MML Financial Advisor Brian Travers Barred by FINRA

On December 13, 2017, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) disclosed that registered representative Brian Michael Travers has been barred from the securities industry. Specifically, pursuant to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”), pursuant to which Brian Travers neither admitted or denied FINRA’s findings, Mr. Travers acknowledged that on November 1, 2017, he received a written request from FINRA seeking his on-the-record testimony.

FINRA’s request concerned: “[a]n investigation into, among other things, potential undisclosed outside business activities and private securities transactions…” As set forth in the AWC, “By refusing to appear for on-the-record testimony as requested pursuant to FINRA Rule 8210, Travers violates FINRA Rules 8210 and 2010.”

Publicly available information through FINRA indicates that Brian Travers (CRD# 4767891) first entered the securities industry in 2004, and was most recently a registered representative of MML Investors Services, LLC (“MML”) (CRD# 10409) until his former employer terminated his registration in April 2017. Previous to working for MML (2013 – 2017), Mr. Travers was a financial advisor affiliated with Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation (“Lincoln Financial”) (CRD# 3978). According to FINRA BrokerCheck, Mr. Travers was discharged from his employment with MML on April 4, 2017, in connection with an “[u]ndisclosed outside activity.”

Brokerage firms like MML and Lincoln Financial have a duty to ensure that their registered representatives are adequately supervised. In this regard, brokerage firms must take reasonable steps to ensure that their brokers follow all applicable securities rules and regulations, as well as adhere to the firm’s internal policies and procedures. In those instances when brokerage firms fail to adequately supervise their registered representatives, they may be held liable for losses sustained by investors.

In the event that a financial advisor wishes to consummate a private securities transaction, then he or she must first provide the firm with prior written notice, detailing the contemplated transaction. Such a transaction must first be approved by the firm. In the event that the transaction is not approved by the firm, then the broker cannot participate in the transaction. If the broker fails to notify the firm, in the first instance, or proceeds with an unauthorized transaction in derogation of the firm’s order, then selling away has occurred, in direct violation of FINRA Rule 3280.

The attorneys at Law Office of Christopher J. Gray, P.C. have significant experience representing investors in disputes involving broker misconduct, including selling away, in addition to claims against brokerage firms for their failure to supervise. Investors may be able to recover their losses in FINRA arbitration. Investors may contact a securities arbitration attorney via the contact form on this website, by telephone at (866) 966-9598, or by e-mail at newcases@investorlawyers.net for a no-cost, confidential consultation.