#florida - Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce

Nov 17, 2020

Key Biscayne Florida Securities Arbitration Attorneys Who Represent Investors

Ricardo Blanco of Key Biscayne Florida was sanctioned by FINRA for allegedly falsifying account statements. Mr. Blanco was a general securities representative with a series 7 and series 63 license. Mr. Blanco was last employed by Midsouth Capital Inc. He had no previous disciplinary history. FINRA alleged that over a two year period, Mr. Blanco sent false account statements to two clients in violation of NASD Conduct Rule 2110 and FINRA Rule 2010. FINRA found that one client’s account was valued at more than $3 million when in reality it was worth less than a dollar. FINRA found that the others client’s account statement indicated it was worth more than $2 million, when it had already been closed. In a settlement with FINRA, Mr. Blanco agreed to be permanently barred from association with any FINRA member firm. We are top rated securities arbitration attorneys and highly ranked lawyers by our peers in Martindale Hubble and Thomson Reuters SuperLawyers who represent investors in securities arbitrations conducted by the Financial Industry Authority (FINRA), American Arbitration Association (AAA) and JAMS alternative dispute resolution forums serving Key Biscayne Florida investors. This state has a number of stock brokerage firms and investment advisory offices. With so many stock brokerage firms and investment advisor offices, comes the potential for their stockbrokers, financial advisors, and other representatives to engage in all kinds of stockbroker misconduct which violates Federal and Florida securities laws and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and stock brokerage firms’ policies and procedures. Experienced Securities Arbitration Lawyers Who Handle FINRA, AAA Or JAMS Arbitrations Throughout Key Biscayne Florida And Nationwide. Are you a Key Biscayne Florida investor who has suffered significant losses in your stock brokerage and investment accounts? Did your Key Biscayne Florida stockbroker or investment advisor, misrepresent facts, fail to disclose facts making the statements made false and misleading, recommend unsuitable investments or strategies, excessively trade or churn or otherwise mismanage your investment account? Depending upon the terms of your arbitration agreement you will need to have representation from an experienced, highly-rated and nationally recognized FINRA, AAA or JAMS arbitration securities law attorney—an attorney who knows the FINRA, AAA or JAMS rules and procedures inside and out and how to handle these FINRA, AAA or JAMS arbitration cases and other complex legal issues. By hiring a top rated attorney like Robert Wayne Pearce with over 40 years of experience practicing securities law on both sides of the table in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitration proceedings, you will clearly see that Attorney Pearce doesn’t just handle cases—he aggressively represents investors and is one of the best securities arbitration attorney to recover your investment losses for all types of stockbroker misconduct in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitration proceedings! At The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., we represent investors in all kinds of securities law and investment disputes in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitration and mediation proceedings. We handle a wide range of practice areas such as fraud and misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to supervise, and unsuitable recommendations. Attorney Pearce and his staff represent investors throughout Key Biscayne Florida, and across the United States on a CONTINGENCY FEE basis, which means you pay nothing – NO FEES-NO COSTS – unless we put money in your pocket after receiving a settlement or FINRA arbitration award. Se habla español Free Initial Consultation With Experienced FINRA, AAA and JAMS Securities Arbitration Attorneys Serving Key Biscayne Florida Residents The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. are highly experienced lawyers who successfully handle securities law matters and investment disputes in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitration proceedings, and who work tirelessly to secure the best possible result for you and your case. For dedicated representation by an attorney with over 40 years of experience and success in all kinds of securities law and investment disputes in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitrations serving Key Biscayne Florida citizens, contact the firm by phone at 561-338-0037, toll free at 800-732-2889 or via e-mail.

