A National Securities Arbitration & Investment Fraud Law Firm

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Our firm has won a $1.5 million FINRA arbitration award against a Texas-based brokerage firm that sold private placements in an oil and gas business venture to our client. The FINRA arbitration award included a significant million dollars in punitive damages. Silver Law Group continues to represent other investors in failed private placements or Reg D offerings.

Our Client Loses a Significant Amount of Money in an Oil and Gas Private Placement

According to the FINRA statement of claim, a broker of the Texas-based brokerage firm first met with our client and convinced him to fly to Texas for the investment pitch. Our client then met with the CEO of the brokerage firm and pitched the investment to our client. The investment proceeds would allegedly by used to drill oil wells for oil production.  The CEO of the brokerage firm promised great returns on the investment within six months. Our client was convinced and invested approximately $521,000 – almost all of his life savings.

Scott Silver was happy to address a packed room of accomplished class action and mass tort lawyers to discuss securities and investment fraud cases and handling FINRA arbitration claims. HB Litigation Conferences is a leading conference coordinator and coordinated a unique conference in the NASDAQ building in Times Square.  Scott’s talk focused on elder financial fraud cases, representing investors in securities or FINRA arbitration claims and potential future stockbroker misconduct cases. As a recognized leader in securities arbitration, Scott is a passionate investor advocate, a proponent of improving the FINRA arbitration process and primarily represents investors in securities arbitration claims.

Silver Law Group is one of New York City’s top law firms for representing investors in securities and FINRA arbitration claims. Our attorneys have years of experience and are admitted to practice in Florida and New York representing investors nationwide. If you need a speaker on securities and investment fraud matters, please contact Scott Silver at ssilver@silverlaw.com  and visit us at www.silverlaw.com.

On December 8, 2017, the University of Miami School of Law held its annual class action forum.  Of particular interest was hot topics in class action and mass torts plus a keynote speech from the attorney representing many NFL players in litigation relating to concussions.

Scott Silver is a 1996 graduate of Miami Law School and an active member of the Law School alumni program.  In 2016, Silver Law Group was instrumental in helping the University of Miami Investor Rights Clinic receive a $107,000 Cy Pres Award from one of our class actions relating to the U.S. Pension Trust Corp. fraud which resulted in a substantial recovery for our clients.

The Investor Rights Clinic is an important program which teaches students about securities arbitration while helping investors, who may not be able to find counsel, pursue FINRA arbitration claims for securities and investment fraud.  Scott Silver is a frequent lecturer at investor rights clinics around the country including University of Miami and Albany Law School in New York.

Carlos Mejia

CRD#5011069

Silver Law Group is investigating Former Albany, New York-based Purshe Kaplan Sterling broker Carlos Mejia after he settled a customer complaint alleging unsuitable investment recommendations.

Bettye C. Hays

CRD#1307813

Silver Law Group is investigating former Mobile, Alabama-based Principal Securities broker Bettye Hays following a customer complaint alleging unsuitable investment recommendations and misrepresenting an investment opportunity.

Kim D. Isaacson

CRD#855618

Silver Law Group is investigating former Midvale, Utah based Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc broker Kim D. Isaacson after FINRA received a complaint of fraudulent misrepresentation, omission of material facts and unauthorized trading

Englebert Sarmiento

CRD#4506010

Silver Law Group is investigating Former Lynnbrook, New York-based Network 1 Financial Services broker Englebert Sarmiento following multiple customer complaints alleging unauthorized investment activity and unsuitable investment recommendations.

Michael J. Keane

CRD#265697

Silver Law Group is investigating former Melville, New York-based UBS Financial Services Inc broker Michael Keane, after multiple customer allegations of unsuitable investment recommendations where received by FINRA.

Melvin Case

CRD#2393464

Silver Law Group is investigating Jacksonville, Florida-based LPL Financial broker Melvin Case following multiple customer complaints alleging unsuitable investment recommendations, churning, and misrepresentation.

Case is not currently employed by any FINRA registered brokerage. He was previously employed by firm LPL at their Jacksonville, FL office, where he was employed since 2008. Case was discharged from LPL over allegations of criminal charges involving exploitation of an aged adult after converting the victim’s money to his own benefit.

According to FINRA’s BrokerCheck report on Case, a complaint was received in August of 2017 alleging that Case had provided unsuitable investment recommendations and engaged in churning and misrepresentation. The complaint alleges over $6,000 in damages and settled in September for $9,023.

An unsuitable recommendation is a serious form of potential broker misconduct.  A broker’s employing firm is responsible for overseeing the broker to prevent such misconduct.  Failure to supervise is a claim made against a brokerage firm in these situations.

Unauthorized trading occurs when a broker facilitates a transaction without the permission of the customer in a non-discretionary account.  According to FINRA, it is one of the common investor issues along with misrepresentation, cold-calling, and unsuitability.

Often, unauthorized trading is accompanied by churning.  Churning occurs when the account frequently trades for no apparent reason but to generate fees and commissions.

Also, among other investment tenets, brokers are required to recommend suitable investments to their customers. This requires that the broker: Investigates and conducts due diligence into the investment’s attributes including its benefits, risks, tax consequences, and other relevant factors to form a reasonable basis for the recommendation of the product; and appropriately matches the investment with the customer’s specific investment needs and objectives, such as the customer’s retirement status, long or short-term goals, age, disability, income needs, or any other relevant factors.

When a broker or brokerage firm fails to recommend investments to its customers along those guidelines, there must be accountability.  If you have lost money on an investment that did not fit your investment profile, you may be able to recover some or all of your lost money.

FINRA arbitration is a fast, efficient way to recover your lost investment funds due to unsuitable investment recommendation or unauthorized trading.  The Silver Law Group works on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay us nothing unless we recover money for you. Our Florida licensed attorneys can represent you in any Florida securities or investment fraud matter.

If you invested with LPL Financial and Melvin Case and have lost money doing so, you may be able to recover some or all of your losses. We are experienced in recovering investor losses due to broker/brokerage firm misconduct and mismanagement through FINRA arbitration.

Silver Law Group represents the interests of investors who have been the victims of investment fraud.  If you have questions about your legal rights, please contact Scott Silver of the Silver Law Group for a free consultation at ssilver@silverlaw.com or toll-free at (800) 975-4345.

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Ernest Julius Romer

CRD#2311741

Silver Law Group is investigating Sterling Heights, Michigan-based CoreCap broker Ernest J. Romer, after customer allegations of misrepresentation and unsuitable recommendations where received by FINRA and he was subsequently permanently barred from the industry.

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