

(2) The likelihood that the denial of the petition would result in irreparable harm to the petitioner; and

(3) The effect a grant of the petition would have on the opposing party; and

(4) The effect a grant or denial of the petition would have on the public interest.

(d) Expedited consideration. If, in its view, it is necessary to protect the petitioner's right to a meaningful determination of the issues raised in the petition, the Commission may act upon a petition for a stay or for an emergency effective date prior to its receipt of an opposing party's response. Any party aggrieved by such expedited consideration may seek reconsideration within seven days of service of the decision.

(a) Time to file. Any party aggrieved by the final decision of the National Futures Association in a disciplinary, membership denial or registration action may, within thirty days of the National Futures Association's service of the notice described in § 171.21, file a notice of appeal with the Proceedings Clerk. The filing of such a notice shall not stay the effective date of the decision.

(b) Contents. The notice of appeal shall consist of a brief statement indicating that the party is requesting Commission review of an action of the National Futures Association. It should identify:

(1) The name and address of the person appealing and, if represented, the name and address of his representative;

(2) The case name and docket number of the National Futures Association proceeding; and

(3) The date of the decision.

(c) Filing fee. Each notice of appeal must be accompanied by a nonrefundable filing fee of $100. This amount may be paid by check, bank draft or money order, payable to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

(d) Defective notices of appeal. Notices of appeal that are untimely or not accompanied by the filing fee shall not be accepted by the Proceedings Clerk absent a showing, by motion, of excusable neglect.

Within thirty days after service of a notice of appeal, the National Futures Association shall file with the Proceedings Clerk two copies of the record of the proceeding (as defined by § 171.2(k)). The record shall be bound as a unit, chronologically indexed and tabbed, and certified as correct by a duly authorized official, agent or employee of the National Futures Asssociation. The National Futures Association shall serve on the party appealing, in lieu of the record, a copy of the index of the record and a copy of any document in the record not previously served on the party appealing. If the party appealing objects to the materials included or excluded in preparing the record, he shall file his objections with his brief on appeal. The Commission may, at any time, direct that an omission or misstatement be corrected and, if necessary, that a supplemental record be prepared and filed.

(a) Time to file. Any person who has filed a notice of appeal in accordance with the provisions of § 171.23, shall perfect the appeal by filing an appeal brief with the Proceedings Clerk within thirty days after service of the record by the National Futures Association. The Commission may dismiss any appeal for which an appeal brief is not timely filed.

(b) Contents. Each appeal brief submitted to the Commission pursuant to this section shall include, in the order indicated:

(1) A statement of the issues presented for review;

(2) A statement of the case. The statement shall indicate briefly the nature of the case and include a full description of the action being challenged. There shall follow a clear and concise statement of all facts relevant to the consideration of the appeal with appropriate citations to the record;

(3) An argument. The argument shall contain the contentions of the appellant with respect to the issues presented and the reasons supporting those contentions. It shall cite specifically to the relevant authorities and to those parts of the record that support appellant's contentions; and

(4) A conclusion stating the precise relief sought.

(c) Length of appeal brief. Without prior leave of the Commission, the appeal brief may not exceed thirty five pages, exclusive of any table of contents, table of cases, index and appendix containing transcripts of testimony, exhibits, rules, regulations or similar materials.

(a) Time for filing answering brief. Within thirty days after service of the appeal brief, the National Futures Association shall file with the Proceedings Clerk an answering brief.

(b) Contents of answering brief. The contents of the answering brief generally shall be consistent with those set forth in § 171.25(b) but may omit a statement of the issues and a statement of the case if the National Futures Association does not dispute the issues or the statement of the case contained in the appeal brief.

(c) Length of the answering brief. Without prior leave of the Commission, the answering brief may not exceed thirty five pages, exclusive of any table of contents, table of cases, index and appendix containing transcripts of testimony, exhibits, statutes, rules, regulations or similar materials.

(a) Upon motion of any interested person or, on its own motion, the Commission may permit, or solicit, limited participation in the proceeding by such interested person. A motion for leave to participate in the proceeding shall be filed promptly, shall identify the interest of that person and shall show why participation in the proceeding by that person would serve the public interest. If the Commission determines that participation would serve the public interest, it shall by order establish a supplementary briefing schedule for the interested person and the parties to the proceeding.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, interested person shall include parties and any other persons who might be adversely affected or aggrieved by the outcome of a proceeding; their officers, agents, employees, associates, affiliates, attorneys, accountants or other representatives; and any other person having a direct or indirect pecuniary or other interest in the outcome of a proceeding.

The Division of Enforcement, the Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight and the Division of Clearing and Risk or the Division of Market Oversight may participate in any proceeding by filing a notice of appearance. Such a notice shall be filed and served on or before the twentieth day following the date of service of its brief by the National Futures Association. The Commission shall by order establish a supplementary briefing schedule for the Commission staff and other parties to the proceeding. If it concludes that participation of the Commission staff will not serve the public interest, the Commission shall prohibit further participation.