Nov 17, 2020

Indian Rocks Beach Florida Securities Arbitration Attorneys Who Represent Investors

Emily Vitale of Indian Rocks Beach Florida was sanctioned by FINRA for falsifying her firm’s books and records. Mrs. Vitale was previously associated with many FINRA member firms, including Florida Investment Advisors (FIA) and LPL Financial LLC (LPL). Over the course of her career, Mrs. Vitale acquired Series 7, 63, 4, 24, and 53 licenses. FINRA found that Mrs. Vitale, “while facilitating a customer’s request to transfer funds from the customer’s brokerage account to the customer’s bank checking account, falsified a letter of authorization.” According to FINRA’s findings, Mrs. Vitale cut out the customer’s signature from another document and pasted the customer’s signature onto the letter of authorization. Thereafter, Mrs. Vitale allegedly submitted a letter of authorization to LPL with the falsified signature. Due to the false signature, FINRA found that Mrs. Vitale violated FINRA Rules 4511 and 2010 for inaccurate books and records. Mrs. Vitale agreed to settle FINRA’s allegations without admitting or denying them and was permanently barred from any association with any FINRA members. We are top rated securities arbitration attorneys and highly ranked lawyers by our peers in Martindale Hubble and Thomson Reuters SuperLawyers who represent investors in securities arbitrations conducted by the Financial Industry Authority (FINRA), American Arbitration Association (AAA) and JAMS alternative dispute resolution forums serving Indian Rocks Beach Florida investors. This state has a number of stock brokerage firms and investment advisory offices. With so many stock brokerage firms and investment advisor offices, comes the potential for their stockbrokers, financial advisors, and other representatives to engage in all kinds of stockbroker misconduct which violates Federal and Florida securities laws and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and stock brokerage firms’ policies and procedures. Experienced Securities Arbitration Lawyers Who Handle FINRA, AAA Or JAMS Arbitrations Throughout Indian Rocks Beach Florida And Nationwide. Are you an Indian Rocks Beach Florida investor who has suffered significant losses in your stock brokerage and investment accounts? Did your Indian Rocks Beach Florida stockbroker or investment advisor, misrepresent facts, fail to disclose facts making the statements made false and misleading, recommend unsuitable investments or strategies, excessively trade or churn or otherwise mismanage your investment account? Depending upon the terms of your arbitration agreement you will need to have representation from an experienced, highly-rated and nationally recognized FINRA, AAA or JAMS arbitration securities law attorney—an attorney who knows the FINRA, AAA or JAMS rules and procedures inside and out and how to handle these FINRA, AAA or JAMS arbitration cases and other complex legal issues. By hiring a top rated attorney like Robert Wayne Pearce with over 40 years of experience practicing securities law on both sides of the table in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitration proceedings, you will clearly see that Attorney Pearce doesn’t just handle cases—he aggressively represents investors and is one of the best securities arbitration attorney to recover your investment losses for all types of stockbroker misconduct in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitration proceedings! At The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., we represent investors in all kinds of securities law and investment disputes in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitration and mediation proceedings. We handle a wide range of practice areas such as fraud and misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to supervise, and unsuitable recommendations. Attorney Pearce and his staff represent investors throughout Indian Rocks Beach Florida, and across the United States on a CONTINGENCY FEE basis, which means you pay nothing – NO FEES-NO COSTS – unless we put money in your pocket after receiving a settlement or FINRA arbitration award. Se habla español Free Initial Consultation With Experienced FINRA, AAA and JAMS Securities Arbitration Attorneys Serving Indian Rocks Beach Florida Residents The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. are highly experienced lawyers who successfully handle securities law matters and investment disputes in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitration proceedings, and who work tirelessly to secure the best possible result for you and your case. For dedicated representation by an attorney with over 40 years of experience and success in all kinds of securities law and investment disputes in FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitrations serving Indian Rocks Beach Florida citizens, contact the firm by phone at 561-338-0037, toll free at 800-732-2889 or via e-mail.

Nov 12, 2020

Former Oppenheimer & Co. Stockbroker Brian Douglas Engstrom Suspended for Unsuitable Recommendations

