FINRA Arbitration Awards Wells Fargo Over $3 Million in Dispute with Ohio RIA Founders

Posted on May 1st, 2024 at 10:29 AM
FINRA Arbitration Awards Wells Fargo Over $3 Million in Dispute with Ohio RIA Founders

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

A recent FINRA arbitration decision has ordered a Cincinnati-based registered investment advisor firm and two of its founders to pay Wells Fargo more than $3 million in combined damages.

According to AdvisorHub, Wells Fargo alleged that DayMark Wealth Partners, Michael W. Quin, and Daryl J. Demo violated their employment contracts and engaged in unfair competition when they departed from the wirehouse in May 2022. The claims also included outstanding promissory notes owed by Quin and Demo.

The FINRA arbitrators held Quin and DayMark jointly liable for $1.86 million in compensatory damages, with Quin individually responsible for over $121,000. Separately, Demo was ordered to pay more than $1 million in compensatory damages. The panel did not explain their decision, which is standard practice unless both parties request a reasoned award. Initially, Wells Fargo sought between $18 million and $41 million in compensatory damages.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

We just wanted to say thanks for your work in helping us get back some of the money we lost. We are not by any means rich, but we have saved some money and we have done so through a tight-fisted approach to most everything we do. So losing a significant chunk of money hurt…especially at a time when everyone else was growing their accounts. We really appreciate the work you did.

Allan and Adele

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

January 30, 2026
FINRA Arbitration Panel Orders J.P. Morgan to Amend Form U-5, Flags Potential Pattern of Conduct

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel recently issued an unusually detailed decision in a dispute between J.P. Morgan Securities and former advisor Joshua David Sappi Biering, shedding rare light on how a firm may deploy - and sometimes abuse - the Form U-5 during advisor departures.

January 29, 2026
OFAC Targets Individual Trustee, Sending a Clear Warning to Fiduciaries and Family Offices

In a rare move, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) penalized a former U.S. government official, underscoring that professional gatekeepers can face personal liability for sanctions violations tied to trust administration.

January 28, 2026
FINRA Advances Overhaul of Outside Business Activity Rules to the SEC

FINRA formally has advanced its proposed overhaul of outside business activity (OBA) regulations to the Securities and Exchange Commission.