82_FR_44420 82 FR 44238 - Before the Securities and Exchange Commission; Securities Exchange Act of 1934; In the Matter of the Options Clearing Corporation; Corrected Order Denying Motion for Stay

82 FR 44238 - Before the Securities and Exchange Commission; Securities Exchange Act of 1934; In the Matter of the Options Clearing Corporation; Corrected Order Denying Motion for Stay

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 182 (September 21, 2017)

Page Range44238-44239
FR Document2017-20080

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 182 (Thursday, September 21, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 182 (Thursday, September 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44238-44239]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20080]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[File No. SR-OCC-2015-02; Release No. 81628]


Before the Securities and Exchange Commission; Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934; In the Matter of the Options Clearing 
Corporation; Corrected Order Denying Motion for Stay

September 14, 2017.
    On February 11, 2016, the Commission issued an order (``Approval 
Order'') approving the Options Clearing Corporation's (``OCC'') plan 
for raising additional capital (``Capital Plan'' or ``Plan'') to 
support its function as a systemically important financial market 
utility.\1\ BOX Options Exchange LLC, KCG Holdings, Inc. (``KCG''), 
Miami International Securities Exchange, LLC, and Susquehanna 
International Group, LLP (collectively ``petitioners'') \2\ filed a 
petition for review of the Approval Order in the U.S. Court of Appeals 
for the District of Columbia Circuit (``D.C. Circuit''), challenging 
the Commission's Approval Order as inconsistent with the Exchange Act 
and lacking in the reasoned decisionmaking required by the 
Administrative Procedure Act.
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    \1\ Exchange Act Release No. 77112 (Feb. 11, 2016), File No. SR-
OCC-2015-02.
    \2\ BATS Global Markets, Inc. (``BATS'') was initially a 
petitioner, but later withdrew.
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    After filing their petition for review, petitioners filed a motion 
for a stay in the D.C. Circuit asking the court to stay the 
Commission's Approval Order pending the court's review. The D.C. 
Circuit denied petitioners' request for a stay.\3\
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    \3\ The petitioners had also opposed OCC's motion to lift the 
automatic stay in place pending the Commission's review of the 
Capital Plan. The Commission found, however, that it was ``in the 
public interest to the lift the stay during the pendency of the 
Commission's review.'' Exchange Act Release No. 75886 at 2 (Sept. 
10, 2015), File No. SR-OCC-2015-02. The Commission noted that it 
``believes that the concerns raised by Petitioners regarding 
potential monetary and competitive harm do not currently justify 
maintaining the stay during the pendency of the Commission's 
review.'' Id.
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    In ruling on the petition for review, the D.C. Circuit concluded 
that the Approval Order did not ``represent the kind of reasoned 
decisionmaking required by either the Exchange Act or the 
Administrative Procedure Act,'' and therefore remanded the case to the 
Commission for further proceedings.\4\ In so ruling, the court did not 
reach any of petitioners' arguments that the Plan was inconsistent with 
the substantive requirements of the Exchange Act, finding instead that 
the Commission's failure to make the required findings under the Act 
required a remand.\5\
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    \4\ Susquehanna Int'l Grp., LLP v. SEC, 866 F.3d 442, 443 (D.C. 
Cir. 2017).
    \5\ Id. at 446.
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    The court also considered whether to vacate the Approval Order 
prior to remand, and decided not to vacate. As the court explained, 
``the SEC may be able to approve the Plan once again, after conducting 
a proper analysis on remand.'' \6\ Because both parties had assured the 
court that it would be possible to unwind the Capital Plan at a later 
time, and ``no party contends that the task would be materially more 
difficult if done then rather than now,'' the court declined to vacate 
the Capital Plan and instead remanded the case ``to give the SEC an 
opportunity to properly evaluate the Plan.'' \7\ The D.C. Circuit's 
mandate, which issued on August 18, 2017, returned the matter to the 
Commission for further proceedings.\8\
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    \6\ Id. at 451.
    \7\ Id.
    \8\ By separate order of today's date, we are issuing a 
scheduling order governing the proceedings on remand.
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    Petitioners \9\ now seek a partial stay of the Capital Plan--
specifically, a stay of the dividend payments to be made to the 
shareholder exchanges under the Plan--while the Commission considers 
the Plan as directed by the D.C. Circuit. OCC opposes the motion.
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    \9\ Petitioner KCG has not joined the instant motion.
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    In determining whether to grant a stay motion, the Commission 
typically considers whether (i) there is a strong likelihood that the 
moving party will succeed on the merits of its appeal; (ii) the moving 
party will suffer irreparable harm without a stay; (iii) any person 
will suffer substantial harm as a result of a stay; and (iv) a stay is 
likely to serve

