March 19, 2024

Securities Overview

The main focus of the legal practice at the New York FINRA Attorney law firm of Meissner Associates, is representing the public investor in securities arbitration matters. Most of the securities claims cases pursued by the Meissner firm on behalf of investors are suitability cases, in which a stockbroker provides advice that is unsuitable to an investor’s situation…

Contact the Meissner firm if you are the victim of a broker who has invested your funds in unsuitable investment vehicles.

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Typical Securities Arbitration Cases Can Involve:

  • Suitability Cases – Most of the securities claims cases pursued by the Meissner firm on behalf of investors are suitability cases, in which a stockbroker provides advice that is unsuitable to an investor’s situation.
  • Unauthorized Trades – the broker, without written discretionary authority having been provided, executes transactions without authorization immediately prior to each trade as required under various securities regulations. Contrary to many people’s belief, in the typical brokerage account (non-discretionary) a broker must obtain explicit authorization from the client immediately prior to each transaction otherwise the transaction is considered “unauthorized”. Such transactions can also impact upon and heighten a broker’s fiduciary obligation to its client leading to additional liability.
  • Risk Profile Change – broker has changed your investment strategy without your input. An example would be to change your investment profile or objective from conservative to aggressive.
  • Switching Mutual Fund – broker advises you to get out of one mutual fund or variable annuity and into another when it is not in your best interest. This is done in some cases for higher broker commissions.
  • Excessive Use of Margin – broker recommends and/or engages in excessive and unsuitable use of margin significantly increasing the risk to the overall account leading to large unsuitable losses and/or not fully explaining such risks to the client or a broker may suggest the use of margin, suggesting that the investor take out a home-equity line of credit to cover a margin call. A subsequent margin call could result in the investor losing their home.
  • Churning – broker excessively trades or constantly turns over your account, for the purpose of generating brokers’ commissions.
  • Unsuitable Annuity Products for the Elderly / Senior Citizens – broker recommends an annuity product to an elderly person. A broker can realize a significant profit from the sale of an annuity, but such a product is generally inappropriate or considered unsuitable for an elderly investor.

Broker & Corporate Malfeasance

Other examples of broker or corporate malfeasance, such as fraud, broker negligence, embezzlement, market manipulation, and insider trading, may require litigation in state or federal court. Stuart D. Meissner has significant experience as a trial attorney and is able to represent his clients effectively in court as well as in arbitration.

The Meissner firm has represented individual investors in many other matters in arbitration before the FINRA or NYSE, including unsuitable speculative investments and misrepresentations or omissions in describing the investments. For an experienced securities arbitration law firm, contact Meissner Associates. The firm has handled securities arbitration cases from across the United States and around the world.