CRD #1252 · FINRA BrokerCheck + SEC IAPD

William Blair

According to FINRA BrokerCheck disclosure totals used on PlainAdvisorCheck graded firms, William Blair ranks #184 of 20,055 by disclosure count (most disclosures first). Among firms registered in IL, it ranks #9 of 200 on the same disclosure sort used on the state browse page. William Blair carries 31 BrokerCheck disclosures across 303 branch offices - light load for a large firm, earning a Grade C.

Verify on FINRA BrokerCheck → Browse all firms
Grade C
Safety grade
303
branch offices
31
disclosures
#184 of 20,055
disclosure rank · graded

FINRA BrokerCheck disclosure docket

CRD record 1252 William Blair

William Blair · Grade C · 31 disc · 0.10/office · Large firm

  • CRD 1252
  • GRADE C
  • DISC 31
  • REG 29
  • ARB 2
  • CIV 0
  • BRANCH 303
  • PER-OFF 0.10
  • RANK #184 of 20,055
  • BOOK Large firm

Intensity peers

Nearest same-size peer: Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. (0.10 disc/office)

Voya Financial Advisors…0.10Momentum Independent Ne…0.10BOK Financial Securitie…0.11William Blair (this)0.10
Disclosures per office among large firm peers (lower is cleaner)

William Blair ranks #184 of 20,055 by disclosure count among graded broker-dealers; light load at 0.10 disclosures per office. Verify on FINRA BrokerCheck →

PlainAdvisorCheck rating 3/5 - an editorial, size-normalized signal, not a regulatory determination. Always verify the underlying record on FINRA BrokerCheck before engaging an advisor.

Data updated July 2026

Branch offices

303 offices

FINRA: Large firm

Total disclosures

31 events

On FINRA BrokerCheck

Regulatory events

29 actions

94% of all disclosures

Disclosures per office

0.10 per office

31 ÷ 303 offices

William Blair vs. every disclosing firm

Disclosures per branch office, the size-normalized signal behind the grade (lower is cleaner)

0 Among the cleanest for its size a cleaner per-office record than 87% of 1,251 disclosing firms

0–0: 314 disclosing firms (25%). This entry sits in this band. 0–1: 159 disclosing firms (13%). Above this entry. 1–1: 301 disclosing firms (24%). Above this entry. 1–1: 40 disclosing firms (3%). Above this entry. 1–1: 140 disclosing firms (11%). Above this entry. 1–2: 32 disclosing firms (3%). Above this entry. 2–2: 65 disclosing firms (5%). Above this entry. 2–2: 9 disclosing firms (1%). Above this entry. 2–2: 72 disclosing firms (6%). Above this entry. 2–3: 14 disclosing firms (1%). Above this entry. 3–3: 24 disclosing firms (2%). Above this entry. 3–3: 6 disclosing firms (0%). Above this entry. 3–3: 32 disclosing firms (3%). Above this entry. 3–4: 5 disclosing firms (0%). Above this entry. 4–4: 10 disclosing firms (1%). Above this entry. 4–4: 3 disclosing firms (0%). Above this entry. 4–4: 9 disclosing firms (1%). Above this entry. 4–5: 3 disclosing firms (0%). Above this entry. 5–5: 11 disclosing firms (1%). Above this entry. 5–5: 2 disclosing firms (0%). Above this entry. This firm 0 5 every disclosing firm, by disclosures per office, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more disclosing firms. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FINRA BrokerCheck · SEC IAPD · 2026

Disclosure Breakdown

Disclosure Type Count
Regulatory Events 29
Arbitrations 2
Civil Events 0
Total 31

Counts for William Blair reflect events reported on FINRA BrokerCheck as of July 2026. Disclosures are reported events, not proven violations.

Disclosure category share

Regulatory 29 Arbitration 2 Civil 0

Firm Details

Firm Size
Large
Scope
ACTIVE
Location
Chicago, IL, 60606-1594
Formed
10/30/1995
State of Formation
Delaware
CRD Number
1252
SEC Number
2698

Regulator-heavy mix

William Blair in the heavier-disclosure third

William Blair carries 31 BrokerCheck disclosures across 303 branch offices - a heavier-third raw book among graded firms (#184 of 20,055). Regulator-initiated events are 94% of the book (29 regulatory / 2 arbitration / 0 civil).

94% of William Blair's 31 disclosures are regulator-initiated (29 events). Verify on FINRA BrokerCheck ↗ · how disclosures are interpreted.

Educational summary of William Blair's disclosure book - not financial advice. Disclosures are reported events, not proven violations; consult a licensed advisor before decisions.

Illinois cohort · 6.09× state average

William Blair sits above the Illinois disclosure average

William Blair reports 31 BrokerCheck disclosures, 6.09× the Illinois average of 5.1 across 200 graded firms with a principal-office state on file.

In Illinois, 99 firms carry Grade A and 8 carry Grade F on the same size-normalized scale.

Average uses graded firms with a principal-office state on file, not a full 50-state census. Open the Illinois state book →

Source: FINRA BrokerCheck & SEC IAPD Public Disclosure Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does William Blair sit among graded broker-dealers by disclosure count?
According to FINRA BrokerCheck disclosure totals used on PlainAdvisorCheck graded firms, William Blair ranks #184 of 20,055 by disclosure count (most disclosures first). Among firms registered in IL, it ranks #9 of 200 on the same disclosure sort used on the state browse page. Ordinals match the disclosure-first sort documented on our methodology corpus-placement section. A high disclosure rank is not automatically a finding of wrongdoing; larger firms accumulate more reported events. Always review the underlying FINRA BrokerCheck detail before engaging.
What does a grade of C mean for William Blair?
A grade of C reflects William Blair's disclosure intensity, its weighted disclosure load per branch office, ranked against other firms of a similar size (large firm). It carries 31 total disclosures across 303 branch offices. Review the specific disclosures on FINRA BrokerCheck before engaging.
How many FINRA disclosures does William Blair have?
William Blair has 31 total FINRA disclosures, including 29 regulatory events, 2 arbitrations. Disclosures reflect reported events on FINRA BrokerCheck and do not necessarily indicate proven violations.
How big is William Blair?
William Blair operates 303 branch offices and is classified by FINRA as a large firm, registered in IL (Large firm). FINRA BrokerCheck publishes branch-office counts but not a firmwide registered-representative headcount, so PlainAdvisorCheck measures firm size by branch footprint.
Where can I verify William Blair's disciplinary record?
You can verify William Blair's full disciplinary history on FINRA BrokerCheck at brokercheck.finra.org using CRD number 1252. BrokerCheck provides detailed information about individual registered representatives, complaints, and regulatory actions.
What is a FINRA disclosure?
A FINRA disclosure is a reported event (regulatory, arbitration, or civil). William Blair's 31 events mean reading the underlying BrokerCheck detail matters more than the raw count alone.
Should I avoid William Blair because of its disclosures?
Not necessarily. Larger firms accumulate more disclosures simply because they operate more offices, so PlainAdvisorCheck grades each firm against same-size peers rather than on raw counts. William Blair carries 31 disclosures across 303 branch offices (about 0.10 per office). Review the nature of individual disclosures on FINRA BrokerCheck before making a decision.

Nationwide peers by disclosures or branches

Two PlainAdvisorCheck-derived peer sets for William Blair, both outside IL so the neighborhoods are not state containment (the same-size intensity list below stays size-tier local).

Read with this firm

Read our methodology - heavier-disclosure firms: how raw counts and per-office intensity are graded.

Retrieved and formatted by PlainAdvisorCheck from FINRA BrokerCheck public records.