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Private Equity Fund Fraud and How Our Experienced Brokerage Firm Arbitration Lawyers Can Help 

What Is A Private Equity Fund? 

These are investment vehicles in which investors’ funds are pooled together and used by the fund to make investments. Private equity funds are closed-end funds and they are not listed on public exchanges. Often, a private equity fund will take a controlling interest in a company or a business that becomes what is called a “portfolio company” for the fund. The private equity fund then actively manages this enterprise in order to enhance its value.

Should You Sue Your Broker-Dealer Over Your Investor Losses From Morgan Stanley’s Covered Call Options Strategy?

Broker-Dealer Ordered To Pay$11.5M After Losing FINRA Lawsuit

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA lawsuit) arbitration panel has ordered Morgan Stanley to pay one investor $11.5M in damages over losses sustained by using a covered call options strategy. The panel’s ruling also awarded the claimant $157,656.81 in costs and $400 in arbitration fees.

Recoup Your GPB Investor Losses in Securities Arbitration

If you are an investor who suffered losses in GPB Capital Holdings, you may be able to sue your broker-dealer for unsuitably recommending these private placements that allegedly were part of a more than $1.7B Ponzi scam. Unfortunately, over 17,000 investors, including many retail customers and older retirees, were purportedly persuaded by their broker-dealers that investing in one of the GPB Funds was a solid investment opportunity. Instead, they have suffered significant investment losses. Meanwhile, GPB Capital’s key executives are facing regulatory and criminal charges along with lawsuits brought by investors.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (investorlawyers.com) is representing GPB Capital investors in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration against the broker-dealers that sold private placements in one or more of the GPB Funds to customers. Some of these brokerage firms have even been subject to related regulatory sanctions.

Reg D Securities Losses Can Be Caused by Broker Negligence

Our Brokerage Firm Arbitration Lawyers Are Investigating Herbert J. Sims (HJ Sims) After Regulation D Offerings Fail

Regulation D (Reg D) private placements are private securities offerings. These alternative investments are risky, often illiquid investments and exempt from having to  register with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Reg D offerings are primarily suitable for sophisticated, high-net-worth individual investors and institutional clients.

Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Investors Receive New Liquidation Update

On November 15, 2022, Northstar (Bermuda) policyholders were sent an update regarding the liquidation proceedings involving the offshore company, which filed for bankruptcy in December 2020. Many investors are still struggling to recoup their losses.

The letter stated that the Joint Provisional Liquidators (JPLs) are continuing to look into “loan assets and settlements of loan/preferred equity in affiliated entities,” and also at “assets and potential claims” against US-based parties. The JPLs have needed more time to investigate Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda)’s financial affairs.

 Alleged Unsuitability and Due Diligence Failures May Be Grounds for a FINRA Lawsuit

If you are someone whose financial advisor recommended one of the TCA Global Credit Funds to you, there may be reasons to sue your broker-dealer for damages. In 2020, TCA Fund Management Group Corp. and key executives were accused of securities fraud, including allegedly fraudulently inflating the net asset values and performance outcomes of a number of its funds. This purportedly led to hundreds of investors being defrauded while leaving its funds, which allegedly falsely held about $516M, in serious trouble. Affiliated company TCA Global Credit Fund GP Ltd. also was accused of investor fraud.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (investorlawyers.com) are working with a number of TCA Global Fund investors to determine whether they have grounds for a FINRA lawsuit. Unfortunately, it appears that alleged due diligence failures, unsuitability, misrepresentations and omissions, and broker negligence may have been factors when certain brokers marketed and sold one of these TCA Funds to customers:

Our Seasoned Brokerage Firm Arbitration Attorneys Are Here To Help Recover Investor Losses when Stockbroker misconduct is Suspected

There are different kinds of broker misconduct that can be committed by registered representatives and/or their broker-dealers. There is, of course, the most egregious kind, which is when a financial advisor purposely commits stockbroker fraud by running an investment scam or misappropriating investors’ funds by theft. These are crimes that should be prosecuted. However, criminal fraud charges don’t always lead to recovery of investor losses for victims. The same can be said for the outcomes of civil cases filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), or a state securities regulator against a broker-dealer.

For over 30 years, Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (investorlawyers.com) has been fighting for investors pursuing damages from their broker-dealers and financial advisors. With savvy FINRA lawyers representing you, filing your own broker misconduct against your brokerage firm can increase your chances for a full, or even partial, financial recovery.

What Are Common Types of Investment Fraud and How Can Our Broker Misconduct Attorneys Help?

Every day, there are financial scammers out there looking to steal money from unsuspecting investors. Some of these fraudsters are registered brokers using the legitimacy of their profession and the brokerage firms they are employed by to hide their schemes while targeting customers.

If you are someone whose financial advisor defrauded you in some type of investment fraud, our skilled broker misconduct attorneys at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (investorlawyers.com) may be able to help you pursue damages against the broker-dealer, which should have detected there were red flags and protected you from sustaining significant investment losses.

Did You Suffer Investor Losses While Working With Ex-Network 1 Financial Securities Broker Charles Malico? 

Customers Accuse New York Financial Advisor of Broker Misconduct

In the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA’s) first disciplinary action related to Regulation Best Interest, the SRO has imposed a $5K fine and six-month suspension against former Network 1 Financial Securities financial advisor Charles Vincent Malico in Huntington Station, New York. This is not the first time that Malico has been accused of broker negligence, churning, or misconduct.

Did You Suffer Investment Losses While Working With Former Fortune Financial Services Broker Richard Wesselt?

Investors May Be Able to Look To FINRA Lawyer To Recover Damages Caused By Broker Misconduct

It can be devastating to discover that the broker you entrusted to properly manage your portfolio and make investment recommendations was negligent or engaged in other actions that caused you to sustain serious investment losses. One former registered representative under scrutiny for his handling of clients’ accounts is ex-Fortune Financial Services broker Richard Michael Wesselt.

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