Mr. Thomas Selman
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Office: 914-296-4346
For 20+ years, Tom Selman served at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, most recently as Executive Vice President for Regulatory Policy and Legal Compliance Officer. He oversaw more than a dozen regulatory programs and developed FINRA's formal compliance program.
Mr. Selman holds a J.D degree., a CFA charter, and a CBDA from the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals. He is a member of three state bar associations.
As President and CEO of Scopus Financial Group, Mr. Selman has extensive experience in providing expert testimony in litigation for defendants and claimants. He is frequently retained at inflection points in litigation to assess class-certification risk, rebut expert theories, and evaluate compliance issues under compressed timelines.
Mr. Selman has successfully testified in FINRA and AAA arbitrations and state and federal courts, including the Delaware Chancery Court. He has testified on a wide range of issues, including the supervision of associated persons of broker-dealers and investment advisers, the required written supervisory procedures of firms, the sales practice rules of the SEC (such as the fiduciary duty of investment advisers and Reg BI), and the 1940 Acts.
- Cryptocurrency
- Finance
- Financial Planning
- Fraud Investigation
- Investment Banking
- Licensing
- Marketing
- Securities
- Stocks & Bonds
- White Collar Crime
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: JD, University of Texas School of Law
Texas Law Review
BA, Rice University
CFA Charter
CBDA from the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Member, DC Bar Association
Member, Texas Bar Association
Member, Maryland Bar Association
Securities Expert Roundtable
NSCP
CFA Institute Capital Markets Policy Council - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Extensive speaking as FINRA Executive Vice President and as President and CEO of Scopus Financial Group
- Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: From 2020 through October 2025, in nine matters.
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Virtually all aspects of securities regulation, including the supervisory rules, sales practice rules, Reg BI, fiduciary standard of investment advisers, representing a wide variety of firms and individuals in arbitration, at trial, and in SEC enforcement. Cases include civil litigation, SEC enforcement, and commercial litigation in which compliance with a securities rule was at issue.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: I am available to be retained by plaintiffs and defendants.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: I am available to be retained by plaintiffs and defendants.
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: From 2020 through October 2025, four times.
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: Mid-2024
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: From 2020 through December 2025, ten times.
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: From 2020 through December 2025, six times.
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: About 6 years.
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Expert testimony, consulting, independent consultant as a condition to settlement.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: Available upon request.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: Available upon request.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: Available upon request.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: Available upon request.
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Travel expenses
Available Upon Request