Dallas Securities Lawyers. Houston Investment Fraud Attorneys.

When you take the time and effort to invest wisely, you expect your broker or investor to take similar care with your financial future. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. From investment fraud to shareholder fraud, securities law is designed to protect consumers from fraudulent actions. At Loya Law, we are dedicated to protecting individuals who have lost their financial future because of investment fraud.

If your family has lost your savings due to the fraudulent actions of a broker, you want a lawyer who understands the complexities of Texas securities law. With over 45 years of experience handling securities law, attorney Sidney Ravkind understands the concerns and the challenges facing fraud victims. Based in Houston, our securities law practice helps protect clients throughout Texas in a variety of cases:

• Securities and Broker Fraud: When you put your financial future in the hands of a financial planner, you expect them to make decisions based on what is best for you and your family. You should never lose money due to their negligent or fraudulent actions.
• Corporate Shareholder Fraud: Have you made a major investment in a company that has acted deceitfully? Shareholders have rights too, and securities law is designed to protect those rights.
• Breach of Fiduciary Duty: If you believe that you have been a victim of securities fraud, including a breach of fiduciary duty, you have certain rights which you should be aware of, rights which may provide you an opportunity to recover your losses from your stockbroker or brokerage firm.
• Brokerage Firms: Brokerage firms sell financial products and services. In dealing with anyone in the selling business, you must always be vigilant and somewhat skeptical when it comes to the motivation of the seller.
• Brokerage Account: There are many considerations in this process of dealing with a broker. First, you should decide what type of brokerage account is right for you, i.e., a full service or discount account.
• Churning: When a stockbroker puts his or her own interests ahead of the interests of the customer by effecting trades that are “excessive in light of the objectives and resources of the customer’s account,” the broker is churning the account.
• Early Retirement: Whether the retirement is voluntary or forced, the question facing those in this position is, “do I have enough saved to live off of for the rest of my life?”
• Failure to Diversify/Overconcentration: Diversification and over-concentration are two ends of the investment spectrum. Diversification is a strategy used to limit risk in your investment portfolio.
• Failure to Supervise: Brokerage firms are legally required to implement adequate compliance and supervisory policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to achieve compliance with applicable securities regulations. Failure to do this is failure to supervise.
• Financial Asset Management: Proper financial asset management is not as complicated as some may make it out to be. Above all else it requires discipline.
• Improper Use of Margin: Customers generally are advised to use margin to leverage their investments and increase their purchasing power. What they are not advised is that margin interest is one of a brokerage firms biggest profit centers.
• Independent Financial Advice: Independent financial advice is the type of advice you would expect to receive from an investment professional that is not also in the business of selling products or services other than the advice.
• Misrepresentations and Omissions: If your broker makes misrepresentations of material facts, or fails to tell you material information involving an investment, known as omissions, then he has in likelihood violated one or more securities laws.
• Selling Away: Be very careful of investing in outside private placements and initial public offerings that are recommended to you by your broker when the transactions are executed outside the brokerage firm or his employer. You could be at risk for selling away.
• Stockbroker Fraud: Stockbroker fraud is a catch – all term used to describe not only fraud in the traditional sense such as theft and Ponzi schemes, but other wrongdoing such as misrepresentations, omissions and gross negligence.
• Suitability: The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has rules implementing the Suitability Standard for Recommendations, also called the Suitability Rule.
• Theft: There are ways to protect yourself from the various acts of securities theft. Make sure you know where your money is being held.
• Trading Account: A trading account is the term used to describe virtually any type of account opened and kept at a brokerage firm.
• Unauthorized Trading: If your broker did not obtain your express written approval for each and every trade in your account, he may have engaged in unauthorized trading.
• Variable Annuities: A variable annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company that combines an insurance policy with mutual fund like investments called sub-accounts.

Your investments are protected by securities law. We enforce the rights of clients throughout Texas in a variety of investment fraud cases. Any violation, as constituted under the Texas Securities Act, can be cause for action.

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Securities law is complex, and it takes years to fully understand how it works. But you don’t have to go through this on your own. At Loya Law, we are dedicated to helping the victims of fraud. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.