Court Dismisses Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Fidelity Investments

Posted on December 9th, 2024 at 11:14 AM
Court Dismisses Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Fidelity Investments

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

A federal court has dismissed a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former financial advisor against Fidelity Investments. According to ThinkAdvisor, the case involves allegations that the company fired him for reporting unethical practices.

ThinkAdvisor reports that the court dismissed the case after a joint filing from both parties. Each side agreed to cover their legal fees and costs, concluding the legal dispute without further action. A Fidelity spokesperson confirmed that the parties had "resolved their differences."

Michael Maeker, a 24-year veteran at Fidelity, claimed in his lawsuit that the firm pressured advisors to move clients from low-fee investments into higher-fee-managed money products that benefited Fidelity. He filed the suit in May in the U.S. District Court in Dallas, alleging that those practices violated the SEC's Regulation Best Interest. Maeker also argued that Fidelity terminated his employment in December 2022 as retaliation for raising internal concerns about these actions.

Fidelity denied Maeker's allegations, asserting that his termination was due to "deceptive misconduct." According to Fidelity, Maeker sent financial planning reports to clients that were based on unverified information, putting clients at risk.

 

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Thank you for your professional assistance with this matter. You are very good at what you do.

John T.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

March 13, 2025
Congress Considers Expanding the Accredited Investor Definition

A recent congressional hearing examined potential reforms to the accredited investor definition, a critical threshold determining who can participate in private market investments.

March 12, 2025
GPB Capital Investors May Receive Some Compensation Under Proposed Distribution Plan

GPB Capital Holdings investors have not received returns on their investments since 2018. According to InvestmentNews, after years of litigation, a court-appointed receiver has submitted a plan to return funds to the 17,000 investors who purchased $1.8 billion in GPB limited partnerships.

March 11, 2025
Former CNBC Analyst Pleads Guilty to $2.7 Million Securities Fraud Scheme

James Arthur McDonald Jr., a former financial advisor and frequent CNBC guest analyst, has agreed to plead guilty to securities fraud, admitting to defrauding investors out of at least $2.7 million, as reported by ThinkAdvisor. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.