GKN Wins $8.1 Million for Clients from Merrill Lynch after 12 Day Hearing

FINRA Panel ordered Respondents Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., Merrill Lynch Bank USA, and Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Company FSB to pay $8.1 Million in compensatory damages as a result of breach of fiduciary duty.  Claimants, Staton Family Investments and Daniel Staton, represented by GKN filed a Statement of Claim against Respondents for securities and common law fraud relating to the alleged illegal seizure and theft of 1,260,000 shares of common stock of Duke Realty Corp from Claimants’ accounts.  After the conclusion of the twelve (12) day evidentiary hearing, the FINRA panel concluded that Respondents were liable for their breach of fiduciary duties and ordered them to pay GKN’s clients the sum of $8,100,000 in compensatory damages.  In addition, individual Respondents Jacobs, Dickson, Dwyer and Schwinn’s request for expungement of their CRD was denied.