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

Wells Fargo Ties $2,000 Bonus to Non-Solicitation Clause, Raising Advisor Concerns

Posted on September 4th, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Wells Fargo Ties $2,000 Bonus to Non-Solicitation Clause, Raising Advisor Concerns

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

Wells Fargo & Co. recently issued a $2,000 bank-wide award to its 215,000 employees, following the Federal Reserve’s June decision to lift its asset growth restrictions. AdvisorHub reports that most of the award was distributed as restricted stock grants and came with an 18-page agreement employees had to sign to receive it.

Buried in the fine print is a one-year non-solicitation provision that also applies to financial advisors. While some advisors already had non-solicitation terms in their employment agreements, those provisions have historically been superseded by the Protocol for Broker Recruiting, which allows advisors to take certain client contact information and solicit clients when moving between member firms.

According to AdvisorHub, Wells Fargo confirmed it has no plans to leave the Protocol and will not enforce the new non-solicitation provisions if departing advisors join another Protocol firm and comply with its terms. Still, the inclusion of the language has raised concerns among some financial advisors, and lawyers like Eccleston Law LLC who represent those advisors.

Although Wells Fargo has not been as aggressive as some other firms in enforcing client non-solicitation agreements, the firm has litigated such issues. For example, Wells Fargo recently lost a court bid to restrain a terminated Illinois broker accused of violating team and inherited account agreements containing non-solicitation restrictions.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, wells fargo

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

I am grateful to have found an outstanding law firm that specializes in securities matters. My lawyers were extremely knowledgeable, diligent, and are skilled litigators. No stone was left upturned. As a result of their experience and tenacity, the arbitration proceeding was dismissed in my favor.

Michael E.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1783012078 Law
July 2, 2026
Financial Services Institute Backs New Jersey Bill Protecting Independent Advisor Model

The Financial Services Institute (FSI) has urged New Jersey lawmakers to advance legislation that would help preserve the independent contractor status of financial advisors operating in the state.

1782920284 Law
July 1, 2026
Private Credit Funds Face Scrutiny Over Software Exposure Amid Investor Concerns

Private credit fund managers are facing increased scrutiny over their exposure to software companies as investors continue to pull money from the sector during ongoing market volatility.

1782836587 Law
June 30, 2026
FINRA Signals Stronger Enforcement Focus on Reg BI, Excessive Trading, and Best Execution

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) plans to intensify its enforcement efforts against Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) violations, excessive trading, options trading, churning, and best execution failures after bringing a record number of retail investor protection cases in 2025, according to ThinkAdvisor.