The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been accused of violating defendants' rights in a recent ruling from a federal appeals court. The problem comes with the fact that an in-house judge was used in these cases. When the SEC performed court cases involving...
Break Away From The Pack
Financial Industry Dispute Resolution
Avoiding a poaching suit for your breakaway RIA
An increasing number of financial advisors are making the leap toward independence by leaving their firm or bank to hang their own shingle. When they do this, the success of their new venture often depends upon how many clients they are able to attract after they make...
It can be complex to start a case over trade secrets
If someone else has misappropriated trade secrets, it generally means that they have obtained or used them in an illegal manner. Perhaps they bribed someone to discover the secrets or they stole the information from a source they weren't supposed to have access to....
Navigating RIA compliance challenges
A compliance audit is a stressful event for a registered investment advisor (RIA.) Whether you have been in business for a while or have recently broken away from another firm, here are a few of the key compliance challenges you may face. Knowledge of problem areas...
What should you do after receiving a Rule 8210 information request?
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ensures that the broker-dealer industry operates fairly and honestly. This is done to protect investors against dishonest practices which may cause them to lose their hard-earned money. Therefore, if you receive...
What can you expect as part of a FINRA audit?
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a non-profit regulatory organization in which individuals in the financial industry take up membership. FINRA operates as requested with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and has the authority to...
Soft landing cushions broker’s fall after Morgan Stanley ouster
Last month, Morgan Stanley terminated a veteran Boca Raton broker with more than a billion dollars in client assets in his management portfolio. The broker began working for Smith Barney — Morgan Stanley’s predecessor — in 1989 and had spent his entire 31-year career...