J.P. Morgan Files Suit Against Two Advisors Who Departed For Merrill Lynch

Posted on February 15th, 2023 at 4:21 PM
J.P. Morgan Files Suit Against Two Advisors Who Departed For Merrill Lynch

J.P. Morgan has asked a New York state court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) barring two of its former advisors from soliciting their former clients. 

The two New York City-based advisors, Stephen DePalma and Kenneth Clough, allegedly misappropriated proprietary client information and violated one-year non-solicitation provisions included in their employment agreements, according to J.P. Morgan’s complaint. J.P. Morgan alleges that the two advisors, who managed nearly $407 million in assets for at least 500 clients, already had transferred three clients with $2.5 million – less than 1% – to Merrill Lynch. J.P. Morgan further alleges that it maintains a right to the advisors’ former clients because the “vast majority” either were pre-existing clients at J.P. Morgan or referred from one of its branches. 

Merrill Lynch offered the two advisors more than $1 million in “financial inducements” to join the firm, according to J.P. Morgan’s complaint. The complaint discusses reports from unidentified clients who informed J.P. Morgan that the advisors called them on their personal cell phones to convince the clients to transfer their business to Merrill Lynch. According to the complaint, the advisors’ communications with former clients went further than “simply announcing” their job change.  

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

Hiring Eccleston Law has been one of the best career decisions I have made and this "investment" to maintain my sterling regulatory record has been returned many times over.  If you are in a situation where you've been unfairly accused, don't hesitate to talk with Eccleston Law. They are the best.

Thomas C.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

January 14, 2026
FINRA Fines and Suspends Wells Fargo Advisor Over Fictitious Expense Claims

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) fined and suspended a Wells Fargo Advisors representative in Waco, Texas, after finding that he submitted fictitious business expense claims, according to a FINRA Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) letter.

January 12, 2026
Florida Man Indicted in $36 Million Investment Fraud Scheme

According to news sources, federal prosecutors allege that a Florida man orchestrated a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that funded a luxury lifestyle built on stolen investor money, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

January 9, 2026
FINRA Sanctions Former Wells Fargo Advisor for Profile Falsification and Unauthorized Trading

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplined former Wells Fargo Advisors broker James E. Holmes III for misconduct tied to his falsifying customer information and unauthorized trading.