Edward Jones’ Effort to Restrain Ameriprise Advisor Results in $762k Arbitration Loss

Posted on November 12th, 2021 at 1:43 PM
Edward Jones’ Effort to Restrain Ameriprise Advisor Results in $762k Arbitration Loss

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law:

Edward D. Jones & Co.’s bid to restrict a former advisor from bringing his clients to his new firm has resulted in a substantial arbitration loss. 

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel denied Edward Jones’ breach of contract and trade secret claims and ordered the firm to pay $562,000 in damages and attorney fees to Michael Peterson. Peterson, who had moved to Ameriprise Financial, filed a counterclaim alleging unfair competition, a “civil conspiracy”, and tortious interference with business relations, according to the award. The FINRA arbitration panel also ordered Edward Jones to pay $1 in damages and $200,794 in attorney fees to Ameriprise. 

After Peterson joined Ameriprise in October 2019, a federal court granted Edward Jones’ request for a temporary restraining order (TRO), which prohibited Peterson from soliciting his former clients. Throughout federal court and FINRA proceedings, Peterson continually denied allegations that he misappropriated trade secrets or breached restrictive covenants contained in his employment agreement with Edward Jones. Prior to departing Edward Jones, Peterson managed nearly $101 million in client assets and generated at least $750,000 in annual revenue, according to Ameriprise.  

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

 

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, edward jones, ameriprise, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Fantastic news!!!!  Your professionalism, support and expertise were greatly appreciated.  You made a difficult situation much more bearable.

Marci M.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

March 21, 2025
SEC Updates Marketing Rule Guidance to Clarify Extracted Performance and Portfolio Metrics

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued updated guidance on its marketing rule, addressing industry concerns regarding net performance requirements, extracted performance, and portfolio characteristics.

March 20, 2025
Stifel Loses Raiding Case, Ordered to Pay Over $7 Million in Legal Fees

Stifel Financial has lost its raiding and breach-of-contract claim against a group of advisors who left its Indianapolis office to establish their own firm.

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.