Your margin positions have been liquidated to meet a margin call despite the fact that you and the brokerage firm had established a pattern of meeting such calls extending to a longer period of time than was set forth in the margin agreement that you signed. Or your...
Firm News
Fraudulent Transfer of Customer Funds
You return from a well-deserved vacation, relaxed and in a great mood. But that changes dramatically when, a few days later, you happen to check your online brokerage account and discover that all of your securities have been sold and all of the proceeds have been...
Arbitrating a Registered Investment Advisor at the American Arbitration Association and JAMS
Over the past years, brokers have shifted their association from brokerage firms regulated by FINRA to investment advisory firms that are not regulated by FINRA. Their business model has changed from commission-based transactions (after speaking with you to get your...
Duties Owed to You by Your Investment Adviser
There has been a substantial increase in the number of financial advisers foregoing registration with FINRA as a registered representative in favor of becoming an investment adviser – an RIA. Depending on the structure of the firm and the size of the assets under...
What to Expect When Contacting an Attorney
You’ve suffered financial losses as a result of misconduct from your financial advisor. Whether those losses were the result of an unsuitable recommendation, undisclosed risks or unauthorized trades, you need to consult an attorney to recoup your losses from the...
FINRA’s New Expungement Rules
In 2023, FINRA’s significant changes to its expungement procedures will be implemented, making the permanent removal of a customer complaint or arbitration from a broker’s record much more difficult to obtain from a FINRA arbitration panel. While the three limited...
What fiduciary duty do stockbrokers owe their clients?
A common question I encounter from potential customer clients has to do with the level of responsibility or duty their broker owed them. It typically comes as a great surprise to these customers that not all stockbrokers are legally required to act in their...
Understanding investment broker negligence
Putting your financial investments in the hands of a professional can be a great way to make the most of your money. But what if things aren’t going so well? How do you know if your broker is doing their job correctly? Negligence is one way that your broker could be...
Selecting Arbitrators – Part 3
Recommendations For Arbitrator Selection These recommendations are based on suggestions made by practitioners at the many continuing education programs I have either chaired or been a panelist on and from my own experience in arbitrator selection when representing...
Selecting Arbitrators – Part 1
The best chance your client has to prevail in a FINRA securities arbitration is not necessarily dependent on the merits of the case but on the arbitrators selected by the parties to decide the case. Like the voir dire process of jury selection, there is an art to...