551.611 Service of process.
551.614 Fees and expenses.
551.615 Statutory policy.
SUBCHAPTER VII
TRANSITION
551.703 Application of act to existing proceeding and existing rights and duties.
Ch. 551 Note
NOTE: Chapter 551 was repealed and recreated in its entirety effective 1-1-09 by
2007 Wis. Act 196. A conversion table showing the location of the content, or similar subject matter, of the prior statutes in the new chapter is located at the end of this chapter.
Ch. 551 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also
DFI-Sec, Wis. adm. code.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
551.101
551.101
Short title. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Wisconsin Uniform Securities Law."
551.101 History
History: 2007 a. 196.
551.101 Annotation
Regulating Wisconsin-based Businesses: The Wisconsin Uniform Securities Act. Fallone. Wis. Law. Oct. 2009.
551.102
551.102
Definitions. In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
551.102(1m)
(1m) "Administrator" means the administrator of the division of securities in the department of financial institutions.
551.102(2)
(2) "Agent" means an individual, other than a broker-dealer, who represents a broker-dealer in effecting or attempting to effect purchases or sales of securities or represents an issuer in effecting or attempting to effect purchases or sales of the issuer's securities. But a partner, officer, or director of a broker-dealer or issuer, or an individual having a similar status or performing similar functions, is an agent only if the individual otherwise comes within the term. The term does not include an individual excluded by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.
551.102(3)(a)
(a) A banking institution organized under the laws of the United States.
551.102(3)(c)
(c) Any other banking institution, whether incorporated or not, doing business under the laws of a state or of the United States, a substantial portion of the business of which consists of receiving deposits or exercising fiduciary powers similar to those permitted to be exercised by national banks under the authority of the Comptroller of the Currency pursuant to section 1 of Public Law 87-722 (
12 USC 92a), and which is supervised and examined by a state or federal agency having supervision over banks, and which is not operated for the purpose of evading this chapter.
551.102(3)(d)
(d) A receiver, conservator, or other liquidating agent of any institution or firm included in
par. (a),
(b), or
(c).
551.102(4)
(4) "Broker-dealer" means a person engaged in the business of effecting transactions in securities for the account of others or for the person's own account. The term does not include any of the following:
551.102(4)(c)
(c) A bank or savings institution if its activities as a broker-dealer are limited to those specified in sections 3 (a) (4) and 3 (a) (5) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (
15 USC 78c (a) (4) and (5)), or a bank that satisfies the conditions specified in section 3 (a) (4) (E) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (
15 USC Section 78c (a) (4)).
551.102(4)(e)
(e) A person excluded by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.
551.102(5)
(5) "Depository institution" means any of the following:
551.102(5)(b)
(b) A savings institution, trust company, credit union, or similar institution that is organized or chartered under the laws of a state or of the United States, authorized to receive deposits, and supervised and examined by an official or agency of a state or the United States if its deposits or share accounts are insured to the maximum amount authorized by statute by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, or a successor authorized by federal law. The term does not include any of the following:
551.102(5)(b)1.
1. An insurance company or other organization primarily engaged in the business of insurance.
551.102(5m)
(5m) "Division of securities" or "division" means the division of securities in the department of financial institutions.
551.102(6)
(6) "Federal covered investment adviser" means a person registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
551.102(7)
(7) "Federal covered security" means a security that is, or upon completion of a transaction will be, a covered security under section 18 (b) of the Securities Act of 1933 (
15 USC 77r (b)) or rules or regulations adopted pursuant to that provision.
551.102(8)
(8) "Filing" means the receipt under this chapter of a record by the administrator or a designee of the administrator.
551.102(9)
(9) "Fraud," "deceit," and "defraud" are not limited to common law deceit.
551.102(10)
(10) "Guaranteed" means guaranteed as to payment of all principal and all interest.
551.102(11)
(11) "Institutional investor" means any of the following, whether acting for itself or for others in a fiduciary capacity:
551.102(11)(a)
(a) A depository institution or international banking institution.
551.102(11)(d)
(d) An investment company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
551.102(11)(e)
(e) A broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
551.102(11)(f)
(f) An employee pension, profit-sharing, or benefit plan if the plan has total assets in excess of $10,000,000 or its investment decisions are made by a named fiduciary, as defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, that is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, an investment adviser registered or exempt from registration under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, an investment adviser registered under this chapter, a depository institution, or an insurance company.
551.102(11)(g)
(g) A plan established and maintained by a state, a political subdivision of a state, or an agency or instrumentality of a state or a political subdivision of a state for the benefit of its employees, if the plan has total assets in excess of $10,000,000 or its investment decisions are made by a duly designated public official or by a named fiduciary, as defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, that is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, an investment adviser registered or exempt from registration under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, an investment adviser registered under this chapter, a depository institution, or an insurance company. For purposes of this paragraph, "political subdivision of a state" does not include a school district.
551.102(11)(h)
(h) A trust, if it has total assets in excess of $10,000,000, its trustee is a depository institution, and its participants are exclusively plans of the types identified in
par. (f) or
(g), regardless of the size of their assets, except a trust that includes as participants self-directed individual retirement accounts or similar self-directed plans.
551.102(11)(i)
(i) An organization described in section
501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code (
26 USC 501 (c) (3)), corporation, Massachusetts trust or similar business trust, limited liability company, or partnership, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, with total assets in excess of $10,000,000.
551.102(11)(j)
(j) A small business investment company licensed by the Small Business Administration under section 301 (c) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (
15 USC 681 (c)) with total assets in excess of $10,000,000.
551.102(11)(k)
(k) A private business development company as defined in section 202 (a) (22) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (
15 USC 80b-2 (a) (22)) with total assets in excess of $10,000,000.
551.102(11)(L)
(L) A federal covered investment adviser acting for its own account.