Brian Douglas Engstrom of Tampa, Florida submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in which he was fined and suspended for allegedly making unsuitable recommendations in violation of NASD Rule 2310 and FINRA Rules 2111 and 2010. In 2002, Brian Douglas Engstrom joined Oppenheimer & Co. as a General Securities Representative and a General Securities Sales Supervisor. According to the FINRA findings, Engstrom allegedly engaged in an unsuitable pattern of short-term trading of early rollovers of Unit Investment Trusts (UITs). The findings stated that Engstrom made recommendations to his customers to roll over UITs prior to their maturity date in order to purchase a subsequent series on 1,000 separate occasions. The findings also stated that each new UIT had similar investment objectives and strategies as the prior series which resulted in each customer incurring unnecessary sales charges. Engstrom’s customers received reimbursement of these excess sales charges from his member firm in connection with FINRA’s separate settlement with it. A UIT is a SEC-registered investment company that offers investors shares or “units” in a fixed portfolio of securities via a one-time public offering. A UIT terminates on a specified maturity date, often after 15 or 24 months, at which point the underlying securities are sold and the resulting proceeds are paid to the investors. UITs impose a variety of upfront sales charges and a registered representative who recommended the sale of a customer’s UIT before its maturity date and used the sale proceeds to purchase a new UIT would cause the customer to incur greater sales charges than if the customer had held the UIT until maturity. Without admitting or denying FINRA’s findings, Brian Douglas Engstrom was assessed a deferred fine of $5,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in all capacities for three months. The suspension was in effect from April 20, 2020, through July 19, 2020. Stockbrokers have been known to engage in many practices that may violate industry and firm rules, practices, and procedures. In order to protect investors from stockbroker misconduct, FINRA rules require brokerage firms to establish and implement a supervisory system. The implementation of these industry rules requires supervisors to monitor their employees to ensure compliance with federal and state securities laws, securities industry rules and regulations, and the brokerage firm’s own policies and procedures. If broker-dealers and/or their supervisors fail to establish and implement these protective measures, they may be liable to investors for damages which flow from the broker’s misconduct. Therefore, investors who have suffered losses stemming from unsuitable recommendations and/or other misconduct by their broker can file claims to recover damages against broker-dealers, like Oppenheimer & Co., which should consistently oversee its brokers’ activities in order to prevent the above-described misconduct. Have you suffered losses in your Oppenheimer & Co. account due to unsuitable recommendations by your broker? Was Brian Douglas Engstrom your stockbroker? If so, call Robert Pearce at the Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. for a free consultation. Mr. Pearce is accepting clients with valid claims against Oppenheimer & Co. stockbrokers who may have engaged in broker misconduct and caused investors’ losses. The most important of investors’ rights is the right to be informed! This Investors’ Rights blog post is by the Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., located in Boca Raton, Florida. For over 40 years, Attorney Pearce has tried, arbitrated, and mediated hundreds of disputes involving complex securities, commodities and investment law issues. The lawyers at our law firm are devoted to protecting investors’ rights throughout the United States and internationally! Please visit our website, www.secatty.com, post a comment, call (800) 732-2889, or email Mr. Pearce at pearce@rwpearce.com for answers to any of your questions about this blog post and/or any related matter.

Nov 11, 2020

Did Ohio and Florida UBS Touchstone Wealth Partners Sell You a UBS Credit-line Investment Strategy?

