Broker Fraud

Morgan Stanley Sued for Unsuitable Recommendations Over Harvest Volatility Strategy, MLPs and Other Complex Investments Made To A Texas Investor

Published on: May 18, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Brokerage Firm Made Unsuitable Investment Recommendations to An Inexperienced Investor

Our brokerage firm fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) have filed a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration against Morgan Stanley on behalf of an elderly Dallas, Texas investor.

The investor in question sustained over $500K in losses due to the unsuitable recommendations of structured products, Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs), other oil and gas equities, and investments governed by Harvest Volatility Management’s Collateral Yield Enhancement Strategy (CYES).

Structured Products Are Not For Everyone In San Francisco. Here’s Why

Published on: May 15, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Our San Francisco structured product fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) work with investors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in helping them to recoup their losses.

Structured products are not for everyone, although investors find them very attractive because they can provide the opportunity to earn the high yield not likely to happen with more traditional types of investments.

Unfortunately, even though these market-linked investments should only be marketed to sophisticated investors that can handle a certain level of risk, brokers lured by the healthy commissions have been recommending them to retail investors, including senior investors and retirees, for years.

Securities Fraud In San Francisco: How You Can Protect Yourself

Published on: May 13, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Becoming the victim of securities fraud in San Francisco can lead to devastating financial losses and there are steps that you can take to prevent that from happening. Even if your broker is registered with a known brokerage firm, there are questions you should ask and due diligence you can do to protect yourself and your investments.

How To Protect Yourself Against Securities Fraud

Below, we discuss the steps you need to put in place to ensure that you are fully protected when dealing with a broker or brokerage firm based in San Francisco.

Investing In Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): What Are They and What Risks Are Involved?

Published on: May 12, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

For thirty years, Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) has worked with investors seeking to recover losses they suffered because a broker and their broker-dealer sold them real estate investment trusts (REITs) that were too high risk for their portfolios. The unsuitability of REITs for many investors has come even clearer in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its impact on many investments.

REITs are not for every kind of investor and a stockbroker should only recommend them if the customer can handle the risks involved and these investments can help fulfill, rather than derail, the client’s goals. Contact our REIT fraud law firm today if you have suffered substantial losses involving your real estate investment trust that you suspect may have been caused by broker fraud or negligence.

What Are REITs?

National Securities Broker Michael Burkoff Accused of Unsuitable Investment Recommendations Involving Structured Products

Published on: May 11, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

National Securities Broker Investigated Over Unsuitable Investment Recommendations

Our broker fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law firm) are looking into claims by investors who suspect that National Securities stockbroker Michael Burkoff recommended investments that were unsuitable for them. Burkoff is a registered representative with National Securities. He has been the subject of a number of customer complaints.

Our seasoned securities fraud attorneys have been successful at representing investors from all over the United States in cases of broker fraud. If you are interested in finding out how you can recover investment losses, get in touch with us today.

Ex-Next Financial Broker Charles Doraine is Barred Following Puerto Rico Bond Fraud Allegations

Published on: May 4, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Doraine Refused To Cooperate In FINRA’s Investigation

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has barred former Next Financial broker, Charles Doraine after he refused to give testimony in the self-regulatory organization’s (SRO’s) probe into allegations that he unsuitably recommended Puerto Rico bonds to customers.

Already, Doraine has been the subject of investor claims accusing him of overconcentrating customer accounts with these municipal bonds and engaging in short-term trading.

David Lerner Associates May Have Sold Spirit of America Energy Fund, Energy Resources 12, and Energy 11 Investments to Conservative Investors and Retirees

Published on: May 1, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Broker-Dealer Comes Under Scrutiny Over Energy, Gas, and Oil Investment Recommendations

If you are a retail or conservative investor, a retiree, or any other investor unwilling or unable to take on too much risk and a David Lerner Associates broker sold you oil, gas, and energy investments, our investment fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) would like to offer you a free, no-obligation case consultation.

Investors who recently invested in the following funds with David Lerner Associates may have been a victim of unsuitable sales practices and have grounds for a claim:

COVID-19 Exacerbates High Risks of Collateralized Loan Obligations for Investors

Published on: April 27, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Collateralized Loan Obligations Are Losing Value In The Wake Of The Coronavirus

Investors who have suffered losses from collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) should contact one of our broker fraud lawyers right away.

While the pandemic is responsible for much of the volatility impacting the markets, bad advice by your stockbroker and their firm recommending that you invest in this form of security may also have contributed to how your portfolio has been affected.

As United States Oil Fund Plunges 30%, Retail ETF Investors Should Worry About Losses

Published on: April 24, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

ETF Investors Of United States Oil Fund May Not Have Known Full Extent Of Risks

Our investment fraud lawyers are offering free case consultations to investors who’ve lost money in the United States Oil Fund (USO) after it dropped 30%. The exchange-traded security continues to make changes to its structure in an attempt to stave off more losses. Part of this now involves giving itself the leeway to get into long-term contracts. The USO exchange-traded fund (ETF), which keeps track of oil prices, is popular among retail investors.

Unfortunately, many of these investors think they are betting on oil prices’ long-term rise and do not fully comprehend how the futures market operates or that these types of funds hold primarily short-dated oil futures contracts and should never be held long-term.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigating Claims From LPL Financial Customers Who Invested in Nontraded REITS and Publicly Traded Property Interval Funds

Published on: April 20, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

LPL Blocks Sales of Nontraded Real Estate Investment Trusts and Publicly Traded Property Interval Funds

This week, LPL Financial (LPLA) announced that it had suspended its sales of several nontraded REITs, as well as a number of publicly traded property interval funds. This is because the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was placing these investments at a higher risk of losses.

In an email to InvestmentNews, LPL EVP of Products and Platforms, Rob Pettman, wouldn’t offer the names of the funds but did note that the broker-dealer hoped to offer them to investors again once the markets had calmed.