Articles Posted in financial advisor malpractice

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has sanctioned David Lerner Associates, Inc., and three of its registered representatives for the unsuitable sale of illiquid, high-commission, proprietary energy securities to its customers, specifically Energy 11, L.P., and Energy Resources 12, L.P. According to FINRA, David Lerner sold nearly $600 million of these securities to over 6,000…

Background: For more information, please visit our GWG L Bond Investor Recovery Center. How Much Will GWG L Bond Investors Receive from the Bankruptcy Settlements? On April 30, 2025, the GWG Litigation Trustee filed a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Settlements in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. According to the…

On April 2, 2025, the GWG Wind Down Trust filed its status report with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, providing crucial updates for GWG L Bond investors. This report details the Trust’s activities for the quarter and year ending December 31, 2024, revealing that the Trust has sold nearly…

**Updated: April 30, 2025**: According to new court filings, the GWG Wind Down Trust estimates that the cumulative distribution from the four settlements will be between 2.694% and 3.446% of the approximately $1.67 billion in pre-petition GWG L Bond holdings that are now Series A1 WDT Interests. That is, GWG L Bond investors can expect…

On March 7, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced settled charges against Momentum Advisors LLC, a New York-based registered investment advisory firm, along with its former managing partner Allan J. Boomer and former chief operating officer Tiffany L. Hawkins. The SEC’s orders detail serious breaches of fiduciary duty, including the misuse of client…

Key Points Background David Jerke, CRD No. 5129935, worked as a broker at LPL Financial LLC until his termination on December 23, 2024. The termination followed allegations that he solicited a loan from a customer, which breached both LPL’s policy and FINRA Rule 3240, prohibiting registered persons from lending or borrowing from customers. This rule…

As securities arbitration attorneys advocating for investors against brokerage firms like Merrill Lynch, we frequently encounter cases where brokers breach their duty to act in their clients’ best interests. One such case involves William Worthen King, a former Merrill Lynch broker who was recently sanctioned by FINRA and allowed to resign amid allegations of misconduct.…

If you’re a GWG L Bond investor, the past few years have likely been a rollercoaster of frustration and uncertainty. The bankruptcy of GWG Holdings, Inc. in 2022 left thousands of investors—many of whom are retirees or conservative savers—reeling from significant financial losses. August M. Iorio, Iorio Law PLLC’s managing attorney, has been fighting tirelessly…

What You Need to Know: Western International Securities Agrees to Settle Lawsuit with the SEC On July 31, 2024, the SEC announced that it had reached an agreement with Western International Securities and five of its registered representatives to settle an ongoing lawsuit arising out of the sale of high-risk and speculative L Bonds issued…

In recent court filings, Emerson Equity LLC has disclosed that it has paid over $2.1 million in attorney fees and arbitration costs through January 1, 2024, to defend itself from more than 60 customer complaints related to its sale of GWG L Bonds. In addition, according to public disclosure reports for its brokers, Emerson Equity…