How Do You Recover Your Investment Losses From Those Credit-line Margin Calls? If you are reading this Blog, UBS Financial Services, Inc. Touchstone Wealth Partners (Touchstone) may have recommended that you take out a variable or fixed line of credit instead of selling securities and withdrawing funds from your account in order to stay invested in what was supposed to be a safe, well-balanced investment portfolio. The next thing you may have heard in March this year was you needed to deposit cash by 1 pm or your securities were going to be sold at rock-bottom prices. Or maybe you didn’t even receive a margin call and securities were just sold in your account. You might have thought the problem was the composition of your portfolio, but the problem was very probably the leverage created by the credit-lines. Without the leverage, there might not have been any margin calls, and you would have been able to ride out the COVID-19 storm. You are not alone because that is just what other investors have told us about the pitch Touchstone made to them and their recent experience. In fact, we represent one such investor who has filed an arbitration claim against UBS Financial Services, Inc. for not only Touchstone’s alleged unsuitable recommendations, but for their alleged misrepresentations, misleading statements and mismanagement of her accounts. Please go to our website and read about our client’s allegations in our article titled “UBS Financial Services, Inc. Sued for Florida and Ohio Financial Advisor’s Alleged Misconduct Involving a Credit-Line Investment Strategy.”Did Touchstone Wealth Partners talk you into a UBS credit-line investment strategy? Did you receive margin calls and have your account liquidated by UBS without any notice or on very short notice? The recommendation of any leveraged investment strategy involves speculation and is not suitable for all investors. Securities-backed lending accounts are the same as a speculative margin account and perhaps more dangerous. Please read our article on our website titled “Securities-Backed Lines of Credit Can be More Dangerous Than Margin Accounts!” Regardless of the reason for the cause of the loss in your account (unsuitable recommendations, misrepresentation or mismanagement), there is no way you will recover your losses without some legal action. At the Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., we represent investors who paid dearly for any unsuitable securities-backed lending strategies in FINRA arbitration and mediation proceedings. Among the claims we may file are for fraud and misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to supervise, and unsuitable recommendations in violation of FINRA rules and industry standards. Attorney Pearce and his staff represent investors across the United States on a CONTINGENCY FEE basis which means you pay nothing – NO FEES-NO COSTS – unless we put money in your pocket after receiving a settlement or FINRA arbitration award Se habla español Contact Us For A Free Initial Consultation With Experienced UBS-YES Investment Attorneys In FINRA Arbitrations The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. have highly experienced lawyers who have successfully handled many managed account cases and other securities law matters and investment disputes in FINRA arbitration proceedings, and they will work tirelessly to secure the best possible result for you and your case. For dedicated representation by an attorney with over 40 years of experience and success in structured product cases and all kinds of securities law and investment disputes, contact the firm by phone at 561-338-0037, toll free at 800-732-2889 or via e-mail.

Nov 11, 2020

Client Service Representative of National Securities Corporation Linda C. Milberger Suspended for Misconduct

An NAC decision has become final in which Linda C. Milberger of Orlando, Florida was suspended from association with any FINRA member in capacities for one year. The sanction was based on findings that Milberger allegedly falsified customer wire request forms and submitted false documents and information to FINRA in violation of FINRA Rules 4511 and 2010. From July 2012 until November 2016, Linda C. Milberger was registered with National Securities Corporation and served as a senior client services associate for Kyle Harrington. According to the findings, FINRA began an investigation and sent requests for documents and information to both Milberger and Harrington, regarding their involvement in undisclosed private securities transactions. The findings stated that Harrington allegedly asked Milberger to alter the requested documents and provide them to FINRA. In addition, Milberger allegedly caused her firm’s books and records to be inaccurate by providing two falsified wire request forms totaling $19,929.58 to a customer’s broker-dealer firm as if they were authentic. Lina C. Milberger remains under FINRA’s jurisdiction and is suspended until May 3, 2021. FINRA Rule 4511(a) requires FINRA members to “make and preserve books and records as required under the FINRA rules, the Exchange Act and the applicable Exchange Act rules.” Those applicable rules include Section 17(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which requires broker-dealers to make and preserve certain books and records, and SEC Rule 17a-4(b)(4), which requires that a firm preserve records relating to communications concerning the broker-dealer’s business, including documents related to customer transactions. A violation of FINRA Rule 4511 constitutes a violation of FINRA Rule 2010. Stockbrokers have been known to engage in many practices that may violate industry and firm rules, practices, and procedures. In order to protect investors from stockbroker misconduct, FINRA rules require brokerage firms to establish and implement a supervisory system. The implementation of these industry rules requires supervisors to monitor their employees to ensure compliance with federal and state securities laws, securities industry rules and regulations, and the brokerage firm’s own policies and procedures. If broker-dealers and/or their supervisors fail to establish and implement these protective measures, they may be liable to investors for damages which flow from the broker’s misconduct. Therefore, investors who have suffered losses stemming from misconduct by their broker can file claims to recover damages against broker-dealers, like National Securities Corporation, which should consistently oversee its brokers’ activities in order to prevent the above-described misconduct. Have you suffered losses in your National Securities Corporation account due to misconduct by your broker? Was Linda C. Milberger your stockbroker? If so, call Robert Pearce at the Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. for a free consultation. Mr. Pearce is accepting clients with valid claims against National Securities Corporation stockbrokers who may have engaged in broker misconduct and caused investors’ losses. The most important of investors’ rights is the right to be informed! This Investors’ Rights blog post is by the Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., located in Boca Raton, Florida. For over 40 years, Attorney Pearce has tried, arbitrated, and mediated hundreds of disputes involving complex securities, commodities and investment law issues. The lawyers at our law firm are devoted to protecting investors’ rights throughout the United States and internationally! Please visit our website, www.secatty.com, post a comment, call (800) 732-2889, or email Mr. Pearce at pearce@rwpearce.com for answers to any of your questions about this blog post and/or any related matter.

