Tr?id=566623520170033&ev=PageView&noscript=1

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
Quotes Bigger

You are the best attorneys in the country.

CC

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1777047237 Law
April 24, 2026
Geopolitical Tensions Prompt Wealth Advisors to Rethink Dubai Strategies

Recent geopolitical developments have forced wealth advisors to reassess client exposure to Dubai, a jurisdiction that has attracted significant ultra-high-net-worth capital over the past decade.

1776963542 Law
April 23, 2026
Advisor Recruiting Surges in 2025 as Industry Movement Reaches New Highs

Advisor movement across the wealth management industry accelerated sharply in 2025, with 11,172 experienced financial advisors changing firms, according to reporting by Wealth Management citing the latest Advisor Transition Report from Diamond Consultants.

1776796402 Law
April 21, 2026
DOL Proposal on Alternative Assets in 401(k)s Faces Cautious Reception

The U.S.