**Customer dispute disclosures can have lots of twists and turns**

Know the specifics of how to protect yourself and navigate the procedural steps to remove a Customer Dispute from your IAR record.

we can help

“As an Investment Advisor Representative, my customer dispute was unable to proceed through the normal expungement process. Most firms would have given up, but HLBS Law had the knowledge and skill to know that my specific case could be filed in a more efficient place. HLBS Law filed my disclosure with the Virginia State Security Commission and the case proceeded. Ultimately, HLBS Law was able to persuade the Virginia Division of Securities and FINRA to the removal of the false customer dispute.
The disclosure was not a reflection of my character and I am happy to have worked with HLBS Law to remove this information from BrokerCheck.
”

— Suzanne Taylor, Old Dominion

Are you facing any of these challenges?

• My disclosure is older than six years, can I still remove it?
• I am concerned about my disclosure in light of the new Regulation Best Interest guidelines.
• Can I seek expungement if my client reached a settlement to resolve the dispute?
• Competitors are using my disclosures against me to recruit clients, is there any recourse?
• What if I have a termination related to the customer dispute?
• My compliance office said this cannot be expunged, how can you do it?

**We can help you glide through the process**

A Customer Dispute as an IAR can feel like you’re facing powerful forces out of your control

HLBS Law is unique in the industry because we handle customer dispute expungements for not only professionals registered with FINRA, but professionals registered with other regulators, usually state regulators. HLBS Law has developed relationships with state regulators and is intimately familiar with each regulator’s procedure for expungements concerning IARs.

HLBS Law is proud to represent IARs who have disclosures who normally do not have a clear path to expungement. With the help of HLBS Law, IARs can seek expungement as efficiently as individuals registered with FINRA can.

HLBS IS YOUR GUIDE TO THE SAFE SIDE

EXPUNGEMENT SUCCESS STORY: DEBBIE NEWHOUSE

Deciding to pursue expungement as an IAR is a big decision and here are a couple of key things to remember when planning to hire a firm to seek expungement on your behalf.

• The timeline, most expungements concerning IARs must go through the regulator, state court, or a quasi-arbitration created by your state or residence. Based on this, the timeline depending on the location of the IAR and the facts, can take anywhere from 4-12 months.

• The facts, is the allegation made against you, false? Is the allegation against you true, but provides very little regulatory value. For example, the 2008 market crash. Hypothetically, the allegation is my fixed product when down in value. This is true, but this happened to everyone in 2008. It is true, but it provides little regulatory value to the public.

• Evidence, do you still have access to documents regarding the disclosure? How well do you recall the events giving rise the customer dispute? The better the recollection or documents, the better odds of success.

• A track record, does the firm you are considering have proven experience? Each state is different and it can be very challenging for a firm to take on IAR expungement without experience, it is much different than FINRA expungement.

• Resources, HLBS Law has access to a vast amount of data and people by partnering with a firm that handles the most FINRA expungements in the country since 2017. Based on this relationship, we can streamline and lowers costs due to highly specialized resources outside of HLBS Law.

QUESTION? CONSULTATION? CALL 720.900.5480