When you engage the services of an investment professional, you have a reasonable expectation that they will put your needs, goals, and concerns above their bottom line. After all, stockbrokers, financial advisors, and the firms that employ them are bound by law and by professional standards of ethics to do exactly that. Unfortunately, not every investment professional takes these obligations as seriously as they should. If you have lost money in an investment and suspect misconduct, a Miami investment fraud attorney from Erez Law, PLLC, can help you understand your legal options.
For more than 20 years, our award-winning attorneys have tirelessly advocated for the rights and interests of people in your position. We have made it our firm’s exclusive focus. That dedication has led to our 99% success rate and the more than $200 million that we’ve recovered on behalf of our clients in Miami, across the United States, and around the world.
Our attorneys have the resources and experience to take on the biggest firms on Wall Street. We also have the compassion to understand the financial challenges you may be facing after a fraud-related investment loss. That’s why we offer free consultations and work on a contingency-fee basis. It won’t cost you anything upfront to engage our services. If we take your investor fraud case, we will only collect a previously agreed-upon fee once we’ve secured compensation on your behalf. Contact us today to speak with a trusted Miami investment fraud attorney.
What Is Securities Fraud?
Securities fraud involves intentional misconduct or reckless conduct that induces an investor to purchase, sell, or hold securities or other investments. This is usually accomplished by providing the investor with false, misleading, or inaccurate information or representations about the securities or investment in question or by withholding information material to the investor’s decision-making.
Securities fraud may be committed by companies and other issuers of securities, or by other parties who transact in securities, such as broker-dealers, investment funds, financial advisors, and other financial institutions.
The victims of the fraud usually lose some or all of their investments, while the perpetrators usually profit. Securities fraud can lead to both criminal prosecutions as well as civil liability for financial losses sustained by its victims.
Currently, we are investigating numerous brokers and companies who made fraudulent actions; including Alliance Bernstein. If you were the victim of a fraudulent broker, we are here to help you!
Signs That You May Have Been the Victim of Securities Fraud
While all investments can lose value due to normal market conditions, these signs should prompt you to speak to a Miami securities fraud attorney. A seasoned lawyer can investigate the circumstances of your investment loss to determine whether it was the result of fraudulent activity.
- Calls and emails are not returned, or the company or firm “disappears” from public view.
- Financial statements and documents seem deliberately inscrutable.
- An investment’s regular financial results never meet previously announced performance expectations.
- An investment experiences a dramatic drop in value in a short period.
- Material information about an investment is not disclosed in a timely fashion.
- You have tax liabilities from an investment that purportedly loses money.
How a Miami Investment Fraud Attorney Can Help You
If you have been the victim of securities fraud, let a Miami investment fraud attorney at Erez Law, PLLC, help you pursue financial recovery by:
- Investigating your case to recover all potential evidence of fraud
- Calculating the losses that you have sustained, including the lost value of your investment and other expenses that you incurred because of the fraud
- Identifying the perpetrators of the fraud and other parties that can be held liable for your losses
- Preparing and filing formal complaints on your behalf with state, federal, and industry regulators
- Fighting fiercely for maximum financial compensation for your investment losses
Common Types of Securities Fraud Cases Our Firm Helps With
The Miami investment fraud attorneys at Erez Law, PLLC, can help you with a case arising from:
- Hedge fund fraud – Hedge funds pool the money of fund participants to make investments according to strategies selected by the fund’s managers. These managers may fraudulently withhold material information about the fund’s strategies from the people who invest in them.
- Junk bond fraud – The term “junk bonds” refers to debt securities issued by financially distressed companies or companies with poor credit ratings. Issuing companies may make fraudulent disclosures regarding the bonds, and funds that trade in junk bonds may defraud their investors.
- Oil and energy investment fraud – This form of securities fraud often involves failing to adequately disclose the volatility and risk of the oil and energy sector.
- Ponzi scheme fraud – In a Ponzi scheme, investors are promised returns that exceed the performance of the broader market. In reality, existing investors are paid cash dividends and distributions from money obtained from new investors, rather than from the performance of any actual investment.
- Preferred shares of stock fraud – Investors may be misled or lied to about the safety or risk of an investment in a company’s preferred stock.
- Private placement fraud – This describes fraud that arises from the investment-raising efforts of startups and non-publicly traded companies, which may be considerably more volatile than established firms.
- Variable annuity investment fraud – Variable annuities pay income to fund participants based on the performance of the fund’s investments rather than a fixed amount. Fraud may occur when fund participants have material information about a variable annuity fund’s investment strategy and the performance of its investments withheld from them.
- Stockbroker fraud and misconduct – This includes making investment recommendations and decisions based on the financial gain the broker stands to make rather than whether an investment serves a client’s best interests.
- Elder financial fraud – Some brokers and firms prey on elderly investors on the assumption that they will be less able to recognize fraudulent investment behavior.
- EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program fraud – This involves defrauding foreign nationals who are seeking to make qualifying investments in U.S. businesses to obtain an EB-5 visa to enter the country.
What Is the Securities Fraud Statute of Limitations?
Both federal and Florida state securities laws place time limits, known as statutes of limitations, on how long you have to file a fraud claim. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) also limits the amount of time investors have to take legal action.
Because these time limits and regulations can be so complex, it is crucial to seek legal advice as soon as you suspect you have suffered a fraud-related investment loss.
What Are Securities Fraud Attorneys’ Fees?
If you have lost money as a result of securities fraud, you should not have to bear the additional financial burden of paying for an attorney to help you recover your lost investment and other expenses. That’s why the investment loss attorneys of Erez Law, PLLC, handle securities fraud cases on a contingency fee basis.
Under this arrangement, you will not pay us anything upfront when you engage in our services. Instead, we are paid a fee only after we have secured a financial recovery for you. This fee is a previously agreed-upon percentage of the recovery. Additionally, in certain circumstances, a verdict may entitle you to petition the court for fee shifting, which requires the defendants to pay your legal fees and costs.
Talk to Our Miami Securities Fraud Attorneys Now
When you have sustained financial losses as a result of investment fraud, you deserve justice in the form of financial compensation. Contact Erez Law, PLLC, today for a free and confidential consultation with our Miami securities fraud lawyers. We will explain your legal options and determine whether we can help you pursue compensation in an investment dispute.