Morgan Stanley Agrees to Settle FINRA Charge of Failure to Supervise

Posted on August 24th, 2020 at 10:04 AM
Morgan Stanley Agrees to Settle FINRA Charge of Failure to Supervise

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management has reached an agreement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) to settle charges relating to alleged supervisory failures. According to FINRA, Morgan Stanley failed to supervise a broker who engaged in excessive trading. As part of the settlement, Morgan Stanley will pay $949,574 in fines and restitution.

According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (“AWC”) signed by Morgan Stanley, the firm received hundreds of alerts and concluded in a compliance review that the broker’s recommendations were costing his customers more money than they were making. FINRA Enforcement found that despite these red flags, Morgan Stanley only checked to see if the customers were satisfied and then allowed the trading pattern to continue. According to FINRA, the alerts received by Morgan Stanley warranted further action, but Morgan Stanley did not take “sufficient action.”

As part of the settlement, Morgan Stanley will pay a $175,000 fine and restitution of $774,574 to eight customers who lost money between January 2012 and December 2017. By signing the AWC, Morgan Stanley accepted and consented to the entry of FINRA’s findings, without admitting or denying those findings.

The attorneys of Eccleston Law LLC represent investors and advisors nationwide in securities and employment matters. The securities lawyers at Eccleston Law also practice a variety of other areas of practice for financial investors and advisors including Securities FraudCompliance ProtectionBreach of Fiduciary DutyFINRA Matters, and much more. Our attorneys draw on a combined experience of nearly 65 years in delivering the highest quality legal services. If you are in need of legal services, contact us to schedule a one-on-one consultation today.

Tags: morgan stanley, FINRA, settlement, eccleston law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I just received this letter from the CFP Board. Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!

David Y

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

March 19, 2025
FINRA Enforcement Actions in 2024: Fines Drop But Cases Increase

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) imposed $59 million in fines in 2024, reflecting a 35 percent decrease from the previous year, according to an analysis by Eversheds Sutherland.

March 18, 2025
Advisor Ordered to Pay $17.7 Million Over unsuitable REIT Sales

A FINRA arbitration panel has ordered former advisor Mark Sam Kolta to pay nearly $17.7 million in damages, plus interest and costs, to his former firm, National Securities, following allegations of breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

March 17, 2025
FINRA Disciplinary Actions Rise for the First Time Since 2016

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) increased its enforcement actions in 2024, marking the first rise in disciplinary cases since 2016, as reported by AdvisorHub.