A US federal court in Florida declined to dismiss a complaint filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that alleged that Jay Grossman, an attorney, aided and abetted violations of law by multiple clients. The CFTC filed charges against Mr. Grossman during September 2014, claiming that he helped four of his clients—who allegedly held themselves out to the public as metals clearing firms—to engage in unlawful off-exchange retail commodity transactions and fraud. These firms included Hunter Wise Commodities, LLC and related entities. The CFTC also charged Mr. Grossman with assisting similar violations by other clients too. According to the CFTC, Mr. Grossman’s “role went well beyond the provision of legal advice” in connection with assistance to Hunter Wise and the other companies. Mr. Grossman had sought to have the CFTC’s charges dismissed, claiming that, “he was merely providing legal advice to his clients, and, therefore, can’t be subject to liability.” However, the court rejected Mr. Grossman’s position, saying that his argument is a “factual one, one which brushes off the well-pleaded allegations found in the Complaint.” As a result, it was not appropriate, to dismiss the CFTC’s complaint, wrote the court.