Morgan Stanley Ordered to Pay Huntington Bank's Brokerage Unit

Posted on June 1st, 2023 at 1:15 PM
Morgan Stanley Ordered to Pay Huntington Bank's Brokerage Unit

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

Morgan Stanley, along with two advisors, has been found jointly responsible for $333,000 in damages and legal fees by an arbitration panel of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The ruling is based on allegations of breach of contract relating to the advisors’ departure from Huntington Bank.

Huntington had alleged that Morgan Stanley “encouraged and induced” the advisor duo to violate their employment agreements by soliciting customers to transfer assets before their move.

This award highlights the legal challenges that Wall Street firms encounter when recruiting from regional banks and non-traditional sources, where advisors often have stricter restrictive covenants and firms are more proactive in retaining their client base.

According to AdvisorHub, the award falls short of Huntington's original claim. The bank initially requested $1.16 million in cumulative damages over five years, an additional $2.32 million in punitive damages, and $179,784 for attorney fees, which was granted. The advisors filed a counterclaim seeking $430,500 in lost business income. However, all of Morgan Stanley's and the advisors' counterclaims were dismissed by the FINRA arbitrators.

In addition to the $$333,000 damages award, the advisors agreed to a stipulated temporary restraining order in February 2021, the details of which were not provided in the award.

 

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

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

June 6, 2025
FINRA Sanctions Former Broker for Unsuitable, High-Risk GWG Bond Sales

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended and fined a former advisor for what FINRA alleged were excessively risky investments that left clients exposed to significant losses.

June 5, 2025
UBS Seeks to Overturn $95 Million FINRA Award Over Tesla Shorting Strategy

UBS Wealth Management USA has filed a petition in federal court to vacate a nearly $95 million FINRA arbitration award, arguing the decision overstepped legal bounds and imposed punitive damages that defy Iowa law, as reported by AdvisorHub.

June 4, 2025
Jury Finds Cutter Financial Group Liable for Disclosure Failures in Annuity Sales

A federal jury in Massachusetts has found investment advisor Jeffrey Cutter and his firm, Cutter Financial Group, liable for failing to disclose significant commissions and conflicts of interest tied to an annuity replacement strategy sold to clients.