NEW ORLEANS – A Los Angeles woman is suing Morgan Stanley & Co. in Baton Rouge, claiming it will not release the funds she inherited from her deceased friend’s estate.
Monique S. Howard filed a lawsuit Jan. 7 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, alleging breach of contract.
According to the complaint, Howard’s longtime friend, Dr. Don F. Peterson, named her as beneficiary of his two individual retirement accounts prior to Jan. 8, 2015. Peterson lived in East Baton Rouge Parish. Although Peterson passed away in October 2015, Morgan Stanley has allegedly refused to release the funds in the accounts to Howard, despite having provided her with copies of the designations Peterson signed that list her as primary beneficiary.
Howard is asking the court to officially recognize her as Peterson’s beneficiary, order Morgan Stanley to give her the funds she is due, and compensate her for court costs and other damages. She is represented by attorneys William D. Treeby, Laura Walker Plunkett and Samantha P. Griffin of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann LLC in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Case number 2:16-CV-00134