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Structured Products Are Not Suitable for Most Retail Investors 

Investment Lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) are looking into claims of losses involving JPMorgan Chase Auto Callable Contingent Interest Notes. Which is connected to the  S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index Excess Return (SPGCCLP). This index tends to reflect the theoretical performance of a trader selling and buying crude oil futures. 

What Is An Auto Callable Contingent Interest Note?

Hiko, Nevada Financial Advisor, BL Whipple Wealth Management, LLC

Three investors have filed a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claim against Newbridge Securities. The claimants seek up to $1M in damages over losses they sustained in GWG L Bonds.

These risky, illiquid junk bonds are from GWG Holdings, Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2022. Newbridge Securities is among the more than 140 regional brokerage firms that earned high commissions from selling L Bonds to customers. 

Investors Accuse New York-Based Broker-Dealer of Reg BI Violations 

Securities lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law firm) are looking into claims of losses by investors who were sold GWG Holdings L Bonds by their Cabot Lodge Securities brokers. Cabot Lodge is one of the more than 140 regional brokerage firms that sold high-risk product failures and junk bonds to customers and naive investors. More than a dozen clients were accusing the NY-based brokerage firm of alleged Regulation Best Interest violations when it sold L Bonds to retirees. 

GWG Holdings Inc., sold $1.6B of L Bonds, defaulted on $13.6M of payments and interest it owed investors in February 2022. In April 2022, the alternative asset firm filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

Leading Broker-Dealer Pitched Regional Broker-Dealers To Sell These Risky Junk Bonds 

Securities lawyers at SSEK are investigating Emerson Equity wholesalers that pitched risky junk bonds. According to InvestmentNews, a review of BrokerCheck data suggest several Emerson Equity wholesalers across the US have left the firm since the beginning of 2022. They are the same wholesalers responsible for pitching GWG L Bonds to regional broker-dealers. 

Emerson, the managing brokerage firm in selling these risky, life settlement-backed bonds for GWG Holdings, Inc., has partnered with over 140 regional brokerage firms to market and sell L Bonds to investors, including retail customers and retirees.  

Two FINRA Arbitration Panels Order Firm To Pay UBS YES Customers for Their Losses 

In separate UBS Yield Enhancement Strategy (UBS YES) investor cases, two Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panels have awarded UBS Financial Services customers $1.18M and $1.4M, respectively. These are the latest awards against the broker-dealer, whose high-net-worth investors have lost significant sums of money in the firm’s proprietary, complex options trading strategy. 

Due to the most recent rulings, the broken dealer will have to pay UBS YES customers more than $7.6M in 2022. In May, two investors were awarded $3.9M. Various other UBS YES customers were awarded $1.2M in March, and In February 2022, a claimant and two of his family trusts were also awarded $1.875M. 

Texas Retiree Files Six-Figure FINRA Arbitration Claim Over Her Investment Losses 

An Austin, TX investor has filed a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claim against Western International Securities, Inc. The investor sustained losses in GWG Holdings L Bonds and the following non-traded real estate investment trusts (non-traded REITs):

  • Griffin Realty Trust Class E

Broker-Dealer Ordered to Pay Customers More Than $625K in Restitution

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioned National Securities Corporation for about $9M, including $4.77M disgorgement in net profits. The broker-dealer allegedly tried to artificially impact the market for GPB private placements involving several public offerings while serving as the underwriter. GPB Capital Holdings is accused of operating a more than $1.7B Ponzi scam that defrauded over 17,000 investors. 

National Securities must pay over $625K in restitution for allegedly not disclosing certain material information to customers who bought GPB private placements. FINRA fined the firm $3.6M for alleged broker misconduct and other violations. 

New Jersey Accuses Real Estate Development Company of Defrauding 1,800 Investors 

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm at investorlawyers.com) is investigating claims of losses by 1,800 investors. These investors may have been fraudulently sold at least $630M in securities by National Realty Investment Advisors (NRIA) between 2018 and 2022. The New Jersey-based real estate development company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 8, 2022. 

An affidavit filed in US bankruptcy court notes about $600M in claims against approximately $300M of assets. On June 21, 2022, the New Jersey Bureau of Securities ordered NRIA to stop operations and accused the company of fraudulent investment sales. Investors were purportedly fraudulently sold units in the NRIA Fund. The minimum investment that investors could make was $100K.

Claimant Alleges Unsuitable Offshore Investment Led to Significant Losses 

An investor who lives in Trinidad and Tobago has filed an arbitration claim against Truist Investment Services over losses he sustained in Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda). The claimant seeks up to six figures in damages. His broker allegedly advised him to invest in this risky, offshore-like annuity product. These recommendations happened despite the claimant stating he was seeking safety and security for his family’s assets. 

Our Northstar (Bermuda) investment attorneys represent this investor in FINRA arbitration against Truist Investment Services. Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm at investorlawyers.com) represents many other claimants against Truist, a SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. broker-dealer subsidiary. 

Customers of Barred Centaurus Financial Broker Are Requesting Over $7.4M in Damages

Marc Frederick Korsch, the CEO of NAV Advisors in Sarasota and a former Centaurus Financial registered representative, is reportedly involved in a GWG Holdings L Bond case. A Centaurus Financial investor filed this case. Although not a respondent in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claim, Korsch allegedly unsuitably recommended this risky life settlement-backed bond to the customer. 

GWG Holdings, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2022. It sold $1.6B of L Bonds to investors through more than 140 regional brokerage firms and financial advisors. These firms earned high commissions from the transactions. Visit GWG Holdings, Inc. and GWG Holdings L Bonds for more information.

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