The US Securities and Exchange Commission is suing William G. Mortenson with Texas securities fraud related to an alleged revenue scheme that allowed him to maintain an expensive lifestyle. According to the SEC, the former chief financial officer of Advanced Materials Group Inc. fraudulently inflating the company’s financial results in…
Investor Lawyers Blog
No Criminal Cases Yet Against Wall Street Banks Despite Obama Administration’s Vow To Go After Those Responsible for Financial Crisis
According to the Washington Post, even though the President Obama had vowed to hold Wall Street accountable for the economic collapse, his administration has yet to bring any charges against the large investment banks that took out loans from mortgage companies, turned them into toxic securities, and sent them into…
Texas Attorney General Candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky Says State Should File Securities Fraud Lawsuit Against Wall Street Firms
Barbara Ann Radnofsky, the Democratic candidate for Texas attorney general, says that the state should sue Wall Street firms for securities fraud. Earlier this week, she published a legal brief accusing investment banks of being responsible for the financial crisis. Her Texas securities fraud briefing, which is modeled on the…
Freddie Mac and Fannie May Drop After They Delist Their Shares from New York Stock Exchange
Fannie Mae dropped 39% to 56 cents and Freddie Mac went down 38% to 75 cents when the mortgage firm delisted their preferred and common shares from the New York Stock Exchange at the request of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The moves were ordered after the NYSE told Fannie…
As BP Oil Spill Reaches Crisis Mode, A Number of Wall Street Analysts Placed “Buy” Rating On the Company’s Plunging Shares
When BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast first became news, the company’s shares started to drop. According to the Huffington Post, the unfolding crisis incited a mad dash on Wall Street, with dozens of securities analysts encouraging investors to “buy, buy, buy” BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)…
LPL Investment Holdings, Inc. IPO Registration Gives Evidence of Disparities Between Wirehouse Broker-Dealers and Independent Brokerage Firms
According to InvestmentNews, LPL Investment Holding Inc’s recent IPO registration is clear evidence that the 4 wirehouse brokerage firms still dwarf the approximately 1,200 independent contractor broker-dealers when it comes to controlling client assets. LPL is an independent broker-dealer. Currently, there are approximately 114,000 independent reps and about 55,000 wirehouse…
FINRA Suspends License of Dallas Broker-Dealer Linked to Failed Medical Capital Notes
Dallas-based securities firm Cullum & Burks Securities Inc. has had its license suspended by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. The broker-dealer, which had 1,300 client accounts, 100 affiliated reps, and $150 million in assets, reportedly failed to files its mandatory, quarterly Focus report. Last November, FINRA said the Texas…
House and Senate Negotiators Can’t Seem to Agree on Fiduciary Standard in Financial Regulatory Reform Bill
According to InvestmentNews, negotiators in the Senate and the House have reached an impasse regarding the fiduciary standard provision found in the financial regulatory reform bill. While the House wants the US Securities and Exchange Commission to impose a universal standard of care that would be applicable to anyone offering…
Lehman Brothers Lawsuit Claims Its Bankruptcy Was In Part Due to JP Morgan Chase’s Seizure of $8.6 Billion in Cash Reserves
The estate of Lehman Brothers Holdings is claiming that JP Morgan Chase abused its position as a clearing firm when it forced Lehman to give up $8.6 billion in cash reserve as collateral. In its securities fraud lawsuit, Lehman contends that if it hadn’t had to give up the money,…
SEC Inquiring About Wisconsin School Districts Failed $200 Million CDO Investments Made Through Stifel Nicolaus and Royal Bank of Canada Subsidiaries
According to local new services, the US Securities and Exchange Commission is asking five Wisconsin school districts for additional information about the $200+ million in synthetic collateralized debt obligations that they purchased through Stifel Nicolaus and Royal Bank of Canada subsidiaries in 2006. The CDO’s are now reportedlyworthless. The districts…