Citigroup Announces its Departure from the Broker Protocol

Posted on January 11th, 2018 at 4:08 PM

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

Last month, Citigroup Global Markets (Citigroup) announced that it had pulled out of the Protocol for Broker Recruiting (“Protocol”). Citigroup’s announcement was the latest of the major firms to make this announcement, as both Morgan Stanley and UBS made similar statements over the last several months. 

Over a decade ago, many firms, including Citigroup, agreed to follow the Protocol in an attempt to reduce litigation costs created by attempts to prevent brokers from calling their former customers. The Protocol allows brokers to take with them only customer names, addresses, phone numbers, emails and account titles when they transition to other firms.

However, in recent years, the Protocol has not served a useful purpose for larger firms because more than 1,600 small broker-dealers and registered investment advisory firms have become signatories, allowing them to recruit from the bigger firms without fear of litigation.

The attorneys at Eccleston Law assist reps transition, negotiate their transition agreements, and defend reps when firms file suit.

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 advisors including Broker Litigation & ArbitrationStrategic Consulting ServicesRegulatory  MattersTransition Contract Review, 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.

Related Attorneys: James J. Eccleston

Tags: Eccleston, Eccleston Law, Eccleston Law LLC, James Eccleston

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I am grateful to have found an outstanding law firm that specializes in securities matters. My lawyers were extremely knowledgeable, diligent, and are skilled litigators. No stone was left upturned. As a result of their experience and tenacity, the arbitration proceeding was dismissed in my favor.

Michael E.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

January 24, 2025
Fidelity to Shift Independent Advisor Cash to Lower-Yielding FCash Amount in 2025

Fidelity Investments plans to redirect cash balances in non-retirement brokerage accounts managed by independent financial advisors to its in-house sweep account, FCash, starting in 2025.

January 23, 2025
Barred Advisor Continues Pattern of Settlements at Western International Securities

Chris Kennedy, a barred advisor formerly associated with Western International Securities, has agreed to a $2.1 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over allegations of high-volume trading, or churning, in client accounts.

January 22, 2025
FINRA to Revise Outside Business Activities Rules

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is seeking to overhaul its rules on outside business activities (OBA) and private securities transactions.