Securities Lawyer Interviews

Naples, FL When it comes to securities fraud, many people think a lawsuit is the only way for them to recover lost money. So they are surprised when a lawyer informs them that they must go through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to file their complaint. Kristian Kraszewski, managing partner of the securities department at Kyros Law Offices, says FINRA dispute resolution is a good way for investors to deal with their stock fraud or securities fraud complaints.

Chicago, IL Attorney Howard Prossnitz firmly believes his clients and many of the 12,000 other Morgan Keegan (MK) bond investors that filed a securities fraud class action against the now-defunct investment firm Morgan Keegan are being offered a raw deal.

New York, NY When it comes to securities fraud claims, one of the areas of concern is suitability violations--when a broker-dealer or financial advisor recommends investment products that are unsuitable for the client. Christopher Gray, senior attorney at Law Office of Christopher J. Gray, PC, says he is seeing numerous suitability violation claims related to the sale of non-exchange traded real estate investment trusts. Those claims may result in an arbitration being filed on behalf of the investor.

New York, NY New York City super-lawyer Michael Spencer, best known for prevailing in a multi-billion dollar class-action suit against French media conglomerate Vivendi for deceiving investors, says he sees "opportunities" in Canada, and may prove to be a game changer in this country now that he has qualified to admission to the Ontario bar and is ready to robe up in Canada.

Los Angeles, CA There are lots of roles a lawyer can play—litigator, arbitrator, discovery referee—but the one role Harvard law grad Denise Madigan likes best is the role of the mediator.

New York, NY Facing allegations of improperly marketing Lehman Brothers Principal Protected Notes as safe investments, UBS is now dealing with FINRA arbitrations filed by investors who say they lost their money to the Lehman Brothers structured notes. Investors say they bought the Lehman Brothers Principal Protected notes from UBS, but in many cases, they were not told Lehman Brothers was connected to the investment.

Sante Fe, NM Securities fraud seems to have dropped from the headlines, and Bernie Madoff is in safely locked up far from other peoples' money. But make no mistake, says Louis Straney, a super expert on fraud detection, litigation, prevention and control of financial misconduct—there is a never-ending stream of heartless pretenders intent on stealing your money.

Farmington Hills, MI A flurry of class action settlement money has been arriving in the mail boxes of mutual fund holders. Investment advisor and attorney Rick Bloom, from Bloom Asset Management, says clients often come to him somewhat bewildered after receiving an unexpected check.

New York, NY Investors who bought shares in the Toyota Motor Corporation thought they were buying into one of the most trusted and reliable carmakers in the world. Little did they know that Toyota had information to the contrary—information that in the view of veteran litigation lawyer Marvin Frank amounts to securities fraud.

Jupiter, FL The first rule of thumb for investors is "open your monthly statements," says Marc Dobin, an experienced securities lawyer who has represented hundreds of unhappy investors and brokerage firms in securities fraud cases.