[[Page 44239]]

the public interest.\10\ The party seeking a stay has the burden of 
establishing that relief is warranted.\11\ These factors weigh against 
granting petitioners' stay request.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \10\ Bernerd E. Young, Exchange Act Release No. 78440, 2016 WL 
4060106, at *1 (July 29, 2016); see also Order Preliminarily 
Considering Whether to Issue Stay Sua Sponte and Establishing 
Guidelines for Seeking Stay Applications, Exchange Act Release No. 
33870, 1994 WL 17920, at *1 (Apr. 7, 1994).
    \11\ Young, Exchange Act Release No. 78440, 2016 WL 4060106, at 
*1.
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    First, with respect to likelihood of success on the merits, we note 
that the court did not address petitioners' arguments that the Plan was 
inconsistent with the Exchange Act. Rather, it remanded for the 
Commission to ``properly evaluate the Plan.'' \12\ By repeating their 
same arguments regarding consistency with the Act in support of a stay, 
petitioners are asking the Commission to opine on their likelihood of 
success before engaging in the further analysis directed by the court. 
We are not yet in a position to do so. Unlike the more typical 
situation in which the Commission addresses stay motions, here there is 
neither a full record nor a final decision on which to base such an 
analysis. Thus, we do not view this factor as weighing in favor of the 
partial stay request.
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    \12\ 866 F.3d at 451.
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    Second, petitioners fail to establish that they will be irreparably 
harmed in the absence of a stay. To demonstrate irreparable harm, 
petitioners ``must show an injury that is `both certain and great' and 
`actual and not theoretical.' '' \13\ ``A stay `will not be granted 
[based on] something merely feared as liable to occur at some 
indefinite time.' '' \14\ That ``an applicant may suffer financial 
detriment does not rise to the level of irreparable injury warranting 
issuance of a stay.'' \15\ Petitioners acknowledge that the monetary 
aspects of the Plan ``are readily reversible'' \16\ and that the court 
concluded that ``the task of unwinding the Plan would be no more 
difficult if done after remand rather than immediately.'' \17\ They 
nonetheless argue that ``[a] stay of the dividend is needed to prevent 
distortion of the competitive landscape from continuing to harm 
competition.'' \18\ But petitioners provide no evidence that 
competitors will be ``driven from the marketplace'' or that investors 
have ``lost liquidity,'' as petitioners claim.\19\ Thus, petitioners' 
argument--which presumes they are correct on the merits regarding the 
Plan's effect on competition--is too speculative at this stage to be 
the basis for relief. We also note that petitioners made these same 
arguments regarding competitive harm before the D.C. Circuit, yet the 
court did not stay or vacate the Plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ Kenny A. Akindemowo, Exchange Act Release No. 78352, 2016 
WL 3877888, at *2 (July 18, 2016) (quoting Donald L. Koch, Exchange 
Act Release No. 72443, 2014 WL 2800778, at *2 (June 20, 2014)); 
accord Wis. Gas Co. v. FERC, 758 F.2d 669, 674 (D.C. Cir. 1985).
    \14\ Akindemowo, 2016 WL 3877888, at *2 (quoting Koch, 2014 WL 
2800778, at *2); accord Wis. Gas Co., 758 F.2d at 674.
    \15\ Robert J. Prager, Exchange Act Release No. 50634, 2004 WL 
2480717, at *1 (Nov. 4, 2004); see also William Timpinaro, Exchange 
Act Release No. 29927, 1991 WL 288326, at *3 (Nov. 12, 1991) 
(recognizing that ``[m]ere injuries, however substantial, in terms 
of money, time, and energy necessarily expended in the absence of a 
stay, are not enough'' to constitute irreparable harm) (quoting Va. 
Petroleum Jobbers Ass'n v. FPC, 259 F.2d 921, 925 (D.C. Cir. 1958)).
    \16\ Mot. at 1.
    \17\ Mot. at 16.
    \18\ Id.
    \19\ Id. Petitioners cite the acquisition of BATS by CBOE 
Holdings, Inc.--which, we note, closed on February 28, 2017--in 
support of their argument, stating that there has been consolidation 
in the exchange marketplace while the Capital Plan has been in 
effect. But they supply no evidence of a causal relationship between 
that acquisition and the Capital Plan or the dividends at issue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, petitioners have not demonstrated that the balance of harm 
to others in the absence of a stay and the public interest favors a 
stay. Petitioners argue that ``a stay would injur[e] nobody,'' \20\ 
because they are asking only to stay the dividend component of the 
Plan. But even setting aside the impact on shareholder exchanges that 
are due the dividends under the Plan, petitioners' claim that the 
dividend component of the plan can be isolated is overly simplistic. 
Under the Plan, ``OCC would not be able to pay a refund on a particular 
date unless dividends were paid on the same date.'' \21\ A stay of the 
dividends to the shareholders would thus have the effect of also 
staying the payment of refunds to OCC's members.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ Mot. at 16.
    \21\ Exchange Act Release No. 74136 (Notice of Proposed Rule 
Change) at 15, File No. SR-OCC-2015-02.
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    Moreover, as discussed above, the court squarely considered whether 
to vacate the Plan or leave it in effect during the Commission's 
reconsideration, and decided to leave the Plan, including the 
provisions with respect to dividends, in place. Petitioners' request to 
stay that part of the Plan therefore, in fact, seeks a change in the 
status quo that we believe is unsupported at this time. Granting 
petitioners' request would require piecemeal suspension of portions of 
the Plan, while leaving others in place, despite at least the 
possibility of having to reinstitute those provisions at a later date 
if the Commission, after conducting the required analysis on remand, 
should determine to approve the Plan. Indeed, the court implicitly 
rejected this type of partial stay when petitioners proposed it in a 
pre-decision letter to the court \22\ and the court remanded without 
entering such a stay. We believe, as the court did, that the better 
course is to leave the status quo in place while we conduct a further 
review of the entirety of the Plan.
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    \22\ See Fed. R. App. P. 28(j) letter from petitioners, dated 
April 17, 2017 (asking the court ``at a minimum, to stay operation 
of the dividend component of the Plan during a remand'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Accordingly, we decline to impose the partial stay requested.
    For the reasons stated above, it is hereby:
    Ordered that movants' request for a partial stay of the Capital 
Plan while the Commission considers the Plan pursuant to the direction 
of the D.C. Circuit is Denied.