551.102(11)(m)
(m) A qualified institutional buyer, as defined in Rule 144A (a) (1), other than Rule 144A (a) (1) (i) (H), adopted under the Securities Act of 1933 (
17 CFR 230.144A).
551.102(11)(n)
(n) A major U.S. institutional investor, as defined in Rule 15a-6 (b) (4) (i) adopted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (
17 CFR 240.15a-6).
551.102(11)(o)
(o) Any other person, other than an individual, of institutional character with total assets in excess of $10,000,000 not organized for the specific purpose of evading this chapter.
551.102(11)(p)
(p) Any other person specified by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.
551.102(12)
(12) "Insurance company" means a company organized as an insurance company whose primary business is writing insurance or reinsuring risks underwritten by insurance companies and which is subject to supervision by the insurance commissioner or a similar official or agency of a state.
551.102(13)
(13) "Insured" means insured as to payment of all principal and all interest.
551.102(14)
(14) "International banking institution" means an international financial institution of which the United States is a member and whose securities are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933.
551.102(15)
(15) "Investment adviser" means a person that, for compensation, engages in the business of advising others, either directly or through publications, writings, or electronic means, as to the value of securities or the advisability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities or that, for compensation and as a part of a regular business, issues or promulgates analyses or reports concerning securities. The term includes a financial planner or other person that, as an integral component of other financially related services, provides investment advice regarding securities to others for compensation as part of a business or that holds itself out as providing investment advice regarding securities to others for compensation. The term does not include any of the following:
551.102(15)(b)
(b) A lawyer, accountant, engineer, or teacher whose performance of investment advice is solely incidental to the practice of the person's profession.
551.102(15)(c)
(c) A broker-dealer or its agents whose performance of investment advice is solely incidental to the conduct of business as a broker-dealer and that does not receive special compensation for the investment advice.
551.102(15)(d)
(d) A publisher of a bona fide newspaper, news magazine, or business or financial publication of general and regular circulation.
551.102(15)(g)
(g) Any other person that is excluded by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 from the definition of investment adviser.
551.102(15)(h)
(h) Any other person excluded by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.
551.102(16)
(16) "Investment adviser representative" means an individual employed by or associated with an investment adviser or federal covered investment adviser and who makes any recommendations or otherwise gives investment advice regarding securities, manages accounts or portfolios of clients, determines which recommendation or advice regarding securities should be given, provides investment advice or holds herself or himself out as providing investment advice, receives compensation to solicit, offer, or negotiate for the sale of or for selling investment advice, or supervises employees who perform any of the foregoing. The term does not include any of the following:
551.102(16)(a)
(a) An individual who performs only clerical or ministerial acts.
551.102(16)(b)
(b) An individual who is an agent whose performance of investment advice is solely incidental to the individual acting as an agent and who does not receive special compensation for investment advisory services.
551.102(16)(c)
(c) An individual who is employed by or associated with a federal covered investment adviser, unless the individual has a "place of business" in this state, as that term is defined by rule adopted under section 203A of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (
15 USC 80b-3a), and, in addition to the place of business, any of the following apply to the individual:
551.102(16)(c)1.
1. The individual is an "investment adviser representative," as that term is defined by rule adopted under section 203A of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (
15 USC 80b-3a).
551.102(16)(c)2.
2. The individual is not a supervised person, as defined in section 202 (a) (25) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (
15 USC 80b-2 (a) (25)).
551.102(16)(d)
(d) An individual who is excluded by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.
551.102(17)
(17) "Issuer" means a person that issues or proposes to issue a security, subject to the following:
551.102(17)(a)
(a) The issuer of a voting trust certificate, collateral trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, or share in an investment company without a board of directors or individuals performing similar functions is the person performing the acts and assuming the duties of depositor or manager pursuant to the trust or other agreement or instrument under which the security is issued.
551.102(17)(b)
(b) The issuer of an equipment trust certificate or similar security serving the same purpose is the person by which the property is or will be used or to which the property or equipment is or will be leased or conditionally sold or that is otherwise contractually responsible for assuring payment of the certificate.
551.102(17)(c)
(c) The issuer of a fractional undivided interest in an oil, gas, or other mineral lease or in payments out of production under a lease, right, or royalty is the owner of an interest in the lease or in payments out of production under a lease, right, or royalty, whether whole or fractional, that creates fractional interests for the purpose of sale.
551.102(17)(d)
(d) With respect to a fractional or pool interest in a life settlement investment, "issuer" means every person who creates the fractional or pool interest for the purpose of offering or selling the interest.
551.102(17)(e)
(e) With respect to a life settlement investment that is not a fractional or pool interest, "issuer" means the provider, as defined in
s. 632.69 (1) (p), or the person who purchases or otherwise acquires the life settlement from a provider and then offers or sells life settlement investments except that, under this paragraph, "issuer" does not include a broker-dealer or agent registered under this chapter and does not include the owner of the insurance policy, certificate of insurance, or death benefit underlying the life settlement investment.
551.102(17m)
(17m) "Life settlement investment" means the entire interest or any fractional or pool interest in a life insurance policy or certificate of insurance or in the death benefit thereunder that is the subject of a life settlement, as defined in
s. 632.69 (1) (j), but does not include any of the following:
551.102(17m)(a)
(a) The assignment, transfer, sale, devise or bequest of a death benefit, life insurance policy, or certificate of insurance by the owner to a provider pursuant to
s. 632.69.
