Judge Dismisses Edelman Trade Secret Suit Over 10 Advisers Who Joined Mariner
Updated
Updated · Wealth Management · Jun 9
Judge Dismisses Edelman Trade Secret Suit Over 10 Advisers Who Joined Mariner
2 articles · Updated · Wealth Management · Jun 9
Summary
U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter granted Mariner summary judgment, ruling no reasonable jury could side with Edelman on trade-secret claims tied to 10 former planners.
The court said Edelman failed to show partial client lists were protected trade secrets, were improperly acquired, or that Mariner told recruits to bring more than remembered client names.
Teeter also rebuked Edelman’s lawyers, saying briefing repeatedly lacked citations and at times misrepresented or altered evidence to fit the firm’s narrative.
Edelman said it respectfully disagreed and would keep pursuing claims to protect client relationships built over four decades, while Mariner said the allegations had lacked merit from the start.
The case began in 2023 over claims Mariner poached advisers and clients; Monday’s ruling hands Mariner a major win in a fight both sides had escalated through expert and summary-judgment motions.