Litigation

Laura Sullivan stands accused of accessing confidential customer data and violating a nonsolicitation agreement by bringing along at least 15 client households.

Retired investor Tracy Driver alleges he was encouraged to put millions into a now delisted media company and then lost more through unauthorized sales of "prized" shares in Nvidia, Microsoft and Alphabet.

Randy Anderson worked as a broker for nearly 25 years without a complaint before being accused of making unauthorized trades by a client who, his lawyer says, actually ended up saving money.

Investor advocates and others worry that recent changes to who can serve on FINRA panels will exclude arbitrators most likely to be sympathetic to ordinary investors.

Experts say that there are pitfalls, rules and procedures that departing financial advisors should know. Problem is, too many act first and consult lawyers later.

The decision comes as a victory for FINRA in a series of legal assaults meant to undercut the authority of self-regulatory organizations.

Regulators discovered Julie Darrah had been siphoning millions from elderly clients after WEG bought her practice in 2021.

The broker-dealer alleged that a FINRA arbitration panelist who helped hand down the landmark penalty should have recused herself after reaching a similar conclusion in a case involving the same embattled broker.

Regulators say they are seeking fairness, noting that firms that reached deals with the SEC before the start of the year are under fewer regulatory mandates.

The industry rivals could still turn to FINRA arbitration to pursue their dispute over allegedly unwarranted data breach notices Ameriprise sent LPL customers.