Aquilo Partners, Inc. - s. 218 of Reg. 1015

Order

Headnote

Application to the Commission for an order, pursuant to section 218 of Regulation 1015 of the Securities Act (Ontario), that the requirement in section 213 of the Regulation, which provides that a registered dealer that is not an individual must be a company incorporated, or a person formed or created, under the laws of Canada or a province or territory of Canada, shall not apply to Aquilo Partners, Inc. The order sets out the terms and conditions applicable to a non-resident limited market dealer.

Applicable Statutes

Ontario Regulation 1015, R.R.O. 1990, sec. 213, 218.

IN THE MATTER OF

THE SECURITIES ACT,

R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER S.5, AS AMENDED (the "Act")

AND

IN THE MATTER OF

R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 1015,

AS AMENDED (the Regulation)

AND

IN THE MATTER OF

AQUILO PARTNERS, INC.

 

ORDER

(Section 218 of the Regulation)

UPON the application (the Application) from Aquilo Partners, Inc. (the Applicant) for an order pursuant to section 218 of the Regulation that the requirement in section 213 of the Regulation, which provides that a registered dealer that is not an individual must be a company incorporated, or a person formed or created, under the laws of Canada or a province or territory of Canada, will not apply to the Applicant;

AND UPON considering the Application and the recommendation of the staff of the Commission;

AND UPON the Applicant having represented to the Commission that:

1. The Applicant is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of California with its registered office in San Francisco, California. The name of the Applicant was formerly BioAdvisors, Inc. and was changed to Aquilo Partners, Inc. on May 4, 2002.

2. The Applicant provides corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic advisory services to public and private life science companies.

3. The Applicant is registered in the United States of America (the USA) as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Applicant is also registered as a broker-dealer in the states of New York and California.

4. The Applicant is a member in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers in the USA and a participant in the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

5. The Applicant is not presently registered in any capacity under the Act.

6. The Applicant has a national practice in the USA and is seeking to provide similar services in Ontario and accordingly, has filed, concurrently with the present application, an application for registration as a dealer under the Act in the category of limited market dealer in accordance with section 25 of the Act.

7. The Applicant is resident outside of Canada, will not maintain an office in Canada and will only participate in the distribution of securities in Ontario pursuant to registration and prospectus exemptions contained in the Act and Ontario Securities Commission Rule 45-501 -- Exempt Distributions.

8. Without the relief requested, the Applicant would be required to (i) hire an Ontario resident to act as local trading officer, which affords little or no additional protection to Ontario investors and would burden the Applicant with unnecessary additional cost, or (ii) abandon its application and conduct registrable activities only through an Ontario registered dealer at a price which would ultimately be passed on to Ontario investors.

AND UPON the Commission being satisfied that to do so would not be prejudicial to the public interest;

IT IS ORDERED THAT section 213 of the Regulation shall not apply to the Applicant, pursuant to section 218 of the Regulation, provided that:

1. The Applicant appoints an agent for service of process in Ontario.

2. The Applicant shall provide to each client resident in Ontario a statement in writing disclosing the non-resident status of the Applicant, the Applicant's jurisdiction of residence, the name and address of the agent for service of process of the Applicant in Ontario, and the nature of risks to clients that legal rights may not be enforceable.

3. The Applicant will not change its agent for service of process in Ontario without giving the Ontario Securities Commission 30 days' prior notice of such change by filing a new Submission to Jurisdiction and Appointment of Agent for Service of Process.

4. The Applicant and each of its registered officers or partners irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the judicial, quasi-judicial, and administrative tribunals of Ontario and any administrative proceedings in Ontario, in any proceedings arising out of or related to or concerning its registration under the Act or its activities in Ontario as a registrant.

5. The Applicant will not have custody of, or maintain customer accounts in relation to, securities, funds, and other assets of clients resident in Ontario.

6. The Applicant will inform the Director immediately upon the Applicant: (i) ceasing to be registered in the United States as a broker-dealer; (ii) becoming aware of its registration in any other jurisdiction not being renewed or being suspended or revoked; or (iii) becoming aware that it is the subject of an investigation or disciplinary action by any financial services or securities regulatory authority or self-regulatory authority (or of similar issues with its salespersons, officers, directors, or partners that are registered in Ontario).

7. The Applicant will pay the increased compliance and case assessment costs of the Ontario Securities Commission due to the Applicant's location outside Ontario, including the cost of hiring a third party to perform a compliance review on behalf of the Ontario Securities Commission.

8. The Applicant will make its books and records outside Ontario, including electronic records, readily accessible in Ontario, and will produce physical records for the Ontario Securities Commission within a reasonable time if requested. If the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Applicant's books and records are located prohibit production of the books and records in Ontario without the consent of the relevant client the Applicant shall, upon a request by the Commission: (a) so advise the Commission; and (b) use its best efforts to obtain the client's consent to the production of books and records.

9. The Applicant will have available a person, possibly a third party, to assist the Ontario Securities Commission in compliance and enforcement matters.

10. The Applicant and each of its registered officers or partners will comply, at the Applicant's expense, with requests under Ontario Securities Commission investigation powers and orders under the Securities Act (Ontario) in relation to the Applicant's dealings with Ontario clients, including producing documents and witnesses in Ontario, submitting to audit or search and seizure process or consenting to an asset freeze, to the extent such powers would be enforceable against the Applicant if the Applicant were resident in Ontario. If the laws of the Applicant's jurisdiction of residence that are otherwise applicable to the giving of evidence or production of documents prohibit the Applicant or the witnesses from giving the evidence without the consent or leave of the relevant client and any third party, including a court of competent jurisdiction, the Applicant shall: (a) so advise the Commission; and (b) use its best efforts to obtain the client's consent to the giving of the evidence.

11. The Applicant will maintain appropriate registration or SRO membership, if and where applicable, in its jurisdiction of residence.

September 24, 2004.

"Wendell S. Wigle"
"Suresh Thakrar"