Acquisition gone awry? BNY Mellon, RIA exchange lawsuits

(Bloomberg) -- Lyell Wealth Management fired back at BNY Mellon, accusing it of unfairly competing for the dollars of "high-net-worth clients" after the bank alleged that the firm's owners poached customers and employees.

The bank and its affiliates have "systematically misrepresented the scope, quality and nature of their financial services and products," Lyell, an RIA, said in a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Oakland, California.

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People pass in front of a BNY Mellon branch located at 706 Park Avenue in New York City on Wednesday August 10, 2011.

The lawsuit comes three weeks after BNY Mellon sued Lyell for allegedly violating a non-compete agreement following the bank's purchase in January of Atherton Lane Advisers, where Lyell's co-founders were previously employed. BNY Mellon claimed Atherton's former owners violated the agreement by setting up the new company, Lyell, and luring away clients and employees.

The Menlo Park, California-based RIA has $217 million in AUM, according the firm's latest ADV filed with the SEC.

Lyell is asking for a court order barring BNY Mellon from engaging in unfair business practices and an award of unspecified damages.

BNY Mellon representatives didn't immediately respond after regular business hours to a phone call seeking comment on the complaint.

--With additional reporting from Andrew Welsch

Bloomberg News
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