Eccleston Law Blog

Former CNBC Analyst Pleads Guilty to $2.7 Million Securities Fraud Scheme

March 11th, 2025 at 2:04 PM
James Arthur McDonald Jr., a former financial advisor and frequent CNBC guest analyst, has agreed to plead guilty to securities fraud, admitting to defrauding investors out of at least $2.7 million, as reported by ThinkAdvisor. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
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Wells Fargo and Merrill Lynch Settle SEC Charges Over Cash Sweep Program Policies

March 10th, 2025 at 12:19 PM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced settlements with Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated over allegations that they failed to implement proper policies and procedures for their cash sweep programs.
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FINRA Orders $8.2 Million in Restitution for Mutual Fund Customers

March 7th, 2025 at 1:59 PM
FINRA has directed Edward Jones, Osaic Wealth, Inc., and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. to pay more than $8.2 million in restitution to customers harmed by failures to provide mutual fund sales charge waivers and fee rebates. 
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FINRA Fines Newbridge Securities $105,000 for Failing to Supervise Margin Trading

March 6th, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Newbridge Securities Corp., an independent broker-dealer based in Boca Raton, Florida, has agreed to pay a $105,000 penalty for failing to supervise financial advisors who recommended margin trading to clients.
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Morgan Stanley Advisor Wins Expungement Under FINRA's Stricter Rules

March 5th, 2025 at 1:42 PM
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.
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Federal Judge Strikes Down Hightower's Non-Compete Agreement in California

March 4th, 2025 at 10:51 AM
A federal judge in Wilmington, Delaware, ruled against Hightower Advisors in its effort to enforce non-compete agreements against a former advisor in California who sold his firm to Hightower.
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UBS Warns of Increased Advisor Departures Following Compensation Overhaul

March 3rd, 2025 at 2:19 PM
UBS Group AG executives cautioned that the firm may see a rise in advisor departures this year due to changes in its 2025 compensation plan.
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SEC Sanctions One Oak Capital and Advisor for Improper Conversions to Fee Based Accounts

February 28th, 2025 at 1:42 PM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has penalized a New York-based registered investment adviser and its veteran adviser for converting brokerage accounts into advisory accounts that resulted in significantly higher fees without providing additional services.
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Arbitration Panel Orders Morgan Stanley to Pay $843,000 for Failing to Protect Elderly Client from Fraud

February 27th, 2025 at 2:35 PM
A FINRA arbitration panel has ordered Morgan Stanley to pay $843,000 in compensatory damages to a senior client residing in Florida for failing to protect her from financial fraud. As reported by ThinkAdvisor, the panel found the firm liable for negligence in a case that highlighted the growing risk of elder financial exploitation.
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Sharp Drop in FINRA Expungement Requests as New Rules Take Effect

February 26th, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The number of brokers seeking to expunge customer complaints and other disclosures from their public records through FINRA’s arbitration forum has plunged 79 percent over the past year.
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TESTIMONIALS

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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

July 7, 2025
Maryland Bars Financial Advisor Over Excessive Fees and Unsuitable Investments

The Maryland Securities Commissioner has barred financial advisor Timothy Pickett and his firm, Blue Anchor Capital Management, from operating in the securities industry within the state.

July 3, 2025
FINRA Proposes Rule Change to Delay Immediate Sanctions Pending SEC Review

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has proposed a rule change that would allow broker-dealers and registered representatives to seek a stay of certain disciplinary sanctions before those penalties take effect.

July 2, 2025
SEC Panel Calls for Tighter Limits on RIAs' Mandatory Arbitration Clauses

AdvisorHub reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee has finalized a recommendation urging the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to rein in the use of mandatory arbitration clauses by registered investment advisers (“RIA”s).