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

SEC Sanctions One Oak Capital and Advisor for Improper Conversions to Fee Based Accounts

Posted on February 28th, 2025 at 1:42 PM
SEC Sanctions One Oak Capital and Advisor for Improper Conversions to Fee Based Accounts

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

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.

Michael DeRosa, 75, and One Oak Capital Management improperly switched more than 180 client accounts between June 2020 and October 2023, according to the SEC settlement. AdvisorHub reports that many of these clients were elderly, longtime customers who previously paid commissions per trade. After the conversion, they faced substantially increased costs, sometimes paying up to seven times more in fees, despite conducting little to no trading for over a year.

According to AdvisorHub, the SEC determined that One Oak and DeRosa violated their fiduciary duty by prioritizing their own financial interests over those of their clients. The firm was ordered to pay a $150,000 civil penalty, while DeRosa agreed to a $75,000 fine and a nine-month suspension. Additionally, DeRosa must retain an independent compliance consultant to review the firm’s policies and procedures.

The SEC’s findings showed that DeRosa and One Oak collected approximately $268,000 in advisory fees from the affected accounts. AdvisorHub also reports that, in some cases, DeRosa allegedly had clients authorize the conversions without fully disclosing the new fee structure.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, sec

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

1784046159 Law
July 14, 2026
Mariner Wealth Advisors Reports Data Breach Affecting Nearly 9,000 Customers

Mariner Wealth Advisors LLC disclosed a data breach that exposed personal information of 8,995 customers, according to AdvisorHub.

1783957061 Law
July 13, 2026
FINRA Warns of Growing Risks From Finfluencers and AI-Driven Investment Content

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) regulators are raising concerns about the increasing influence of social media personalities and artificial intelligence (AI) on retail investors, particularly those managing their own investments without professional guidance.

1783615970 Law
July 9, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former Branch Manager for Supervisory Failures Linked to Excessive Trading and Churning

A former regional branch manager at a broker-dealer has agreed to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctions after the regulator found that he failed to supervise registered representatives who engaged in excessive trading and churning of customer accounts.