Groundbreaking Enforcement Action Against JP Morgan

Today, the SEC announced that two J.P. Morgan wealth management subsidiaries agreed to pay $267 million to settle charges in an enforcement action initiated by information brought to the SEC by a [Jordan Thomas][prior firm][‘s] client, a J.P. Morgan executive. The enforcement is one of the largest and highest profile actions initiated by an SEC whistleblower since the establishment of the program.

The SEC’s investigation uncovered that J.P. Morgan’s investment advisory business and its nationally chartered bank were steering clients to more expensive in-house investments without proper disclosures of conflicts of interests. The troubling actions in this case occurred over several years, and deprived JPMorgan’s clients of necessary information to make informed investment decisions.

The Program Protects Clients

This case powerfully demonstrates the vast potential of the SEC Whistleblower Program to find and eradicate wrongdoing early and often. Because of the unique protections and incentives of the program, our client chose to report the securities violations at J.P. Morgan to the SEC. In doing so, the individual was able to protect J.P. Morgan clients and improve the sales culture of the organization, while avoiding retaliation and blacklisting.

And as awareness of the SEC Whistleblower Program grows, so does the likelihood that more individuals will step forward to reveal violations. The program’s broad international reach and ability to report anonymously provide enormous opportunities to uncover misconduct wherever it occurs. In designing this innovative program, the SEC understood that employees represent a critical first line of defense against wrongdoing.

Read more about common securities violations, or see our Securities Law Primer for details.