HOW TO SERVE LEGAL PAPERS ON ROBINHOOD MARKET INC

This article will provide guidance on How To Serve legal papers in Robinhood Market Inc.  Robinhood Markets, Inc. is a financial services business based in Menlo Park, California. It is best known for pioneering commission-free stock and exchange-traded fund trading through a smartphone app launched in March 2015. Robinhood Markets launched an app that trades stocks and exchange-traded funds without fees, drawing attention to pioneering such activity. Regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), Robinhood is a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.  Revenue is generated by three primary sources: [A.] interest earned on customer deposits,  [B.] the information sold to high-frequency traders (which prompted an SEC investigation in September of 2020), and [C.] lending with borrowed money. Currently, Robinhood has more than thirty million customers. Click Here for Frequently Asked Questions About Process Servers!

How Process Service Works

BACKGROUND ON ROBINHOOD MARKET INC.

In April 2013, Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt developed a high-frequency trading platform for financial institutions in New York City. From there, they launched Robinhood in June of the same year.   Their business name stems from their goal to let “everyone in the financial markets,” not just the affluent, and to provide general access to these services. Tenev said that completing a transaction was cost-effective, costing brokerages fractions of a cent each trade, but they demanded account minimums of USD 500 to USD 5,000. Click here for information on How To Identify A Good Process Service Agency

LA Hacks was the first time the company publicly unveiled its software. It was initially released on the App Store in December 2014; then, it was made public at LA Hacks in March 2015. Among dealers who have made a transaction, 90% use the app regularly. Click here for information on How Rush Process Service Can Expedite Your Case.

In November 2019, Robinhood (a platform that provides investment services) announced its entry into the United Kingdom.  During the market collapse in 2020, trading at Robinhood became more popular. The subsequent market rise was partially attributed to Robinhood traders, but a study indicated that Robinhood traders had a small daily impact on major shares. Click here for information on How Service of Process Ensures A Solid Foundation.

Robinhood, a peer-to-peer trading app, announced in May 2020 that it had raised USD 280 million in venture funding. As of the close of business on June 30, 2021, Robinhood received a USD 57 million fine from FINRA and has been forced to pay USD 13 million in restitution to impacted customers. This was FINRA’s largest-ever sanction up to that point.  HOOD (the stock ticker for Hood) became publicly traded on the Nasdaq on July 29, 2021. Click here for information on How Process Servers Protect Your Rights: Myths Debunked

WHAT DOES ROBINHOOD MARKET DO

Commission-free trading of equities and exchange-traded funds were the initial products that Robinhood started with. Prior to the implementation of quick deposits in February 2016, customers waited three days for the money to be deposited into their Robinhood accounts via ACH transfers. In September 2016, they introduced the premium Robinhood Gold membership, which provides fast deposits up to USD 50,000, leverage trading, and access to advanced market data.  Free stocks were offered to new members in August 2017 in return for recommending new users.   

Stocks and ETFs listed on the Nasdaq and NYSE are the only ones Robinhood allows trading on their platform. Additionally, over-the-counter securities (i.e., those traded on OTC Markets) are not supported by the platform. Robinhood added American depositary receipts (ADRs) support in August 2018, bringing some of the most sought-after foreign equities to the service.

Facing stiff competition from the various discount brokerages, E-Trade, TD Ameritrade, and Charles Schwab announced in October 2019 that they were removing trading fees. It was said that competition with Robinhood was the cause of the shortage. For the first time, customers now had the option to purchase fractional shares, and dividend reinvestment was introduced in December 2019. Automatic recurring investments were established in May 2020, and they started again in May of the following year. The opportunity to buy IPO shares was made available in May of 2021.

2021 SHORT SQUEEZE

On January 28th, 2021, Robinhood and other retail brokers suspended trading in specific stocks in response to an attempt by members of the r/wallstreetbets subreddit to inflate their prices artificially. Robinhood imposed trading restrictions on these stocks to comply with collateral rules at its clearinghouse, the National Securities Clearing Corporation. This decision drew criticism from online users and lawmakers on the subreddit and on Twitter.  On February 18, 2021, the House Committee on Financial Services questioned Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev at a hearing.

