Cela’s “solicitation of JPMorgan clients is ongoing and continuing,” the firm said.
Without “misappropriating” the firm’s confidential client information, Cela would not have had clients’ personal cell phone numbers, and would not have had the ability to call JPMorgan clients immediately after he resigned, the firm alleged.
“Unfortunately, it appears that [the] defendant’s improper solicitation efforts have proved successful, as at least five JPMorgan households with assets totaling in excess of $8.5 million already have transferred or are in the process of transferring from JPMorgan to [Cela] at Wells Fargo,” the firm said.
J.P. Morgan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The firm also argued that another Wells Fargo employee, a manager who (like Cela) is located in Summit, has been “repeatedly calling and texting” advisors with JPMorgan Private Client Advisors to come to work with Wells Fargo.
“JPMorgan Private Client Advisors informed JPMorgan that they do not know the Wells Fargo manager, or how he got their names or cell phone numbers, and assumed that the only way he could have gotten such information was from [Cela],” the firm argued.