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

Morgan Stanley Advisor Wins Expungement Under FINRA's Stricter Rules

Posted on March 5th, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Morgan Stanley Advisor Wins Expungement Under FINRA's Stricter Rules

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

A FINRA arbitration panel granted a financial advisor’s request to expunge a 2022 customer complaint from her record, marking another test of FINRA’s stricter expungement rules. As reported by AdvisorHub, the customer was a sophisticated investor who had pursued a covered call strategy but later sought $1.32 million in damages. Morgan Stanley denied the claim.

Hobart’s expungement request met the higher standards established under FINRA’s updated rules, which now allow customers and state regulators to intervene. The panel of FINRA arbitrators found that the advisor should not be held responsible, as her role was limited to introducing the customer to colleagues managing the investment strategy. 

AdvisorHub reports that the arbitrators concluded that maintaining the complaint on her record would not benefit regulators, the investing public, or prospective broker-dealer employers. Morgan Stanley did not oppose her expungement request, which she filed in September. Under FINRA’s new rules, advisors face a two-year statute of limitations for expungement requests.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

If the regulators are after you, and are trying to make a case against you, and you are going to contest their allegations against you, make sure you have the best securities industry defense lawyers, Eccleston Law Firm. My case was spun into a combination of penalties including fines, cash settlements, CE courses and suspension. They were the best I have seen in action. When all was said and done, they had done their magic, my situation was negotiated and settled with a simple "letter of caution" and a case closed without action. It is the most important legal business decision you will ever make, make it Eccleston Law.

Rick R.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1778171646 Law
May 7, 2026
FINRA Bars Former Raymond James Broker for Refusing Testimony in Unauthorized Trading Probe

A former registered representative with Raymond James has been barred from the securities industry after refusing to cooperate with a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation into alleged unauthorized trading activity.

1778084309 Law
May 6, 2026
FINRA Outlines Key Rulemaking Priorities and Recent Developments in Quarterly Agenda

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently released its Quarterly Regulatory Policy Agenda, offering a detailed view of its rulemaking priorities, pending proposals, and recently approved regulatory changes.

1778000603 Law
May 5, 2026
Commonwealth Financial Network Resolves SEC Conflict of Interest Case

Commonwealth Financial Network has agreed to pay $5 million to resolve a long-standing conflict of interest case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to reporting by ThinkAdvisor.