As a result of the incident, the app received an avalanche of one-star ratings on Google Play. At least a hundred thousand of these evaluations were removed by Google, which described them as “coordinated or inorganic.” However, after another wave of bad reviews that reduced the app’s rating to 1.1 stars, Google verified that the fresh reviews do not violate Google’s rules and would not be deleted. Protesters also demonstrated outside Robinhood’s Menlo Park, California, headquarters, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Washington, D.C., offices, and the New York Stock Exchange. 

On January 28th, a class-action complaint against Robinhood was filed in the Southern District of New York alleging market manipulation. The complaint claims that the app “purposefully, deliberately, and knowingly removed the stock ‘GME’ from its trading platform during an extraordinary stock increase, robbed retail investors of the opportunity to participate in the open market, and engaged in open-market manipulation.”  Later that day, the firm stated that on January 29th, it would resume limited stock purchases. 

SUBSIDIARIES OF ROBINHOOD MARKET INC

The Robinhood & Associates Group Inc registered with the New York Department of State on 19th May 2020. The entity is headquartered in New York comes under the ambit of a domestic corporation and will have Process Service levied upon it. It must be noted that the entity is a domestic not-for-profit entity that has been recorded for charitable processes.  The United States Department of State is under an obligation to send the documents that it has received to the entity. If required, the Department of State may receive Process Service on behalf of the organization, although it retains The Corporation as the registered agent for service.

Section 402 of the Not-for-Profit Company Law establishes a Not-for-Profit corporation for purposes of Process Service. The law governing  Not-for-Profit Corporations Section 201 (Purposes) contains a list of development purposes for the formation of a not-for-profit organization. Unlike a commercial company, the Certificate of Incorporation must specify the particular objectives for which the corporation is being established. The nature of the corporation’s operations dictates the “TYPE” of a corporation that must be filed. A charitable not-for-profit corporation’s Process Service objective would be [A.] charitable, [B.] religious, [C.] educational, or [D.] scientific.

A broad charity purpose or a particular charitable purpose may be used to qualify the entity for Process Service. This would mean that the company is established for any purpose permitted under the Not for not-for-profit corporation Law as a charitable corporation.

Robinhood Crypto, LLC is a foreign limited liability company that filed for incorporation in New York on 11th  June 2018. It may thus accept New York City Process Service, although its main Process Service jurisdiction comes under that of California. Robinhood Crypto, LLC retains the Incorporating Services Ltd. as a registered agent for Process Service to address matters of New York City Process Service. If one has a Robinhood Immediate account, one may usually get instant access to money up to USD 1,000 for bitcoin trading. Suppose the user has a Robinhood Gold account. In that case, they usually have immediate access to the money up to the amount of the Gold tier, and any extra amounts will be deposited into your account following regular settlement periods.

Users should be aware that Robinhood Crypto has the right to restrict access to immediate deposits at any moment. The entity can notify impacted customers if and when there are changes to the availability of quick deposits.

Section 802 of the Limited Liability Company Law requires that within 120 days after the filing of the application for authority, a foreign limited liability company (LLC) must publish in newspapers a copy of the application for authority or a Process Service notice containing the substance of the application for authority to complete adequate Process Service. Before conducting business in this state, a foreign limited liability company must apply for authorization to do so by submitting to the Department of State [A.] a certificate of existence or, if no such certificate is issued by the jurisdiction of formation, a certified copy of the limited liability company’s articles of organization or a  certified copy of the certificate filed as to its organizational basis and all amendments and [B.] an application for authority as a foreign limited liability company entitled “Application for the authority of․․․ (name of foreign limited liability company)

Robinhood Freedom Properties, LLC is a foreign limited liability company that filed for incorporation in New York on February 11, 2021. The entity’s main jurisdiction comes under that of New York. However, Robinhood Freedom Properties, LLC retains Jeremy Freedom Bennett as a registered agent for Process Service in order to address matters of Process Service. 

