WSJ
Investor's Business Daily
Nightly Ness with Lester Holt
abc Worl News Tonight
Nightly Business Report
CNNfn
Justia Lawyer Rating
Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Kirk G. Smith
Super Lawyers Samuel B. Edwards
Super Lawyers William S. Shephard
Texas Bar Today Top 10 Blog Post
Avvo Rating. Samuel Edwards. Top Attorney
Lawyers Of Distinction 2018
Highly Recommended
Lawdragon 2022
AV Preeminent

Investment Fraud & Securities Lawyers

No Recovery, No Fee - Serving Clients NationwideExperienced, Trusted FINRA Law Firm for Securities and SEC Litigation, and Investment Loss Recovery from Brokerage Firms and Financial Advisors. Free Consultation.

Investigating securities misrepresentations, fraud and misconduct is what we know. It is our focus! Helping investors recover their hard-earned investment losses while holding those responsible for the losses is what we do and have done for decades. Our securities lawyers and staff have more than 100 years of combined experience in the securities industry and in securities law.

Most of the attorneys and staff in our securities law firm previously served as NASD/FINRA licensed financial advisors or as compliance officers of major brokerage firms. This gives us insight into how the securities business operates beyond almost all other law firms.

Our experienced investment attorneys are devoted to assisting institutional and individual investors nationwide to recover losses caused by the inappropriate actions of investment advisors and their firms.

At Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas, LLP, our team of dedicated securities lawyers have extensive experience in helping investors who put their trust and financial security in the hands of their financial advisor and brokerage firm. Oftentimes this trust can be abused through misconduct, deceit, misrepresentation, or negligence, resulting in financial losses and strain.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or FINRA regulates the brokerage industry and administers the arbitration process. Our firm handles FINRA arbitration cases in all 50 states.

  • Do you believe the financial losses suffered by you or someone you care about are the result of the mismanagement of investment accounts by a financial advisor or FINRA Brokerage Firm?
  • Was your business or retirement plan the victim of negligent or conflicted investment counsel, or other wrongdoing?
  • Do you want to sue your financial advisor, stock broker or Broker/Dealer?

Often, investors are oblivious to the true reasons for or causes of their financial losses, mistakenly attributing their losses to the ebbs and flows of the market, unaware that they are working with a conflicted firm broker and or advisor who has put their own greed or interests ahead of their clients' needs, thus breaching their fiduciary duties. When issues or disputes develop between investors and their broker and/or investment firm, figuring out what the options are and deciding which one is best for a particular situation can feel overwhelming and intimidating. Let our team of distinguished and well-regarded stockbroker fraud lawyers and staff work on your behalf to recover your retirement savings, your financial security. It has been the mission and focus of our law firm for over 30 years. We've helped thousands of investors in situations similar to yours and we can help you. SSEK has filed over 2,000 FINRA arbitrations. Few firms can say that. Few firms have been around long enough and focused securities litigation. We live and breath FINRA rules and SEC or Securities Exchange Commission regulations.

We have assisted investors across the U.S., including Puerto Rico, as well as throughout the world, including countries throughout South and Central America, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.

Many of our clients, both individual and institutional, are referred to our FINRA attorneys and Securities (SEC) law firm by their personal lawyer, accountant, or new financial advisor.

"Besides helping the retail investor, our firm has vast experience in representing corporate or other business entities, Credit Unions and other financial institutions, and Municipalities in conflicted underwritings and investment counsel"

Samuel Edwards, Partner and Past President of PIABA

What is brokerage firm or financial advisor misconduct?

It may include theft, lying and deceit, but it also includes other types of wrongdoing, such as churning, unauthorized transactions, unsuitable investments and other acts of greed, incompetence and negligence by stockbrokers, financial planners, and others in the securities industry. Learn more about common forms of broker misconduct.

There are regulations and laws written to protect investors. Securities regulators "police" the securities industry and issue fines and suspensions. To recover their losses investors must file claims for recovery. Statistics demonstrate that they are far more likely to recover if they are represented by experienced securities lawyers . Since investors sign account documents at brokerage firms which almost always contain binding arbitration clauses, most claims against brokerage firms must be resolved in securities arbitration instead of court. Learn more about securities arbitration.

Our primary goal is to represent investors who have lost their savings and retirement when their brokerage accounts were mishandled . Our investment and securities fraud attorneys have represented thousands of clients nationwide who were victims of misrepresentations, commission churning, unsuitable investments, unauthorized transactions, execution failures, excessive mark-ups, disappearing funds, botched transfers, web-broker outages, "selling away" from firms, unregistered brokers, unregistered securities, improper margin liquidations, broker bribes, fraudulent research, "boiler room" sales practices, private placements and other wrongful acts. Those cases were concerning stocks, bonds, "penny" stocks, "junk" bonds, options, warrants, commodities, mutual funds, REIT's, limited partnerships, derivative securities and other investments. We have also handled other types of cases for investors and minority shareholders. More about our firm.

Click here to learn why the SEC doesn't help defrauded investors and why you need to hire a securities fraud attorney to help you recover your losses.

Click here to learn about common mistakes that investors make when interacting with brokers after they suspect something is wrong.

Click here if you want to know how retirees are targets for unethical money managers. Here is some information about annuities, a prime investment product sold by stockbrokers in recent years partly because of the large commissions the sales generate.

