Investor Fraud

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Continues to Investigate Investor Losses Involving Robinhood Financial Outages Before COVID-19

Published on: April 6, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Robinhood Financial Apologizes To Investors For Outages

If you are an investor who recently sustained losses through Robinhood Financial’s investing platform, contact our investment fraud attorneys at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) today.

Robinhood Financial, which provides an online platform that facilitates stock, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other investment trades without charging commissions, recently experienced technical snafus that caused major outages and prevented trading on March 2nd and March 3rd.

Las Pérdidas en las Inversiones durante el Coronavirus tiene a los Inversionistas Buscando Respuestas

Published on: March 31, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Si usted es como muchos americanos con inversiones, podría estar luchando con cómo manejar las pérdidas masivas que afectan su cartera mientras el novedoso coronavirus (COVID-19) continúa haciendo estragos en la economía, los mercados, la industria laboral y la vida de las personas. De lo que puede que usted no se haya percatado es que las pérdidas en sus inversiones también pueden ser el resultado de fraude o negligencia por parte de su corredor o asesor financiero, y es aquí en lo que los abogados de inversionistas de la firma de Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas (SSEK) pueden ayudarlo.

Nuestro bufete especializado en fraude en las inversiones representa inversionistas detallistas, inversionistas individuales con un patrimonio neto alto, e inversionistas institucionales a través de los Estados Unidos. Aun cuando nosotros, al igual que ustedes, nos adherimos a las nuevas directrices establecidas para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19, nuestros abogados y el resto de nuestro equipo se mantienen trabajando arduamente preparando, a nombre de nuestros clientes, reclamaciones de arbitraje ante la Autoridad Reguladora de la Industria Financiera (FINRA) en contra de corredores, asesores financieros, y sus firmas.

Aquí está lo que debe conocer sobre demandar a su corredor o asesor financiero

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates Ex-Morgan Stanley Broker John Cahill

Published on: January 10, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

FINRA Bars Former Morgan Stanley Representative

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has barred former Morgan Stanley broker, John Joseph Cahill. The ex-registered representative, who was fired from Janney Montgomery Scott early last year, is accused of potentially converting and/or misappropriating an elderly client’s funds while he was at Morgan Stanley.

John Cahill Is Accused of Elder Investor Fraud

Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas Investigates Merrill Lynch and Gordon Harper over Collateral Yield Enhancement Strategy (CYES) Damages

Published on: January 9, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Collateral Yield Enhancement Strategy (CYES) Damages: SSEK Investigating Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor

Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas (SSEK), a law firm specializing in representing wronged investors is looking into allegations against Gordon Harper, a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch out of Upper Montclair, New Jersey. Prior to that, he worked at Banc of America and Edward Jones.

According to allegations in a recent Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA) claim, Gordon Harper recommended something called Harvest Volatility Management CYES (also known as collateral yield enhancement strategy). Harvest is a money manager which, as the name implies, attempts to manage volatility.

Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas Investigates Ex-Raymond James & Associates Advisor Stuart Nichols

Published on: October 31, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

SSEK Investigating Ex-Raymond James Advisor, Stuart Nichols

Another former Raymond James advisor has gotten into trouble over fraud allegations. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently barred Stuart Nichols, a former broker with the firm, after he failed to participate in the self-regulatory authority’s probe into churning allegations made against him.

Churning involves engaging in excessive trading in a brokerage account for the purposes of making commissions.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates Investor Claims Involving ex-Morgan Stanley Brokers Ami Forte and Charles Lawrence

Published on: October 24, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

SSEK Investigating The Ex-Morgan Stanley Broker, Ami Forte

Earlier this year, our investor lawyers reported that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) had filed a lawsuit against former Morgan Stanley broker, Ami Forte. She allegedly made unauthorized trades in the now-deceased Home Shopping Network co-founder, Roy Speer’s, account while he was afflicted with dementia.

The self-regulatory authority has now announced that it is barring Forte. Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) are currently investigating complaints and concerns by former customers of Ami Forte who are suspecting that their losses may be due to fraud.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates ex-Wells Fargo Advisor Stephen Klinger

Published on: October 18, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

SSEK Investigating Stephen Klinger, ex-Wells Fargo Advisor

Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas (“SSEK”), a law firm specializing in representing wronged investors, is looking into allegations against ex-broker Stephen Klinger for trading options for a client in his own account.

He then proceeded to lose the client’s money. Klinger was fired earlier this year by Wells Fargo. The client then sued Klinger and Wells Fargo. According to the broker’s CRD, his official record, Klinger then settled the lawsuit without telling Wells Fargo.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates Claims Involving Fired UBS Broker David Fagenson

Published on: October 17, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

SSEK Investigating David Fagenson, A Former UBS Brokerage Investment Advisor

If you are an investor who worked with former UBS broker, David Fagenson, and suffered substantial losses or suspect you may have been charged excessive fees and commissions, please contact our broker fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LLP (SSEK Law Firm) today.

David Fagenson was suspended by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) last year after he allegedly engaged in unsuitable trading in the accounts of three senior investors ranging in age from their 70s to mid-90s. However, this is not the first fraud allegation in which Fagenson has been involved.

GPB Capital Holdings Stops Selling Private Placements in GPB Funds to Investors

Published on: August 20, 2018 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

With already $1.8B in investor funds, GPB Capital Holdings is now placing a pause on raising more funds while it concentrates on putting in order the accounting and financial statements of two of its biggest funds, the GPB Automotive Portfolio and the GPB Holdings II. Both, collectively have raised nearly $1.3B in investor money. To date, the two funds have paid brokers $100.1M in sales commissions.

The halt comes after GPB Capital, which is a top seller of risky private placements and concentrates on purchasing auto dealerships, missed its April deadline to file financial statements for the two funds with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. According to GPB Capital CEO David Gentile, in a letter that InvestmentNews was able to get a copy of, the delay in filing is a result of having to deal with accounting standards that mandate the two funds generate yearly audited financial statements that must be in compliance with SEC regulations, as well as with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s standards.

Gentile, who headed up his own accounting and advisory firm before launching GPB in 2013, said that “best practices and efficient reporting are a top priority”— hence the temporary halt in accepting money from new investors. Meantime, fund redemptions have been suspended and reportedly will resume after the financial statements and public filings are submitted.

Ameriprise Financial to Pay $4.5M Over Alleged Failure to Protect Investors

Published on: August 15, 2018 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

In a settlement reached with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Ameriprise Financial Services (AMP) will pay $4.5M over allegations that it did not protect retail investors from five of their financial representatives, who stole over $1.5M. Three of these individuals had previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges involving investor fraud.

The Commission charged Ameriprise, a registered investment adviser and brokerage firm, with inadequate supervision of the representatives and for not having policies and procedures that were “reasonably designed” enough to stop them from misappropriating clients’ monies.

Ameriprise, despite setting, is not denying or admitting to the regulator’s findings. However, it consented to a censure.