Merrill Lynch to Pay $26 Million to New Hampshire Regulator to Settle Charges of Excessive Trading

Posted on December 8th, 2020 at 3:06 PM
Merrill Lynch to Pay $26 Million to New Hampshire Regulator to  Settle Charges of Excessive Trading

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

Merrill Lynch has agreed to pay a $2 million fine and $24.3 million in reimbursement to clients to settle an action brought by the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation. The enforcement action stemmed from excessive trades made by Charles Kenahan, a former Merrill Lynch broker. Kenahan was terminated from Merrill Lynch in July 2019 for allegedly making excessive trades, as well as making unauthorized trades and unsuitable investment recommendations. 

According to the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation, Merrill Lynch failed to supervise Kenahan when he “traded without authorization, mismarked trade confirmations, excessively traded stocks and initial public offerings, over charged commissions, and inappropriately traded inverse and leveraged products.” Kenahan recommended the purchase of stock in United Kingdom-based Monitise to several investors, despite the fact that Monitise was a security that was not followed by Merrill Lynch research, the New Hampshire regulators alleged. Additionally, New Hampshire regulators alleged that “[t]he misconduct led to high commissions for Merrill Lynch and Kenahan and heavy losses for the investor.”

According to the New Hampshire regulators, the settlement was the largest monetary sanction in the regulator’s history.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, merrill lynch, payout, charges, excessive trading

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

You were most helpful with my FINRA deposition. You are a good lawyer and a good person.

Dan B.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

March 17, 2025
FINRA Disciplinary Actions Rise for the First Time Since 2016

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) increased its enforcement actions in 2024, marking the first rise in disciplinary cases since 2016, as reported by AdvisorHub.

March 14, 2025
Apex Clearing to Pay $3.2 Million in FINRA Settlement Over Securities Lending Violations

Apex Clearing, the clearing arm of Apex Fintech Solutions, has agreed to pay $3.2 million to settle FINRA allegations that it failed to ensure customers received compensation for lending their securities.

March 13, 2025
Congress Considers Expanding the Accredited Investor Definition

A recent congressional hearing examined potential reforms to the accredited investor definition, a critical threshold determining who can participate in private market investments.