The SEC says that Philip A. Falcone and his Harbinger Capital Partners will pay over $18 million and admit wrongdoing related to its securities fraud case alleging the improper use of $113 million in fund assets to cover the hedge fund advisor’s personal taxes. The Commission also is accusing them…
Investor Lawyers Blog
AIG Shuts Down Customers’ Bank Accounts in the Wake of Dodd-Frank Limits
American International Group (AIG) will give its banking unit back their money and close out their accounts. The move is because the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act has imposed limits on insurers that have units that take deposits. In a letter to clients, the insurance giant said…
New York Subpoenas 22 Digital-Currency Companies and Investors Over Bitcoin
The New York State Department of Financial Services has subpoenaed a number of investors and digital-currency companies to better understand the Bitcoin (XBT) arena. Letters were sent to key players requesting information about consumer protections, money laundering controls, pitch books, source funding and investments strategies. Among the subpoenaed are Bitcoin…
SEC and DOJ Sue Bank of America Over Alleged $850M RMBS Fraud
Bank of America (BAC) and two subsidiaries are now facing SEC charges for allegedly bilking investors in an residential mortgage-backed securities offering that led to close to $70M in losses and about $50 million in anticipated losses in the future. The US Department of Justice also has filed its securities…
Two Investors’ Securities Fraud Lawsuit Against SEC Over Stanford Ponzi Scam is Dismissed
A federal judge has dismissed the securities fraud lawsuit filed by two investors against the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to report that Allen Stanford was running a $7.2 billion Ponzi scam. According to U.S. District Judge Robert Scola, a Federal Tort Claims Act exemption that does not allow…
Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase Among Banks Sued by Danish Pension Funds in Credit Default Swaps Lawsuit
In U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Danish pension funds (and their investment manager) Unipension Fondsmaeglerselskab, MP Pension-Pensionskassen for Magistre & Psykologer, Arkitekternes Pensionskasse, and Pensionskassen for Jordbrugsakademikere & Dyrlaeger are suing 12 banks accusing them of conspiring to take charge of access and pricing in the…
Professional Athletes, Celebrities Often Targeted for Securities Fraud
The Shepherd Smith Kantas & Edwards law firm has represented many athletes and other celebrities who lost millions because of improper handling of their investments. While overspending and poor investing are two common causes for these losses, the rich and famous also make easy targets for securities fraud, which is…
Mortgage REITs See a Slump
Real estate investment trusts that purchase mortgage debt has taken a dive after an employment report that was better than forecasted spurred speculation that the Federal Reserve will begin to make its asset purchases smaller in size. According to data, the United States added 195,000 jobs in June, even though…
SEC Stops Former Marine’s Hedge Fund Fraud That Targeted Military Folk
The Securities and Exchange Commission has secured an emergency order to stop a hedge fund scam run by ex-marine Clayton A. Cohn and his Market Action Advisors, a hedge fund management firm that is registered in Illinois. The regulator contends that Cohn pretended to be a be a successful trader…
AIG Sued by Nuveen Funds For Securities Fraud
25 Nuveen Investments Inc. funds have filed a securities fraud lawsuit against American International Group (AIG) accusing the company of federal securities laws and Illinois securities law violations, common law fraud, and unjust enrichment in the months before the 2008 US financial crisis. They want unspecified monetary damages. Also named…