Former Western Asset Management Co-CIO Charged with Fraud for Cherry-picking Trades

Posted on December 17th, 2024 at 10:58 AM
Former Western Asset Management Co-CIO Charged with Fraud for Cherry-picking Trades

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

The SEC recently charged Ken Leech, former Co-CIO of Western Asset Management, with fraud. According to Pensions & Investments, the allegations involve "cherry-picking" trades- a scheme where favorable trades were selectively allocated to certain portfolios, leaving other portfolios with less desirable outcomes.

The SEC's complaint alleges that, from January 2021 to October 2023, Leech delayed trade allocation until later in the trading day. This delay reportedly allowed him to direct profitable first-day trades—amounting to hundreds of millions in gains—to favored portfolios, some of which personally benefited Leech. Meanwhile, portfolios deemed less favorable were left with trades that resulted in net losses.

“This alleged behavior is an egregious abuse of power,” stated Andrew Dean, co-chief of the SEC’s Asset Management Unit. Dean emphasized that Leech’s alleged actions provided him with both personal and professional advantages through the manipulation of trade allocations.

In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York also brought charges against Leech.

Leech’s attorney, Jonathan S. Sack of Morvillo Abramowitz, defended him by citing his nearly 50-year spotless career in trading and portfolio management. Sack argued that the allegations fail to consider significant factors, such as differences between fixed-income strategies and the limited relevance of first-day performance to these strategies. He asserted that Leech did not personally benefit from the alleged misconduct and vowed a vigorous defense.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Jim, Stephany and the whole team were a God send.  We felt like we were put into a situation where we had no advocate. Jim’s team came in with a strong, well laid out strategy on how to get our story heard. Where our outside compliance company had no ability to help, our Broker Dealer was impenitent, and the regulators were aggressive pursuing vague rules, Jim came like a barricade against an assault we did not understand. Though you pay member dues to be affiliated with FINRA and a B/D, you have no voice. The only thing that is truly heard in this un-level playing field is a bulldog’s bark like Jim’s. I would encourage anyone to call Jim and his team to find a real ally in the tough and complicated world of securities regulation. They are truly the best.

Greg P.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

February 2, 2026
California Investors Allege Unsuitable DST Recommendations in FINRA Arbitration

Two investors from the San Francisco Bay Area have filed a FINRA arbitration claim against brokerage firm Realized Financial and its financial advisors.

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.