FINRA Panel Orders Kingswood Capital Partners and Executives to Pay Former Advisor $11.3 Million
From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law
A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel has ordered Kingswood Capital Partners LLC, CEO Michael Nessim, and Chief Compliance Officer Mohamed Alsoraimi to pay former advisor Rikin Patel $11,341,369.25. The panel also rejected Kingswood's $6.427 million counterclaim against Patel, according to AltsWire.
The September 25 award holds the firm and both executives jointly and severally liable, allowing Patel to collect the full amount from any of them. The panel also ordered daily interest of $2,465.75 beginning August 26, the final hearing date. Interest totaled $115,890.25 as of October 12.
According to AltsWire, the dispute centers on approximately $16.4 million that Texas-based Solidaris Capital LLC allegedly agreed to pay Patel for raising capital for its investment offerings through Kingswood. AltsWire reports that Solidaris filed in federal court, the company wired Kingswood an initial $10 million installment in January 2025, but the firm refused to transfer the money to Patel. Patel resigned in March 2025 and filed his FINRA arbitration claim the following month, alleging breach of contract, conversion, and civil theft. He sought at least $10 million in compensatory damages, interest, treble damages, and expungement of Kingswood's termination disclosure.
Kingswood counterclaimed for $6.427 million plus punitive damages, alleging breach of contract, fraud, conversion, and other misconduct. After 18 hearing sessions between April and August, the two-member panel awarded Patel compensatory damages but denied his requests for treble damages, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and expungement. The award does not explain the panel's reasoning. Kingswood declined to comment because the legal proceedings remain ongoing.
According to AltsWire, Kingswood's 2025 audited financial statements provide additional context. The firm disclosed a separate lawsuit it filed against a client over an unpaid $6.427 million fee. Although the notes did not identify the client, court records show that Kingswood sued Solidaris in June 2025 for the same amount it sought from Patel in the FINRA arbitration. The financial statements also omitted Patel's arbitration and Solidaris' separate lawsuit seeking the return of the $10 million payment. Kingswood reported $77.3 million in revenue, $3.2 million in net income, $5.1 million in member's equity, and $2.1 million in net capital for 2025.
Under FINRA rules, a respondent generally must pay an arbitration award within 30 days of receipt unless it files a motion to vacate in court. If Kingswood received the award on September 25, its payment deadline fell on October 25, AltsWire reports. FINRA may suspend or cancel the registration of a firm or associated person that fails to pay an arbitration award.
Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.
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