FINRA arbitration can help investors recover losses, but results depend on preparation and strategy. Our attorneys conduct a detailed case review, draft a fact-rich Statement of Claim, and manage arbitrator selection, discovery, mediation, and hearing presentation. We focus on evidence, deadlines, and damages analysis so clients know what to expect from start to award today.
Continue ReadingDiscretionary accounts let an advisor trade without prior approval, offering speed and flexibility but often higher minimums and annual fees. Non-discretionary accounts require your consent for each trade, giving you greater control but slower reactions to opportunities. Regardless of account type, brokers must act in your best interest and match your goals and risk tolerance.
Continue ReadingUnauthorized trading happens when a broker buys or sells securities in a non-discretionary account without your prior permission. Our firm helps investors act fast, document the activity, and pursue recovery through FINRA arbitration. If you see trades you didn’t approve, report them immediately, preserve statements and confirmations, and speak with an attorney about next steps.
Continue ReadingFinancial advisor malpractice happens when an advisor fails to meet duties to protect investors, including fiduciary obligations, suitability, and Regulation Best Interest. Misconduct may be obvious—forged signatures, fabricated documents, lies—or subtle, surfacing only after losses. Our securities attorneys help clients evaluate diversification failures, unsuitable recommendations, churning, and negligence, and pursue recovery through litigation or arbitration.
Continue ReadingInvestors can sue a brokerage firm to recover losses caused by a broker’s negligence, fraud, or supervisory failures. Because firms are vicariously liable for employees and must enforce compliance policies, liability often rests with the broker-dealer. Some claims target the individual broker for misstatements or illegal conduct. An experienced securities lawyer can evaluate options today.
Continue Reading“Selling away” occurs when a broker sells securities through unauthorized private transactions outside a firm’s approved product list. Because the deal bypasses brokerage screening, disclosures, and supervision, investors face fraud risk and may have a harder time recovering losses. The page explains examples, FINRA Rules 3270/3280, penalties, and recovery options like arbitration, mediation, or lawsuits.
Continue ReadingThe Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. secured a significant arbitration victory in which an investor received more than $6 million in awards for losses tied to unsuitable recommendations and overconcentration in UBS and UBS Puerto Rico securities, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to holding brokers accountable. Our attorneys emphasize protecting investors from misleading advice and pursuing recovery when financial advisors fail to act in clients’ best interest.
Continue ReadingElder financial abuse is theft or mismanagement of an adult’s assets, often by a family member or trusted advisor. Warning signs include unusual withdrawals, sudden risky investment shifts, suspicious online contacts, unpaid bills, repeated money requests, unnecessary services, and coercion. If you suspect exploitation, seek help when needed, report concerns, and contact an attorney today.
Continue ReadingStock options are derivative contracts that give the holder the right, not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a set strike price before expiration. Calls profit from rising prices; puts profit from falling prices. Options can magnify gains and losses, and some strategies resemble gambling, making them unsuitable for many investors.
Continue ReadingSecurities fraud, also called investment or stock fraud, occurs when false or misleading information is used to induce investors to buy, sell, or hold securities, causing substantial losses. It may be committed by brokers, advisors, firms, corporations, or online scammers. Common schemes include high-yield promises, Ponzi or pyramid tactics, advance-fee scams, unauthorized trading, and churning.
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