Introduction
Disputes involving RIAs, broker-dealers, and wealth-management practices often center on suitability, fiduciary or Regulation BI duties, supervision, sales practices, and disclosure. Attorneys retain Esoteric Advisors for independent analysis of advisory and brokerage conduct in customer, advisor, and employment matters.
How we help
- Review investment portfolios and account activity, applying fiduciary standards and Regulation BI rules to specific case situations, including dual‑registered firms and hybrid business models.
- Analyze and explain the roles and duties of broker‑dealers, investment advisers, and professional or corporate trustees, and how those duties differ under Regulation BI, RIA fiduciary standards, and other regulatory frameworks.
- Assess conflicts of interest and compensation incentives versus prudent product selection, including recommendations involving private placements, hybrid and structured products, alternative investments, and complex insurance products such as captive arrangements, private placement life, premium financed policies, and viatical or life settlement investments.
- Provide expert opinion and testimony regarding risk‑management practices, supervision, compliance, and regulatory oversight, drawing on experience with regulators such as the OCC, SEC, FINRA, the RTC, and various state agencies.
Typical matters
- Customer and advisory disputes alleging unsuitable recommendations, over-concentration, misrepresentation or omission of risk, or failures in supervision and compliance.
- Employment and termination disputes involving financial advisors, wealth management teams, and branch or complex leadership.
- Cases involving complex products, private placements, and hybrid or structured products sold through broker‑dealer and RIA channels.
Background in banking and risk
Decades of experience across commercial, business, consumer, wealth, and international banking, including cash management, complex reconciliations, lending, and staff and management roles, support analysis of how risk management frameworks, internal controls, and operational practices interacted with advisory and brokerage conduct.