Unassociated Document
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  May 20, 2010
 
 
UNITED STATES NATURAL GAS FUND, LP
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
Delaware
001-33096
20-5576760
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
(Commission File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145
Alameda, California 94502
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
 
Registrant's telephone number, including area code        (510) 522-3336
 
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
 
 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
 
o    Written communication pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
 
o    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
 
o     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
 
o     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 

 
Item 8.01.  Other Events
 
UBS Securities LLC (“UBS Securities”) has provided USNG with updated disclosure relating to its litigation matters to replace the disclosure currently in the Prospectus, under the section entitled “Who are the Service Providers?” beginning with the fourth paragraph on page 58 and ending with the third paragraph on page 59. The updated disclosure is as follows:

UBS Securities’ principal business address is 677 Washington Blvd, Stamford, CT 06901.  UBS Securities is a futures clearing broker for USNG. UBS Securities is registered in the United States with FINRA as a Broker- Dealer and with the CFTC as a Futures Commission Merchant.  UBS Securities is a member of various US futures and securities exchanges.

Like most securities firms, UBS is and has been a defendant in numerous legal proceedings, including actions brought by regulatory organizations and government agencies, relating to its securities and commodities business that allege various violations of federal and state securities laws.  UBS AG, the ultimate parent company to UBS Securities LLC, files annual reports and quarterly reports to the SEC in which it discloses material information about UBS matters, including information about any material litigation or regulatory investigations.  Actions with respect to UBS Securities' futures commission merchant business are publicly available on the website of the National Futures Association (http://www.nfa.futures.org/).

On June 27, 2007, the Securities Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“Massachusetts Securities Division”) filed an administrative complaint (the “Complaint”) and notice of adjudicatory proceeding against UBS Securities LLC, captioned In The Matter of UBS Securities, LLC, Docket No. E-2007-0049, which alleged that UBS Securities violated the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act (the “Act”) and related regulations by providing the advisers for certain hedge funds with gifts and gratuities in the form of below market office rents, personal loans with below market interest rates, event tickets, and other perks, in order to induce those hedge fund advisers to increase or retain their level of prime brokerage fees paid to UBS Securities.  The Complaint seeks a cease and desist order from conduct that violates the Act and regulations, to censure UBS Securities, to require UBS Securities to pay an administrative fine of an unspecified amount, and to find as fact the allegations of the Complaint. The matter is still pending.

In the summer of 2008, the Massachusetts Securities Division, Texas State Securities Board, and the New York Attorney General all brought actions against UBS and UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS Financial”), alleging violations of various state law anti-fraud provisions in connection with the marketing and sale of auction rate securities.

On August 8, 2008, UBS Securities and UBS Financial reached agreements in principle with the SEC, the NYAG, the Massachusetts Securities Division and other state regulatory agencies represented by the North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”) to restore liquidity to all remaining client's holdings of auction rate securities by June 30, 2012.  On October 2, 2008, UBS Securities and UBS Financial entered into a final consent agreement with the Massachusetts Securities Division settling all allegations in the Massachusetts Securities Division's administrative proceeding against UBS Securities and UBS Financial with regards to the auction rate securities matter.  On December 11, 2008, UBS Securities and UBS Financial executed an Assurance of Discontinuance in the auction rate securities settlement with the NYAG. On the same day, UBS Securities and UBS Financial finalized settlements with the SEC. UBS paid penalties of $75M to NYAG and an additional $75M to be apportioned among the participating NASAA states.  In March 2010, UBS and NASAA agreed on final settlement terms, pursuant to which, UBS agreed to provide client liquidity up to an additional $200 million.

On August 14, 2008 the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation filed an administrative action against UBS Securities relating to a student loan issuer, the New Hampshire Higher Education Loan Corp. (“NHHELCO”).  The complaint alleges fraudulent and unethical conduct in violation of New Hampshire state statues.  On April 14, 2010, UBS entered into a Consent Order resolving all of the Bureau's claims. UBS paid $750,000 to the Bureau for all costs associated with the Bureau's investigation. UBS entered a separate civil settlement with NHHELCO and provided a total financial benefit of $20M to NHHELCO.


 
On April 29, 2010, the CFTC issued an order with respect to UBS Securities LLC and levied a fine of $200,000. The Order stated that on February 6, 2009, UBS Securities' employee broker aided and abetted UBS Securities' customer's concealment of material facts from NYMEX in violation of Section 9(a)(4) of the CEA, 7 U.S.C. § 13(a)(4) (2006).  Pursuant to NYMEX Rules, a block trade must be reported to NYMEX “within five minutes of the time of execution” consistent with the requirements of NYMEX Rule 6.21C(A)(6).  Although the block trade in question was executed earlier in the day, UBS Securities' employee broker aided and abetted its customer's concealment of facts when, in response to the customer's request to delay reporting the trade until after the close of trading, UBS Securities' employee did not report the trade until after the close.  Because the employee broker undertook his actions within the scope of his employment, pursuant to Section 2(a)(1)(B) of the CEA, 7 U.S.C. § 2(a)(1)(B) (2006), and Commission Regulation 1.2, 17 C.F.R. § 1.2 (2009), UBS Securities is liable for the employee broker's aiding and abetting of its customer's violation of Section 9(a)(4) of the CEA.  The fine has been paid and the matter is now closed.
 

 
SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
     
 
UNITED STATES NATURAL GAS FUND, LP
 
     
 
By:
United States Commodity Funds LLC, its general partner  
       
       
Date: May 20, 2010
By:
/s/ Howard Mah  
 
Name:
Howard Mah  
 
Title:
Chief Financial Officer