    By the Commission.

Brent J. Fields,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-20080 Filed 9-20-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                                    44238                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2017 / Notices

                                                    proposed rule change operative upon                     10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the                      In ruling on the petition for review,
                                                    filing.22                                               filing also will be available for                        the D.C. Circuit concluded that the
                                                       At any time within 60 days of the                    inspection and copying at the principal                  Approval Order did not ‘‘represent the
                                                    filing of the proposed rule change, the                 office of the Exchange. All comments                     kind of reasoned decisionmaking
                                                    Commission summarily may                                received will be posted without change;                  required by either the Exchange Act or
                                                    temporarily suspend such rule change if                 the Commission does not edit personal                    the Administrative Procedure Act,’’ and
                                                    it appears to the Commission that such                  identifying information from                             therefore remanded the case to the
                                                    action is: (i) Necessary or appropriate in              submissions. You should submit only                      Commission for further proceedings.4 In
                                                    the public interest; (ii) for the protection            information that you wish to make                        so ruling, the court did not reach any of
                                                    of investors; or (iii) otherwise in                     available publicly. All submissions                      petitioners’ arguments that the Plan was
                                                    furtherance of the purposes of the Act.                 should refer to File Number SR–GEMX–                     inconsistent with the substantive
                                                    If the Commission takes such action, the                2017–42 and should be submitted on or                    requirements of the Exchange Act,
                                                    Commission shall institute proceedings                  before October 12, 2017.                                 finding instead that the Commission’s
                                                    to determine whether the proposed rule                    For the Commission, by the Division of                 failure to make the required findings
                                                    should be approved or disapproved.                      Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated               under the Act required a remand.5
                                                    IV. Solicitation of Comments                            authority.23                                                The court also considered whether to
                                                                                                            Eduardo A. Aleman,                                       vacate the Approval Order prior to
                                                      Interested persons are invited to                     Assistant Secretary.                                     remand, and decided not to vacate. As
                                                    submit written data, views, and                                                                                  the court explained, ‘‘the SEC may be
                                                                                                            [FR Doc. 2017–20088 Filed 9–20–17; 8:45 am]
                                                    arguments concerning the foregoing,                                                                              able to approve the Plan once again,
                                                                                                            BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                                    including whether the proposed rule                                                                              after conducting a proper analysis on
                                                    change is consistent with the Act.                                                                               remand.’’ 6 Because both parties had
                                                    Comments may be submitted by any of                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                                  assured the court that it would be
                                                    the following methods:                                  COMMISSION                                               possible to unwind the Capital Plan at
                                                    Electronic Comments                                                                                              a later time, and ‘‘no party contends that
                                                                                                            [File No. SR–OCC–2015–02; Release No.                    the task would be materially more
                                                      • Use the Commission’s Internet                       81628]                                                   difficult if done then rather than now,’’
                                                    comment form (http://www.sec.gov/                                                                                the court declined to vacate the Capital
                                                    rules/sro.shtml); or                                    Before the Securities and Exchange
                                                                                                            Commission; Securities Exchange Act                      Plan and instead remanded the case ‘‘to
                                                      • Send an email to rule-comments@                                                                              give the SEC an opportunity to properly
                                                    sec.gov. Please include File Number SR–                 of 1934; In the Matter of the Options
                                                                                                            Clearing Corporation; Corrected Order                    evaluate the Plan.’’ 7 The D.C. Circuit’s
                                                    GEMX–2017–42 on the subject line.                                                                                mandate, which issued on August 18,
