CFP Board Matters & Defense

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Kimberly L. Chavers, Esq. regularly defends and counsels CFP® professionals in CFP Board inquiries, Notice of Investigations, formal complaints and disciplinary actions brought by CFP Board, including appeal proceedings.  Ms. Chavers also counsels CFP® professionals regarding compliance with CFP Board's revised Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, including, but not limited to, assisting financial planners during the application process as well as reinstatement proceedings for CFP® Certificants eligible for reinstatement.  

When it comes to ethics and professional responsibility, CFP® professionals are held to some of the highest standards.  Not only are CFP® professionals often subject to FINRA rules, SEC rules and regulations, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, among other securities laws, CFP® professionals are required to adhere to distinct rules - separate and apart from their regulatory obligations - including upholding the principles of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism and diligence as outlined in CFP Board’s Code of Ethics. 

Likewise, CFP® professionals are required to put their clients' interests ahead of their own at all times and to act as a “fiduciary” whenever providing financial advice, whether or not that advice includes financial planning.

In addition to fines and other sanctions that can be brought by state and insurance regulators, self-regulatory organizations (such as FINRA), and the SEC, etc., CFP® professionals can be subject to CFP Board discipline and sanctions if they violate CFP Board's Code or Standards.

CFP Board’s rigorous enforcement of its Code and Standards— including releasing disciplinary information to the public in certain cases — means that a CFP® professional who is the subject of a securities law violation, customer complaint or other misconduct, may face having to simultaneously defend himself/herself in multiple disciplinary actions ― all of which can destroy one's career or publicly ruin their professional reputation. 

As a result, consulting with an experienced securities and CFP defense attorney like Kimberly L. Chavers, Esq., who has unparalleled experience in CFP Board matters, and can navigate the multi-dimensional disciplinary processes and procedures, is critical to defending your reputation and right to use the CFP® marks you worked so hard to achieve.  

If you have questions regarding your CFP Board obligations or have received a Notice of Investigation from the CFP Board, contact Chavers Law, PLLC today for a free consultation.

In addition to defending you in any related FINRA or State regulatory inquiry or investigation, as a skilled and experienced securities attorney, Ms. Chavers can also provide critical and valuable guidance on the underlying matter that triggered the CFP Board's inquiry or Notice of Investigation.  Whether it's a customer complaint, customer arbitration claim or lawsuit, a reportable disclosure event on your Form U4 or Form U5, or an internal review or employment termination, etc., Chavers Law, PLLC is here to help.  

Defending brokers and registered representatives in 8210 inquiries, FINRA investigations, OTRs and Wells Notices has been the cornerstone of Ms. Chavers' practice for years.
 

If you have received a letter from a FINRA investigator, who is conducting an inquiry (known as an 8210 letter/inquiry), contact Chavers Law, PLLC today for a free consultation. 

Failing to properly comply with FINRA 8210 inquiries and requests for information and/or documents can have serious consequences, including, but not limited to, significant fines, suspensions, or even a permanent bar from the industry.

As an experienced securities attorney, who has successfully defended registered representatives in FINRA Enforcement inquiries and investigations, Ms. Chavers' experience and years of knowledge navigating this daunting process, can help you understand and manage what is most often an overwhelming process and the most stressful experience in one's financial professional career.
 

As a client of Chavers Law, PLLC, you can get back to your own clients and get back to business as a broker knowing your best interests and reputation will be vigorously represented. 

Ms. Chavers has successfully helped brokers, financial advisers and investment adviser reps nationwide with expungement guidance for Form U4, Form U5, Form ADV, CRD and BrokerCheck disclosures. 

The negative consequences of not having a clean Form U4 and CRD record are far reaching, as these records, including those dislcosures not made public by FINRA BrokerCheck, are required to be reviewed by Broker-Dealers during the hiring/onboarding process, and can often be the determining factor for offers of employment and upfront compensation for financial professionals seeking to transition from one firm to another. Likewise, the same records are reviewed by regulators, self-regulatory organizations, and professional organizations, such as the CFP Board. 

Moreover, with recent FINRA rule changes requiring BrokerDealer firms to include the link on its websites to its brokers' BrokerCheck reports - now, more than ever - brokers and investment adviser representatives must often take action to protect their professional reputation from being tarnished by negative disclosures. 

Are you ready to clean up your Form U4, U5 or CRD record? If yes, contact Chavers Law, PLLC, today for a free consultation to see how we can protect your reputation and financial career.  

Ms. Chavers regularly represents brokers and investment advisers in state and insurance application, renewal, regulatory and disciplinary matters. 

From the application and renewal process, to answering disclosure questions and properly updating and/or amending Form U4, Form U5 and Form ADVs, to formal investigations and disciplinary actions, Ms. Chavers has successfully prevented inquiries from evolving into significant disciplinary action as well as lowered fines and costs to maximize the potential for a positive outcome and protect clients' reputations.  

You can count on Ms. Chavers to leave no stone unturned and vigorously and effectively represent you in your state and insurance regulatory matters. 

If you have a state or insurance licensing or registration matter or need advice on complying with state or industry rules, Ms. Chavers is here to help. Call or email now to set up a free consultation with an experienced securities attorney.

With years of experience as a securities and employment lawyer and former partner of a Chicago-based law firm, where she has represented both investors and financial advisers nationwide, Ms. Chavers knows what it takes to effectively, and efficiently, handle arbitration, litigation, and mediation matters - when to settle, and when to take the case to a final hearing. 

Ms. Chavers has investigated thousands of Ponzi schemes, broker misconduct and other securities fraud matters as well as represented brokers and registered reps in FINRA Dispute Resolution in all stages of the litigation and arbitration process, including, but not limited to, researching and preparing pleadings and filing statements of claim, analyzing defenses and asserting counterclaims, discovery and motion practice, oral arguments, mediation, and all the way through trial when necessary. With this experience, on both sides of the aisle, Ms. Chavers can effectively guide you through the process and ensure your best interests are protected. 

Whether you are an investor who has been the victim of losses due to unsuitable investments, fraud, or other broker misconduct - or are an adviser with a dispute with your employer or broker-dealer, contact Kimberly L. Chavers, Esq. today for a free consultation - an experienced securities attorney who has fiercely advocated for investors and brokers nationwide to get justice for those harmed by the financial industry.