Morgan Stanley fires adviser after physical abuse allegations

Morgan Stanley said it fired Portland, Ore., financial adviser Douglas E. Greenberg following a report that women had accused him of physical abuse.

His employment was terminated after a review of the allegations, Christine Jockle, a spokeswoman for the New York-based investment bank, said Tuesday in an emailed statement. Mr. Greenberg had been placed on leave last week.

The New York Times had reported that four women obtained restraining orders against him over a period of 15 years and he had been arrested in connection with some of the cases. The bank was aware of the allegations against Mr. Greenberg for years and kept him on staff, the newspaper said. The Times reported the firing earlier Tuesday.

“We believe that our employees should behave in a manner consistent with the trust our clients place in us and our firm’s values, which include treating women, and indeed everyone, with dignity and respect,” Ms. Jockle said in the email. “We have undertaken steps in recent years to ensure that issues such as this are properly escalated. However, in light of current events we must and will do better.”

Attempts by Bloomberg to reach Mr. Greenberg weren’t immediately successful. The allegations previously reported are the result of “a personal estrangement and vendettas,” the New York Times cited Mr. Greenberg as saying in an email. “Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. I have always tried to do that in my personal and professional relationships,” he said, according to the newspaper. “I am proud of my record as I know that I have always served our clients with integrity,” the newspaper cited him as saying.

Mr. Greenberg was an executive director in the wealth-advisory business after joining Morgan Stanley in 1994, according to his LinkedIn profile. His Financial Industry Regulatory Authority records show two criminal charges, theft in 1984 and criminal mischief in 2001, both of which were dismissed.

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