Robinhood Markets Inc. is a financial technology (fintech) firm that offers a commission-free online discount brokerage.  It offers a financial services platform accessible through the web and mobile devices that enables users to invest in and trade equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, and American depositary receipts (ADRs). Additionally, it enables users to invest in certain The business earns money through charging for order flow, charging premium membership fees, lending shares, charging interest on unspent funds, charging interchange fees on its debit card, and generating other minor income sources.

Robinhood LLC is a foreign limited liability company that filed for incorporation in New York on July 11th, 2018. The entity’s main jurisdiction for Process Service comes under that of New York. Unlike most Robinhood entities, Robinhood LLC does not retain a registered agent for Process Service to address matters of Process Service. 

Robinhood Logistics Inc registered with the New York Department of State on 20th November 2020. The entity is based in New York and thus is subject to Process Service. Also, it should be emphasized that the entity is a domestic corporation that comes under Business Corporation Law for purposes of Process Service. Since the State Department has received papers, it must make sure the documents are sent to the appropriate organization. The entity does not have a registered agent for Process Service. The Department of State may provide Process Services on behalf of the organization as needed to the address on record.

The Robinhood Points Inc registered with the New York Department of State on 2nd July 2021. The entity is based in New York’s Kings County and thus is subject to Process Service. Also, it should be emphasized that the entity is a domestic corporation that comes under Business Corporation Law for Process Service. Since the State Department has received papers, it must make sure the documents are sent to the appropriate organization. The entity retains Zalman Chen as the registered agent, and the Department of State may provide Process Services on behalf of the organization as needed to the address on record. 

First and foremost, the company’s Certificate of Incorporation must include the signature and name, and address of each of the company’s incorporators. Once the entity has made sure its incorporation has all the required information, it will need to be submitted to its state.

The Certificate of Incorporation includes the name of the company for purposes of Process Service. The Certificate needs to detail the reasons for forming the company. In most cases, the entity can simply state that its company’s purpose is to engage in legal business activities. However, they must also make clear that the entity’s business will not take part in any activity that requires approval from a state agency, department, or official unless they have already received approval. If the entity states the purpose correctly, it should be able to perform business legally.

It is also necessary to list the county where the company will be physically located for Process Service to be levied. The Certificate of Incorporation should describe the aggregate shares that will be issued by the company. When the entity is using a single class of shares, it must state its par value or include a statement that they have no par value. If it decides to issue multiple classes of shares, it will also need to indicate which shares in which class is with or without par value.

Companies that decide to divide their shares into classes will need to list: [A.] the relative rights provided by the shares, [B.] share preferences, [C.] limitations of shares

Robinhood Securities, LLC  is a broker-dealer regulated by the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission and incorporated in the state of Delaware.  The entity filed for incorporation on 9th February 2021. However, the business address for the entity’s Process Service is located in Florida.  

Robinhood Financial and Robinhood Securities have entered into a clearing agreement under which Robinhood Financial will present user accounts to Robinhood Securities, and Robinhood Securities will clear all transactions on a fully transparent basis.  The users are required to acknowledge that Robinhood Securities holds their Account and is responsible for transaction clearing and accounting but is not liable for Robinhood Financial’s behavior. They must also agree that until they provide written notice to the contrary, Robinhood Securities may accept from Robinhood Financial, without inquiry or investigation, [A.] orders for the purchase or sale of securities for their Account, [B.] any other instructions concerning your Account or any securities or other assets in the Account, or [C.]  any other instructions concerning the Account or any securities or other assets.

Robinhood Securities will refer any such orders or instructions to Robinhood Financial, provided, however, that Robinhood Securities will deliver confirmations, statements, and all other written or other notices relating to an Account directly to them, with copies to or made available to Robinhood Financial, and that of Robinhood Securities. 

Robinhood Financial LLC operates as an institutional brokerage company. The Company provides online and mobile application-based discount stock brokerage solutions that allow users to invest in publicly traded companies and exchange-traded funds. Robinhood Financial serves clients worldwide. Robinhood earns transaction-based income by sending customers’ orders for options, stocks, and cryptocurrencies to market makers, a practice known as payment for order flow (PFOF). 