                                                                                                            Denying Motion for Stay
                                                    Paper Comments                                                                                                   2017, returned the matter to the
                                                                                                            September 14, 2017.                                      Commission for further proceedings.8
                                                      • Send paper comments in triplicate
                                                                                                               On February 11, 2016, the                                Petitioners 9 now seek a partial stay of
                                                    to Secretary, Securities and Exchange
                                                                                                            Commission issued an order (‘‘Approval                   the Capital Plan—specifically, a stay of
                                                    Commission, 100 F Street NE.,
                                                                                                            Order’’) approving the Options Clearing                  the dividend payments to be made to
                                                    Washington, DC 20549–1090.
                                                                                                            Corporation’s (‘‘OCC’’) plan for raising                 the shareholder exchanges under the
                                                    All submissions should refer to File                    additional capital (‘‘Capital Plan’’ or                  Plan—while the Commission considers
                                                    Number SR–GEMX–2017–42. This file                       ‘‘Plan’’) to support its function as a                   the Plan as directed by the D.C. Circuit.
                                                    number should be included on the                        systemically important financial market                  OCC opposes the motion.
                                                    subject line if email is used. To help the              utility.1 BOX Options Exchange LLC,                         In determining whether to grant a stay
                                                    Commission process and review your                      KCG Holdings, Inc. (‘‘KCG’’), Miami                      motion, the Commission typically
                                                    comments more efficiently, please use                   International Securities Exchange, LLC,                  considers whether (i) there is a strong
                                                    only one method. The Commission will                    and Susquehanna International Group,                     likelihood that the moving party will
                                                    post all comments on the Commission’s                   LLP (collectively ‘‘petitioners’’) 2 filed a             succeed on the merits of its appeal; (ii)
                                                    Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/                  petition for review of the Approval                      the moving party will suffer irreparable
                                                    rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the                         Order in the U.S. Court of Appeals for                   harm without a stay; (iii) any person
                                                    submission, all subsequent                              the District of Columbia Circuit (‘‘D.C.                 will suffer substantial harm as a result
                                                    amendments, all written statements                      Circuit’’), challenging the Commission’s                 of a stay; and (iv) a stay is likely to serve
                                                    with respect to the proposed rule                       Approval Order as inconsistent with the
                                                    change that are filed with the                          Exchange Act and lacking in the                          Commission’s review of the Capital Plan. The
                                                    Commission, and all written                             reasoned decisionmaking required by                      Commission found, however, that it was ‘‘in the
                                                    communications relating to the                          the Administrative Procedure Act.                        public interest to the lift the stay during the
                                                    proposed rule change between the                           After filing their petition for review,               pendency of the Commission’s review.’’ Exchange
                                                    Commission and any person, other than                                                                            Act Release No. 75886 at 2 (Sept. 10, 2015), File No.
                                                                                                            petitioners filed a motion for a stay in                 SR–OCC–2015–02. The Commission noted that it
                                                    those that may be withheld from the                     the D.C. Circuit asking the court to stay                ‘‘believes that the concerns raised by Petitioners
                                                    public in accordance with the                           the Commission’s Approval Order                          regarding potential monetary and competitive harm
                                                    provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be                     pending the court’s review. The D.C.                     do not currently justify maintaining the stay during
                                                    available for Web site viewing and                                                                               the pendency of the Commission’s review.’’ Id.
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                            Circuit denied petitioners’ request for a                   4 Susquehanna Int’l Grp., LLP v. SEC, 866 F.3d
                                                    printing in the Commission’s Public                     stay.3                                                   442, 443 (D.C. Cir. 2017).
                                                    Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,                                                                                   5 Id. at 446.
                                                    Washington, DC 20549, on official                         23 17   CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).                              6 Id. at 451.

