Integrity Research Compliance AccreditationSM Terms
During the Accreditation Process, you agree to abide by the following terms:
Process: You understand that Integrity Research Associates LLC (“Integrity”) conducts compliance accreditations through examination of policies, procedures, documents, information and interviews (“Accreditation Process”). You agree to participate in the Accreditation Process.
You understand that Integrity does not evaluate specific requirements for entities registered as a broker dealer or investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor will Integrity determine whether an entity is compliant with state law, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act) of 2012, or the rules and regulations promulgated under any of these laws, nor will Integrity assess whether an entity is compliant with requirements under self-regulatory organizations such as FINRA, NYSE or NASDAQ.
You agree to use your best efforts to provide Integrity with access to personnel, documents and information that are truthful and complete. Integrity cannot determine whether the documents and information you provide are fake or untruthful.
You understand that if you achieve accreditation, your accreditation will last for one year (“Accreditation Period”). If you achieve accreditation, Integrity grants to you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited license to use Integrity’s Accreditation Seal in its original form on your marketing materials for the Accreditation Period. You agree to provide Integrity with information relevant to your compliance policies and procedures throughout the one-year Accreditation Period, including material changes that might affect your compliance. Material changes include, but are not limited to, changes in: firm management; compliance staff; policies and procedures; business structure; size; products and services; and, regulatory or legal action.
Revocation: You understand that Integrity has sole discretion to review or revoke your Accreditation at any time during the Accreditation Period. Integrity will notify you in writing of our intent to revoke and will allow you 14 business days to respond to our concerns. If Integrity still intends to revoke, Integrity will notify you in writing of its revocation and the date on which it is effective (“Revocation Effective Date”). Upon the Revocation Effective Date, you agree to stop use of Integrity’s Accreditation Seal; you agree to remove all Integrity Accreditation Seals from your marketing materials and you will no longer use, distribute or display Integrity’s Accreditation Seal. You agree to pay Integrity $100 per calendar day during which you use Integrity’s Accreditation Seal past the Revocation Effective Date. You understand that Integrity has the discretion to refuse to re-evaluate you for accreditation in the future.
Confidentiality: Information received from you in the Accreditation Process will be kept confidential unless it is already in the public domain or disclosure is required by law or in a good faith belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with legal process, including but not limited to: regulatory, civil and criminal subpoenas, court orders, or other compulsory disclosures. You can waive this confidentiality provision through an email instruction to Integrity that allows Integrity to verbally discuss information received from you in the Accreditation Process to persons of your choosing, such as current or prospective clients.
You understand that Integrity can disclose the fact that you are accredited, the date on which you achieved accreditation, and the assessments Integrity used to determine accreditation. You agree that Integrity can disclose a description of your research and your research process including a description of the level of risk associated with your research process. You also understand that Integrity will not disclose the fact that you are participating in the Accreditation Process and will not disclose if you fail to achieve accreditation.
Restrictions: You understand that all proprietary rights in and to Accreditations, the Accreditation Process and assessments used to determine Accreditation (such as best practices and risk assignment), shall remain the property of Integrity.
INTEGRITY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE AS TO THE ACCREDITATION. INTEGRITY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, OR COMPLETENESS OF THE ACCREDITATION OR ANY COMPONENT THEREOF. IN NO EVENT SHALL INTEGRITY BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES. This disclaimer shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
You agree that this Agreement shall be binding upon your respective successors and permitted assigns. You also agree that this Agreement shall be deemed to be subject to, and shall be construed in accordance with, the laws of New York. If a dispute arises under this Agreement, you agree to address your grievances through mediation or arbitration.
Integrity Research Compliance Accreditations is a service mark of Integrity Research Associates LLC.