Order: In the Matter of Paul Azeff et al.
IN THE MATTER OF THE SECURITIES ACT,
R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5 AS AMENDED
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IN THE MATTER OF PAUL AZEFF, KORIN BOBROW,
MITCHELL FINKELSTEIN, HOWARD JEFFREY MILLER AND
MAN KIN CHENG (a.k.a. FRANCIS CHENG)
ORDER
WHEREAS on September 22, 2010, the Ontario Securities Commission (“Commission”) issued a Notice of Hearing, pursuant to ss. 127 and 127.1 of the Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5 (the “Securities Act”), accompanied by a Statement of Allegations with respect to the Respondents Howard Jeffrey Miller and Man Kin Cheng for a hearing to commence on October 18, 2010;
AND WHEREAS the Respondents were served with the Notice of Hearing and Statement of Allegations dated September 22, 2010 on September 22, 2010;
AND WHEREAS at a hearing on October 18, 2010, counsel for Staff, counsel for the Respondent Man Kin Cheng, and Howard Jeffrey Miller, appearing on his own behalf, consented to the scheduling of a confidential pre-hearing conference on January 11, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.;
AND WHEREAS on November 11, 2010, the Commission issued a Notice of Hearing, pursuant to ss. 127 and 127.1 of the Securities Act, accompanied by an Amended Statement of Allegations which added the Respondents Paul Azeff, Korin Bobrow and Mitchell Finkelstein, for a hearing to commence on January 11, 2011;
AND WHEREAS the Respondents were served with the Notice of Hearing and Amended Statement of Allegations dated November 11, 2010 on November 11, 2010;
AND WHEREAS following a hearing on January 11, 2011, counsel for Staff, counsel for the Respondents Paul Azeff, Korin Bobrow, Mitchell Finkelstein and Man Kin Cheng, and Howard Jeffrey Miller, appearing on his own behalf, attended a confidential pre-hearing conference;
AND WHEREAS at the confidential pre-hearing conference on January 11, 2011 all parties made submissions regarding the disclosure made by Staff and it was ordered by the Commission, on the consent of all parties, that Staff and the Respondents would exchange written proposals concerning outstanding disclosure issues and that a motion date would be set for February 22, 2011 regarding disclosure issues, if necessary;
AND WHEREAS at the request of the Respondents, and on the consent of Staff, it was agreed that the February 22, 2011 motion date would be adjourned to April 8, 2011;
AND WHEREAS a disclosure motion was held on April 8, 2011 and, after submissions by the parties, the Panel issued a Confidentiality Order and Adjournment Order dated April 8, 2011, adjourning the Respondents’ disclosure motion and the hearing in this matter to a pre-hearing conference, the date of which was to be agreed to by the parties and provided to the Secretary’s Office;
AND WHEREAS the Panel issued an amended Confidentiality Order and Adjournment Order dated April 19, 2011 scheduling, on consent of all parties, a confidential pre-hearing conference on June 2, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.;
AND WHEREAS all parties consent to an adjournment of the confidential pre-hearing conference from June 2, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. to August 17, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. to allow Staff to provide the Respondents with further disclosure in this matter;
AND WHEREAS the Commission is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to make this order;
IT IS ORDERED, on consent of all parties, that a confidential pre-hearing conference shall take place on August 17, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.
DATED at Toronto this 1st day of June, 2011.
James D. Carnwath