                                                    business days between the hours of                        1 Exchange    Act Release No. 77112 (Feb. 11, 2016),      7 Id.

                                                                                                            File No. SR–OCC–2015–02.                                    8 By separate order of today’s date, we are issuing
                                                      22 For purposes only of waiving the 30-day              2 BATS Global Markets, Inc. (‘‘BATS’’) was             a scheduling order governing the proceedings on
                                                    operative delay, the Commission has considered the      initially a petitioner, but later withdrew.              remand.
                                                    proposed rule’s impact on efficiency, competition,        3 The petitioners had also opposed OCC’s motion           9 Petitioner KCG has not joined the instant

                                                    and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).            to lift the automatic stay in place pending the          motion.



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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2017 / Notices                                                         44239

                                                    the public interest.10 The party seeking                the Plan would be no more difficult if                   date if the Commission, after conducting
                                                    a stay has the burden of establishing                   done after remand rather than                            the required analysis on remand, should
                                                    that relief is warranted.11 These factors               immediately.’’ 17 They nonetheless                       determine to approve the Plan. Indeed,
                                                    weigh against granting petitioners’ stay                argue that ‘‘[a] stay of the dividend is                 the court implicitly rejected this type of
                                                    request.                                                needed to prevent distortion of the                      partial stay when petitioners proposed it
                                                       First, with respect to likelihood of                 competitive landscape from continuing                    in a pre-decision letter to the court 22
                                                    success on the merits, we note that the                 to harm competition.’’ 18 But petitioners                and the court remanded without
                                                    court did not address petitioners’                      provide no evidence that competitors                     entering such a stay. We believe, as the
                                                    arguments that the Plan was                             will be ‘‘driven from the marketplace’’                  court did, that the better course is to
                                                    inconsistent with the Exchange Act.                     or that investors have ‘‘lost liquidity,’’               leave the status quo in place while we
                                                    Rather, it remanded for the Commission                  as petitioners claim.19 Thus, petitioners’               conduct a further review of the entirety
                                                    to ‘‘properly evaluate the Plan.’’ 12 By                argument—which presumes they are                         of the Plan.
                                                    repeating their same arguments                          correct on the merits regarding the                        Accordingly, we decline to impose
                                                    regarding consistency with the Act in                   Plan’s effect on competition—is too                      the partial stay requested.
                                                    support of a stay, petitioners are asking               speculative at this stage to be the basis                  For the reasons stated above, it is
                                                    the Commission to opine on their                        for relief. We also note that petitioners                hereby:
                                                    likelihood of success before engaging in                made these same arguments regarding                        Ordered that movants’ request for a
                                                    the further analysis directed by the                    competitive harm before the D.C.                         partial stay of the Capital Plan while the
                                                    court. We are not yet in a position to do               Circuit, yet the court did not stay or                   Commission considers the Plan
                                                    so. Unlike the more typical situation in                vacate the Plan.                                         pursuant to the direction of the D.C.
                                                    which the Commission addresses stay                        Finally, petitioners have not                         Circuit is Denied.
                                                    motions, here there is neither a full                   demonstrated that the balance of harm
                                                                                                                                                                       By the Commission.