Brokerage companies that use PFOF are paid a modest fee for steering orders to a certain market maker. Although the payment is often just a fraction of a cent per share, it may represent a substantial source of income for businesses that process a high volume of orders. PFOF is one of the primary reasons Robinhood can provide zero-commission trading. In Q1 FY 2021, Robinhood’s transaction-based revenue increased 339.6 percent to $420.4 million, accounting for more than 80 percent of total revenue.

Robinhood Financial does not currently support sending traditional market buy orders. Robinhood Financial collars all market buy orders (other than dollar-based buy orders executed during market hours) by using limit orders priced up to 5% above the last trade price. This is not the case for market sell orders. When a user sends a market buy order through Robinhood Financials’ trading system, the trading system generates a limit order up to 5% above the last trade price. Then Robinhood Financial sends the order to an executing broker. They understand that Robinhood Financial’s implementation of market buy orders may vary depending on the prices of instruments, market conditions, and other factors.

Although established in Delaware, the entity has its main office set up in Menlo Park, California, for Process Service.  It is a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Robinhood Markets Inc. 

After making the announcement in February 2018 that it would be relocating its offices from Palo Alto to the old home of Sunset magazine in Menlo Park, the business started in March that it had signed a deal to occupy the building and relocate by the end of 2018.  Bloomberg and other sources released rumors in May of 2019 that said Robinhood was pursuing a USD 200 million to USD 300 million investment, which could value the business at anywhere from USD 7 billion to USD 10 billion.

DOMESTIC COVERAGE AREAS:

Alaska | Alabama | Arkansas | Arizona | California | Colorado | Connecticut | District of Columbia | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Iowa | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Maine | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | North Carolina | North Dakota | Nebraska | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | Nevada | New York | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Virginia | Vermont | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming

INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE AREAS:

Albania | Andorra | Anguilla | Antigua | Argentina | Armenia | Australia | Austria | Azerbaijan | Bahamas | Barbados | Belarus | Belgium | Belize | Bermuda | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Botswana | Brazil | British Honduras | British Virgin Islands | Bulgaria | Canada | Cayman Islands | Central and Southern Line Islands | Chile|China (Macao) | China People’s Republic | Colombia | Costa Rica | Country of Georgia | Croatia | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark | Dominican Republic | Ecuador | Egypt | Estonia | Falkland Islands and Dependences | Fiji | Finland | France | Germany | Gibraltar | Gilbert and Ellice Islands | Greece | Guernsey | Hong Kong | Hungary | Iceland | India | Ireland | Isle of Man | Israel | Italy | Jamaica | Japan | Jersey Channel Islands | Jordan | Kazakhstan | Korea | Kuwait | Latvia | Lithuania | Luxembourg| Malawi | Malaysia | Malta | Mauritius | Mexico| MonacoMontenegro | Montserrat | Morocco | Namibia | Netherlands | New Zealand|Nicaragua | Norway | Pakistan | Panama | Paraguay | Peru | Philippines | Pitcairn |Poland| Portugal | Republic of Moldova | Republic of North Macedonia | Romania |Russian Federation | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | San Marino | Saudi Arabia | Serbia | Seychelles | Singapore| Slovakia | Slovenia | South Africa | Spain | Sri Lanka | St. Helena and Dependencies | St. Lucia | Sweden | Switzerland | Taiwan | Thailand | Tunisia | Turkey | Turks and Caicos Islands| UkraineUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Uruguay | US Virgin Islands | Uzbekistan | Venezuela | Vietnam

OFFICE LOCATIONS

New York: (212) 203-8001 – 590 Madison Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, New York 10022
Brooklyn: (347) 983-5436 – 300 Cadman Plaza West, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, New York 11201
Queens: (646) 357-3005 – 118-35 Queens Blvd, Suite 400, Forest Hills, New York 11375
Long Island: (516) 208-4577 – 626 RXR Plaza, 6th Floor, Uniondale, New York 11556
Westchester: (914) 414-0877 – 50 Main Street, 10th Floor, White Plains, New York 10606
Connecticut: (203) 489-2940 – 500 West Putnam Avenue, Suite 400, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
New Jersey: (201) 630-0114 – 101 Hudson Street, 21 Floor, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
Washington DC: (202) 655-4450 – 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 300, Washington DC 20004

Pick up the phone and call Toll-Free (800) 774-6922 or click the service you want to purchase. Our dedicated team of professionals is ready to assist you. We can handle all your process service needs; no job is too small or too large!