Location of arbitrations by state.

"As a former series 7 licensed stockbroker and financial advisor I have seen the good and bad side of the industry. Most financial advisors are decent people. Often times they are led astray by their own brokerage firm. There have been many instances where the brokerage firm has lied to both the client and the financial advisor. Also, your trusted advisor may simply have been negligent and not done the proper due diligence. Obviously, there are situations where your broker was just thinking of himself. Regardless of which scenario occurred, if you were wronged, you need to seek redress. It's not your fault your advisor was misled by his own employer, and we can always not name the broker in the FINRA lawsuit if that is needed."

Kirk Smith, Partner

Our Free Consultation Process

The first thing to know about our consultation, besides being free, is that it is completely confidential.

The lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas have dealt with injured investors over the past three decades and are aware of the fragile state someone can be placed into when they have been taken advantage of by a trusted financial or investment advisor.

Every detail of your ordeal and every document shared will be kept in the strictest confidence. No matter how complex or document-intensive your potential case may be, you will not be charged a single penny for your review and consultation.

The last thing an investor who has lost a lot of money wants to do is pay more money to someone they just met over the phone. We get it!

Our securities lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas will diligently review your file free of charge.

Our Thorough Client Intake Process

The reason you can be assured we will assess your case thoroughly is that we work on a contingency basis. This means that if you, as the consumer, do not get paid for any losses we can recover, then we do not get paid.

Unless you want to negotiate a separate deal, you will never have to write our investment fraud attorneys a check or wire us a penny. In all candor, most people that contact us do not turn into clients. We are diligent and selective. Rest assured if our securities law firm chooses to work with you, it is because we see a big light at the end of the tunnel.

We view every case filed as a partnership of sorts. We are thoroughly involved in the process with our clients and are there with you every step of the way. Our securities fraud attorneys want to win, for the benefit of our clients and for our own track record which we take seriously.

We work to get our clients the best settlements or wins because the more you make, the more we make.

In reviewing case documents, our policy is always the more the better. Send us every document you have that you believe is remotely pertinent. We will sift through and organize everything. That is our job.

We want to make it easy for you to work with us. In this modern age of scanning and email, prospective clients can send us documents from all over the country and internationally. If you are old fashioned and want to mail us your documents, that is fine too.

We have offices throughout the United States and we are committed to fighting for investors who have been wronged by their financial advisors and broker-dealers. Our securities attorneys and staff stand ready to field your calls, emails, or chats. Please contact us online for your free consultation or call us at (800) 259-9010.

About Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas

Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas is a leading securities law and investment fraud law firm located in Houston, Texas. With many locations, we practice securities law and serve clients both nationally and internationally. Our highly experienced securities attorneys are dedicated to providing the best legal services possible.

People Complete Team Approach

We are a multi-lawyer firm, not just a solo practice. Our staff is experienced and dedicated in securities law. Together we serve our clients above and beyond.

Money No Recovery, No Fee

Our securities lawyers typically work on a contingency fee basis; if you recover nothing, you pay no legal fees.

Medal Over 100 Years Experience

Collectively, the members of our team have worked for dozens of securities firms, including almost every major brokerage firm on Wall Street.

Featured Investigation
Emerson Equity Wholesalers That Pitched GWG L Bonds Leave The Firm 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.
Client Reviews
★★★★★
"I am going to miss conversations with you, Sam Edwards. You’ve been a wonderful lawyer and a friend. I loved learning legal jargon from you. But, even more, it is your self-respect and commitment to your position that I admire and your persistent patience-your equanimity. With great appreciation, thank you!" M.B.
★★★★★
"My experience with Ryan Cook has been very positive. Through every step of the litigation he explained what to expect to happen. When I spoke with him later he reviewed the process. He was very patient, and I never felt rushed. I have already told friends how wonderful he is." L.R.
★★★★★
"I want you to know that I very much appreciate your expertise, hard work, and guidance that led to a satisfactory resolution with Raymond James. From our first meeting, I felt "heard" and that my situation and story were respected. Every subsequent interaction I had with any of you - in person, via email, or by phone - only corroborated that feeling. What great work you do on behalf of people like me who have been wronged, yet don't know how to navigate the appeals/mediation/arbitration process as you do. I will be forever grateful." M.L.
★★★★★
"Good positive experience. Guided us through a difficult process and was pleased with the outcome. Everyone I dealt with was exceptional." A.G.
★★★★★
"Good intelligent attorneys who never miss a beat. I set my expectations high, and they delivered above and beyond. Do not miss the opportunity to let SSEK represent you. Top-notch, efficient and effective firm." S.M.
Investors Lawyers Blog
  • Houston, TX Elder Financial Abuse Lawyers are Representing Older Investors & Their Families Against Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers Elder…
  • Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas FINRA Arbitration Attorneys Secures $100,000 FINRA Arbitration Award Against TDAmeritrade Our Client, An Older…
  • Barred Brokers May Still Pose A Risk To Investors Many Find Ways To Keep Working As Financial Advisors Despite Industry Expulsion According to…
Contact Us
  1. 1 Free Consultation
  2. 2 No Recovery, No Fee
  3. 3 Over 100 Years Experience

Fill out the contact form or call us at (800) 259-9010 to schedule your free consultation.