A Dozen Securities Law Professors Stake Absolutist Position On Adviser Duties

Allen Matkins
Contact

Allen Matkins

I teach securities regulation at the University of California, Irvine and so have a toe hold in academia.  In my view, law schools are placed on the "isthmus of a middle state".  As such, they must continually wrestle with the question of whether they are a mere trade school or a scholarly institution.  If you lean too heavily towards the former, you lack prestige and if you lean too heavily on the latter, you lack practicality.  

Yesterday, a dozen eminent securities law professors issued a statement expressing concern about the Securities and Exchange Commission's Interpretation Regarding Standard of Conduct for Investment Adviser.  In their statement, these professors assert without qualification "In short, the investment adviser must seek to avoid conflicts of interest, not merely disclose them".  

It is easy to wax eloquent when speaking of fiduciary duties, as Benjamin Cardozo did in Meinhard v. Salmon,  249 N.Y. 458, 464 (1928) ("Not honesty alone, but the punctilio of an honor the most sensitive, is then the standard of behavior.").  The reality for investment advisers is much more difficult.  Some conflicts, or potential conflicts, may be unavoidable or may result in transactions that are in the client's best interest.  Further, taking an absolutist position deprives adviser and client of the ability to tailor their relationship.

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Attorney Advertising.

© Allen Matkins

Written by:

Allen Matkins
Contact
more
less

PUBLISH YOUR CONTENT ON JD SUPRA NOW

  • Increased visibility
  • Actionable analytics
  • Ongoing guidance

Allen Matkins on:

Reporters on Deadline

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
Custom Email Digest
- hide
- hide