Contact us for more information about our process-serving agency. We are ready to provide service of process to all our clients globally from our offices in New York, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives”

Sources

1. Newsroom, UCLA. “UCLA’s Virtual HACKATHON Draws More than 1,000 Students to Develop Tech for L.A.” UCLA, UCLA, 31 Mar. 2020, newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/uclas-virtual-hackathon-draws-more-than-1-000-students-to-develop-tech-for-l-a. 

2. More than half of the firm’s clients were found in the “millennial” demographic, and the average age of those consumers was 26 as of January 2015.

3. Sequoia Capital and other investors led the funding round, and the company announced an additional $200 million Series G funding round on August 17, three months later

4. “Media Center.” FINRA Orders Record Financial Penalties Against Robinhood Financial LLC | FINRA.org, 30 June 2021, www.finra.org/media-center/newsreleases/2021/finra-orders-record-financial-penalties-against-Robinhood-financial. 

5. It should be noted, however, that Charles Schwab of the Charles Schwab Corporation said that the brokerage had intended to ultimately abolish trading fees because it had traditionally been a bargain broker

6. Stewart, Emily. “The GameStop Stock FRENZY, EXPLAINED.” Vox, Vox, 25 Jan. 2021, www.vox.com/the-goods/22249458/gamestop-stock-wallstreetbets-reddit-citron.

7. “Lawsuit Seeking Class-Action Status against Robinhood.” The Washington Post, WP Company, www.washingtonpost.com/context/class-action-complaint-against-robinhood/136d6d03-009f-4461-bd35-5e7cf8c3da09/. 

8. Ashwell, Ben, et al. “Redditors File Class Action Lawsuit against Robinhood FOLLOWING Halt to Trading.” IR Magazine, 29 Jan. 2021, www.irmagazine.com/technology-social-media/redditors-file-class-action-lawsuit-against-robinhood-following-halt-trading.

9. Beltran, Luisa. “Robinhood Is Going Public next WEEK. It Is Seeking a $35 Billion Valuation.” When Does Robinhood Go Public? The Latest News on Its IPO. | Barron’s, Barrons, 19 July 2021, www.barrons.com/articles/robinhood-ipo-51626693536. 

10. THE CORPORATION

Address:100 CHURCH STREET STE 832, NEW YORK, NY, United States, 10007

11. 85 WILLOW ROAD
MENLO PARK, CA 94025

12. INCORPORATING SERVICES, LTD.

Address: ONE COMMERCE PLAZA, 99 WASHINGTON AVE SUITE 805A, ALBANY, NY, United States, 12210

13. The office address is 41 Belden Avenue, Sodus, NEW YORK 14551.

14. JEREMY FREEDOM BENNETT

Address:41 BELDEN AVENUE, SODUS, NY, 14551

15. The office address is 41 Belden Avenue, Sodus, NEW YORK 14551.

16. ROBINHOOD LLC

Address:1 HIDDEN POND, GLEN HEAD, NY, United States, 11545

17. ROBINHOOD LOGISTICS, INC.

Address:211 IRVING AVE, STE C, PORT CHESTER, NY, United States, 10573

18. Zalman Chen

Address:446 Kingston Avenue, A12, Brooklyn, NY, United States, 11225

19. 321-541-9434

20. 500 COLONIAL CENTER PARKWAY
SUITE 100
LAKE MARY
FL
32746

21. “Press Release.” SEC Emblem, 17 Dec. 2020, www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2020-321.

22. 85 WILLOW ROAD

MENLO PARK, CA 94025 USA

BLOG DISCLAIMER

The information contained herein has been prepared in compliance with Section 107 of the Copyright Act. Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works. The articles/Images contained herein serve as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, educational, and research-as examples of activities that qualify as fair use. Undisputed Legal Inc. is a Process Service Agency and “Not A Law Firm” therefore the articles/images contained herein are for educational purposes only, and not intended as legal advice.