FINRA Arbitration Panel Clears Advisor's Record of Defamatory Allegations

Posted on January 10th, 2025 at 2:14 PM
FINRA Arbitration Panel Clears Advisor's Record of Defamatory Allegations

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

A FINRA arbitration panel has ruled in favor of Mary J. Howard, a former RBC Wealth Management advisor, allowing her to expunge defamatory allegations from her Form U-5 termination record.

According to AdvisorHub, the panel determined that the allegations made by her former employer, Robert W. Baird & Co., were defamatory in nature and authorized revisions to reflect that Howard voluntarily left the firm in April 2023.

Robert W. Baird &  Co. had previously stated on Howard’s U5 that she was “permitted to resign” after failing to follow firm policy. However, the FINRA panel found these allegations defamatory and ruled that Howard’s record should be amended to show a voluntary departure. The allegations arose as Howard and a business partner prepared to leave Baird. According to Howard’s BrokerCheck comment, the firm learned of their plans after her partner sent emails containing client data to a personal account.

AdvisorHub reports that Howard filed a $5 million claim against Baird, alleging defamation, tortious interference with her business, and unjust enrichment. While the arbitration award does not detail the settlement terms, it confirms that Howard and Baird reached a confidential settlement in October 2023 regarding the 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

 


It was really fun seeing you fight for us. You have an amazing way of thinking out of the box.


 

Beth M.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

February 12, 2026
CFTC Signals New Rulemaking for Prediction Markets and Crypto Oversight

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) plans to develop new regulations governing the growing prediction markets industry, Chairman Michael Selig announced, signaling a shift in regulatory strategy.

February 11, 2026
Ameriprise Advisor Phishing Incident Potentially Exposes Client Data

A phishing incident involving an Ameriprise Financial advisor potentially exposed the personal information of hundreds of clients, according to a disclosure posted by the Maine Attorney General’s office.

February 10, 2026
Merrill Lynch Expands Client Disclosures on Crypto and AI Risks

Merrill Lynch updated its required client disclosure brochure to address, for the first time, the evolving risks tied to cryptocurrency-linked investments and the firm’s expanding use of Artificial Intelligence tools.