Nov 10, 2020

Former Voya Stockbroker Alexander Jon James Suspended for Unauthorized Trading and Other Misconduct

Alexander Jon James of Royal Palm Beach, Florida submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in which he was fined and suspended for allegedly participating in outside business activities and unauthorized transactions in violation of NASD Rule 3040 and FINRA Rules 3270 and 2010. In January of 2012, Alexander Jon James joined Voya as an investment company products/variable contracts representative. According to FINRA, in April of 2020 it found that Alexander Jon James and two accomplices established a company in which they charged members monthly subscription fees for access to a website. Mr. James took part in business development and marketing, as well as running day to day operations for the company. The FINRA findings also stated that Mr. James participated in private security transactions with two firm customers who invested a total of $667,000 in the company’s shares and profited $16,000 for his contributed work. In addition to the FINRA findings, he allegedly made false statements regarding his participation in outside business activities and private security transactions on three of his members firms annual compliance questionnaires. NASD Rule 3040, states that “[n]o person associated with a member shall participate in any manner in a private securities transaction except in accordance with the requirements of this Rule.” The Rule further requires that an associated person “shall provide written notice to the member with which he is associated describing in detail the proposed transaction and the person’s proposed role therein” FINRA Rule 3270 provides, in relevant part, that “[n]o registered person may be an employee, independent contractor, sole proprietor, officer, director or partner of another person, or be compensated, or have the reasonable expectation of compensation, from any other person as a result of any business activity outside the scope of the relationship with his or her member firm, unless he or she has provided prior written notice to the member, in such form as specified by the member.” A violation of Rule 3270 is also a violation of FINRA Rule 2010. FINRA Rule 2010 requires associated persons, in the conduct of their business, to observe high standards of commercial honor and just and equitable principles of trade. Without admitting or denying FINRA’s findings, Alexander Jon James consented to the sanctions and to entry of findings that he took part in outside business activity without an initial written notice to his member firm. Alexander Jon James was assessed a deferred fine of $10,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in all capacities for one year. The suspension is in effect from April 6, 2020, through April 5, 2021. Stockbrokers have been known to engage in many practices that may violate industry and firm rules, practices, and procedures. In order to protect investors from stockbroker misconduct, FINRA rules require brokerage firms to establish and implement a supervisory system. The implementation of these industry rules requires supervisors to monitor their employees to ensure compliance with federal and state securities laws, securities industry rules and regulations, and the brokerage firm’s own policies and procedures. If broker-dealers and/or their supervisors fail to establish and implement these protective measures, they may be liable to investors for damages which flow from the broker’s misconduct. Therefore, investors who have suffered losses stemming from unauthorized trading and/or other misconduct by their broker can file claims to recover damages against broker-dealers, like Voya, which should consistently oversee its brokers’ activities in order to prevent the above-described misconduct.Have you suffered losses in your Voya account due to unauthorized trading and/or other misconduct by your broker? Was Alexander Jon James your stockbroker? If so, call Robert Pearce at the Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. for a free consultation. Mr. Pearce is accepting clients with valid claims against Voya stockbrokers who may have engaged in broker misconduct and caused investors’ losses. The most important of investors’ rights is the right to be informed! This Investors’ Rights blog post is by the Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., located in Boca Raton, Florida. For over 40 years, Attorney Pearce has tried, arbitrated, and mediated hundreds of disputes involving complex securities, commodities and investment law issues. The lawyers at our law firm are devoted to protecting investors’ rights throughout the United States and internationally! Please visit our website, www.secatty.com, post a comment, call (800) 732-2889, or email Mr. Pearce at pearce@rwpearce.com for answers to any of your questions about this blog post and/or any related matter