                                                    record nor a final decision on which to                 to others in the absence of a stay and the
                                                    base such an analysis. Thus, we do not                  public interest favors a stay. Petitioners               Brent J. Fields,
                                                    view this factor as weighing in favor of                argue that ‘‘a stay would injur[e]                       Secretary.
                                                    the partial stay request.                               nobody,’’ 20 because they are asking                     [FR Doc. 2017–20080 Filed 9–20–17; 8:45 am]
                                                       Second, petitioners fail to establish                only to stay the dividend component of                   BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                                    that they will be irreparably harmed in                 the Plan. But even setting aside the
                                                    the absence of a stay. To demonstrate                   impact on shareholder exchanges that
                                                    irreparable harm, petitioners ‘‘must                    are due the dividends under the Plan,                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                                    show an injury that is ‘both certain and                petitioners’ claim that the dividend                     COMMISSION
                                                    great’ and ‘actual and not                              component of the plan can be isolated
                                                                                                                                                                     [File No. SR–OCC–2015–02; Release No.
                                                    theoretical.’ ’’ 13 ‘‘A stay ‘will not be               is overly simplistic. Under the Plan,                    81629]
                                                    granted [based on] something merely                     ‘‘OCC would not be able to pay a refund
                                                    feared as liable to occur at some                       on a particular date unless dividends                    Before the Securities and Exchange
                                                    indefinite time.’ ’’ 14 That ‘‘an applicant             were paid on the same date.’’ 21 A stay                  Commission; Securities Exchange Act
                                                    may suffer financial detriment does not                 of the dividends to the shareholders                     of 1934; In the Matter of the The
                                                    rise to the level of irreparable injury                 would thus have the effect of also                       Options Clearing Corporation For an
                                                    warranting issuance of a stay.’’ 15                     staying the payment of refunds to OCC’s                  Order Granting the Approval of
                                                    Petitioners acknowledge that the                        members.                                                 Proposed Rule Change Concerning a
                                                    monetary aspects of the Plan ‘‘are                         Moreover, as discussed above, the                     Proposed Capital Plan for Raising
                                                    readily reversible’’ 16 and that the court              court squarely considered whether to                     Additional Capital That Would Support
                                                    concluded that ‘‘the task of unwinding                  vacate the Plan or leave it in effect                    the Options Clearing Corporation’s
                                                                                                            during the Commission’s                                  Function as a Systemically Important
                                                       10 Bernerd E. Young, Exchange Act Release No.
                                                                                                            reconsideration, and decided to leave                    Financial Market Utility; Corrected
                                                    78440, 2016 WL 4060106, at *1 (July 29, 2016); see      the Plan, including the provisions with
                                                    also Order Preliminarily Considering Whether to                                                                  Order Scheduling Filing of Statements
                                                    Issue Stay Sua Sponte and Establishing Guidelines       respect to dividends, in place.                          on Review
                                                    for Seeking Stay Applications, Exchange Act             Petitioners’ request to stay that part of
                                                    Release No. 33870, 1994 WL 17920, at *1 (Apr. 7,        the Plan therefore, in fact, seeks a                     September 14, 2017.
                                                    1994).                                                  change in the status quo that we believe                    On February 11, 2016, the
                                                       11 Young, Exchange Act Release No. 78440, 2016

