StockShield, LLC has developed a Business Continuity Plan on how we will respond to events that significantly disrupt our business. Because the timing and impact of disasters and disruptions is unpredictable, we will have to be flexible in responding to actual events as they occur. With that in mind, we are providing you with the following information on our Business Continuity Plan.
If after a significant business disruption you cannot contact us as you usually do at 310.203.8844, you should visit our web site at www.stockshield.com. If you cannot access us through either of these means, you should contact the trustee of your Stock Protection Trust.
Significant business disruptions can vary in their scope, such as only our firm, a single building housing our firm, the business district where our firm is located, the city where we are located, the state where we are located, or the whole West Coast region. Within each of these, the severity of the disruption can also vary from minimal to severe. In a disruption to only our firm or a building housing our firm, we plan to transfer our operations to a local site when needed and expect to recover and resume business within 24 hours. In a disruption affecting our business district, city, state, or region, we plan to transfer our operations to a site outside of the affected area, and recover and resume business within 48 hours. In either situation, we plan to continue in business, transfer operations to outside parties if necessary, and notify you through our web site (www.stockshield.com) how to contact us.
We plan to quickly recover and resume operations after a significant business disruption and respond by safeguarding our employees and property, making a financial and operational assessment, and protecting our firm’s books and records. In short, our Business Continuity Plan is designed to permit our firm to resume operations as quickly as possible, given the scope and severity of the significant business disruption.
Our Business Continuity Plan addresses: alternate physical location of employees; data back-up and recovery (hard copy and electronic); financial and operational assessments; mission critical systems; alternative communications with clients, employees, and regulators; critical service providers; banking relationships; regulatory reporting; and assuring our clients prompt access to information relating to their Stock Protection Trust.
Our firm does not maintain custody of clients’ funds or securities. These funds are custodied at institutional trustees that also maintain Business Continuity Plans.
In addition, our firm backs up our important hard copy documents in a secure location. In the event that a significant business disruption causes both our primary and backup records to be inaccessible, we will go directly to the trustee of your Stock Protection Trust to obtain copies of client records.
If you have questions about our business continuity planning, please call us at 310.203.8844.