Articles Posted in financial advisor negligence

On September 7, 2021, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and Santander Investment Securities Inc. (“Santander”) entered into an agreement whereby Santander consented to a censure and $175,000 fine after FINRA alleged that Santander published and distributed research reports to institutional investors that omitted required disclosures or included inaccurate disclosures. Iorio Altamirano LLP is investigating…

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended stockbroker Joseph Lianzo from the securities industry for eight months. Mr. Lianzo consented to the suspension after FINRA alleged that from March 2016 through November 2019, while associated with Laidlaw & Company (UK) LTD. and SW Financial, Mr. Lianzo excessively traded four customers’ accounts and placed 13…

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has barred stockbroker Donald Fowler from the securities industry. Mr. Fowler consented to the suspension after FINRA alleged that from December 2014 through December 2018, while associated with Worden Capital Management LLC, Mr. Fowler churned and excessively traded four customers’ accounts in violation of FINRA Rules 2111 and 2010.…

**Update: September 9, 2022** On September 6, 2022, a group of Oppenheimer customers were awarded over $36 million by a FINRA arbitration panel as compensation for their investment losses in Horizon Private Equity, III, LLC. (“Horizon”). Horizon is an alleged Ponzi scheme operated by John Woods, a broker who was registered with Oppenheimer & Co.…

August 24, 2021 – This morning, investors of GPB Automotive Portfolio LP woke up to more worrisome news, as the Wall Street Journal reported that the GPB Capital Holdings LLC, is looking to sell its largest dealership group, Prime Automotive, raising speculation that the GPB Automotive is running out of cash. The latest news follows…

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended financial advisor Debasish Hajra from the securities industry for 30 calendar days. Mr. Hajra consented to the suspension after FINRA alleged that, while associated with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC in Marietta, GA, Mr. Hajra executed nine unauthorized trades with a total principal value of $526,966 in…

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended stockbrokers Alfonse Stazzone and Maxim Beliakov from the securities industry for four months. The financial advisors consented to the suspension after FINRA alleged that, while associated with Woodstock Financial Group, Inc., they excessively and unsuitably traded a customer’s account between September 2017 and August 2018. FINRA also…

On August 6, 2021, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Energy 11 GP, LLC, the general partner of Energy 11, L.P. (“Energy 11”), sent a letter to investors of Energy 11. Despite the upbeat and optimistic tone of the letter, as well as the representations made by David Lerner Associates, Inc.’s financial advisors to…

On August 13, 2021, a FINRA arbitration panel in New York, New York, ruled in favor of a brokerage customer that invested in GPB Automotive Portfolio LP and GPB Waste Management LP at the recommendation of his financial advisor at Hightower Securities, LLC. The arbitration panel ordered Hightower Securities, LLC to refund $163,201 to the…

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended financial advisor Jason Seale from the securities industry for 15 business days. Mr. Seale consented to the suspension after FINRA alleged that, while associated with American Wealth Management, Inc. in Novato, CA, he engaged in discretionary trading without written authorization in four customer accounts between February 2016…