                                                    WL 4060106, at *1.
                                                                                                            is unsupported at this time. Granting                    Commission issued an order (‘‘Approval
                                                       12 866 F.3d at 451.                                  petitioners’ request would require                       Order’’) approving the plan of the
                                                       13 Kenny A. Akindemowo, Exchange Act Release         piecemeal suspension of portions of the                  Options Clearing Corporation’s (‘‘OCC’’)
                                                    No. 78352, 2016 WL 3877888, at *2 (July 18, 2016)       Plan, while leaving others in place,                     for raising additional capital (the
                                                    (quoting Donald L. Koch, Exchange Act Release No.       despite at least the possibility of having               ‘‘Plan’’) to support its function as a
                                                    72443, 2014 WL 2800778, at *2 (June 20, 2014));
                                                    accord Wis. Gas Co. v. FERC, 758 F.2d 669, 674
                                                                                                            to reinstitute those provisions at a later               systemically important financial market
                                                    (D.C. Cir. 1985).                                                                                                utility.1 BOX Options Exchange LLC,
                                                       14 Akindemowo, 2016 WL 3877888, at *2 (quoting         17 Mot.   at 16.                                       KCG Holdings, Inc., Miami International
                                                                                                              18 Id.
                                                    Koch, 2014 WL 2800778, at *2); accord Wis. Gas                                                                   Securities Exchange, LLC, and
                                                    Co., 758 F.2d at 674.                                     19 Id. Petitioners cite the acquisition of BATS by
                                                                                                                                                                     Susquehanna International Group, LLP
                                                                                                            CBOE Holdings, Inc.—which, we note, closed on
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                       15 Robert J. Prager, Exchange Act Release No.

                                                    50634, 2004 WL 2480717, at *1 (Nov. 4, 2004); see       February 28, 2017—in support of their argument,          (collectively ‘‘petitioners’’) 2 filed a
                                                    also William Timpinaro, Exchange Act Release No.        stating that there has been consolidation in the
                                                    29927, 1991 WL 288326, at *3 (Nov. 12, 1991)            exchange marketplace while the Capital Plan has            22 See Fed. R. App. P. 28(j) letter from petitioners,

                                                    (recognizing that ‘‘[m]ere injuries, however            been in effect. But they supply no evidence of a         dated April 17, 2017 (asking the court ‘‘at a
                                                    substantial, in terms of money, time, and energy        causal relationship between that acquisition and the     minimum, to stay operation of the dividend
                                                    necessarily expended in the absence of a stay, are      Capital Plan or the dividends at issue.                  component of the Plan during a remand’’).
                                                    not enough’’ to constitute irreparable harm)              20 Mot. at 16.                                           1 Exchange Act Release No. 77112, File No. SR–

                                                    (quoting Va. Petroleum Jobbers Ass’n v. FPC, 259          21 Exchange Act Release No. 74136 (Notice of           OCC–2015–02.
                                                    F.2d 921, 925 (D.C. Cir. 1958)).                        Proposed Rule Change) at 15, File No. SR–OCC–              2 BATS Global Markets, Inc., was initially a
                                                       16 Mot. at 1.                                        2015–02.                                                 petitioner, but later withdrew.



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Document Created: 2018-10-24 14:35:04
Document Modified: 2018-10-24 14:35:04
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
FR Citation82 FR 44238 

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