JPMorgan Claims Ex-Advisor In Fla. Stole Trade Secrets To Poach Clients For LPL
Why It Matters
The case underscores the high‑stakes risk of data theft in wealth‑management firms and could set precedent for how aggressively banks protect client relationships. It also signals heightened regulatory scrutiny on advisor transitions within the financial services industry.
JPMorgan Claims Ex-Advisor In Fla. Stole Trade Secrets To Poach Clients For LPL
Jacqueline Sergeant reports
JPMorgan is seeking a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief in federal court against a former advisor, alleging he stole confidential information and is using it to solicit the firm’s clients to join him at his new affiliate, LPL Financial.
In its complaint, filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, JPMorgan accused Kevin J. Sercia of Stuart, Fla., of breach of contract and breach of the duty of loyalty.
According to the complaint, “Sercia engaged in extensive, highly suspicious computer access of JPMorgan’s systems in the hours before he resigned.” It said, “he accessed approximately 175 client profiles on JPMorgan’s Advisor Central system after business hours, the majority of them in rapid succession.”
Sercia, who had been with JPMorgan since August 2020, was a private client advisor before his abrupt resignation on Dec. 3, the complaint said.
Source: Financial Advisor
Comments
Want to join the conversation?
Loading comments...