Morgan Stanley Expected To Soon Resolve Due Diligence Backlog

Posted on February 6th, 2023 at 12:44 PM
Morgan Stanley Expected To Soon Resolve Due Diligence Backlog

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

Morgan Stanley is expected to resolve an issue pertaining to financial advisors whose client accounts have been recently entangled in a due diligence backlog.

A senior executive at Morgan Stanley recently announced that the company will implement a more efficient reviewing process for new accounts in “relatively short order.” Morgan Stanley informed its advisors in November that they would be required to immediately freeze numerous client accounts for heightened due diligence due to an existing processing backlog of nearly six months. While the new rules were primarily applicable only to international clients, some U.S. clients were flagged for stricter due diligence because of their risk profiles.

Morgan Stanley executives primarily attribute the delays to a lack of capacity for facilitating due diligence, but the company is working to speed up the operational process. While the Morgan Stanley executive was unable to provide an anticipated date of completion, the executive noted that the company is making “good progress.”

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, advisors, law, sec

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

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.

January 28, 2026
FINRA Advances Overhaul of Outside Business Activity Rules to the SEC

FINRA formally has advanced its proposed overhaul of outside business activity (OBA) regulations to the Securities and Exchange Commission.