Introduction
Disputes involving RIAs, broker-dealers, and wealth-management practices often center on suitability, fiduciary or reg BI duties, supervision, and disclosure. Attorneys retain Esoteric Advisors for independent analysis of advisory and brokerage conduct in client, advisor, and employment matters.
How we help
- Review investment portfolios, applying fiduciary standards and Reg BI rules to specific case situations, including dual‑registered firms and hybrid business models.
- Analyze and explain the roles of broker‑dealers, investment advisers, and professional or corporate trustees, and how their duties differ under Reg BI, RIA fiduciary standards, and other regulatory frameworks.
- Assess conflicts of interest versus prudent product selection, including recommendations involving private placements, hybrid structures, alternative investments, and complex insurance products such as captive arrangements, private placement life, premium financing, and viatical investments.
- Provide expert opinion and testimony regarding risk‑management practices, 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, misrepresentation or omission of risk, or failures in supervision and compliance.
- Employment and termination disputes involving financial advisors, wealth teams, and branch leadership.
- Cases involving complex products, private placements, or hybrid and structured products sold through broker‑dealer and RIA channels.
Background in banking and risk
Decades of experience across commercial, business, consumer, and international banking, including cash management, complex reconciliations, and staff and management roles, support analysis of how risk management and operational practices interacted with advisory and brokerage conduct.