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Securities Litigation

Securities Litigation Attorneys in Clearwater, FL

Take advantage of our expertise when someone has taken advantage of you hire one of our Florida Securities Litigation Attorneys

Every day billions of dollars are traded on the stock market. The volatility and potential for profit that the stock market offers attracts investors from all walks of life, from day-traders to businessmen to housewives. There are many good, hard-working people in the investment advising business; nonetheless, sometimes an advisor makes a human error, or worse, actually exploits the very people that trusted the advisor with their money. At this point you should hire one of our skilled Florida securities litigation attorneys.

At the Coleman Law Firm, we represent clients throughout Florida who have become victims of investment fraud. Investment fraud is a broad term that includes a variety of wrongful and deceptive acts undertaken by stockbrokers, financial planners, financial advisors and the institutions with which clients invest their savings, including:
  • Misrepresentations
  • Commission churning
  • Unsuitable investments
  • Unauthorized trades
  • Execution failures
  • Excessive mark-ups
  • Disappearing funds
  • Botched transfers
  • Variable annuity abuses
  • Web-broker outages
  • “Selling away” from firms
  • Unregistered brokers
  • Unregistered securities
  • Improper margin liquidations
  • Broker bribes
  • Fraudulent research
  • “Boiler room” sales practices

Attorney Jeffrey Coleman makes it his mission to recover your lost investments as quickly and efficiently as possible. He works closely with clients to alleviate their concerns and evaluate whether they have viable claims. Attorney Coleman takes pride in representing everyday people against the giants of the financial industry, and he works tirelessly to secure the best possible results for his clients. For more information, feel free to call 727.758.7689 to schedule an initial consultation.

Experience matters. Choose a law firm you can trust.

Clients choose the Coleman Law Firm because experience matters. Attorney Jeffrey Coleman has more than 25 years of experience handling cases involving a wide variety of investment vehicles, including:

  • Stocks
  • Bonds
  • “Penny” stocks
  • “Junk” bonds
  • Options
  • Warrants
  • Commodities
  • Mutual funds
  • Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
  • Limited partnerships
  • Derivative securities
  • Variable annuities

He also litigates cases involving problem and high-risk investments, including promissory notes and class actions.

Attorney Coleman has earned an AV® Preeminent Peer Review RatingSM by Martindale-Hubbell® for his trial ability & dedication to ethics, and was selected to serve as chairman of the Securities Section for the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA). He has authored articles in professional and lay publications regarding securities fraud relating to misrepresentations, churning and suitability. These experiences have provided him with the knowledge and skill necessary to successfully battle against some of the world’s largest brokerage houses and financial institutions, including Merrill Lynch, Salomon Smith Barney, Wells Fargo, Wachovia, Edward Jones and Morgan Stanley, just to name a few. You can put your trust in him to provide you with the representation you need to secure the results you deserve.

A firm dedication to his clients’ best interests

Securities litigation can be a complex and confusing process for clients. Attorney Coleman is committed to guiding his clients through the process, explaining their rights and helping them file claims for recovery. Since investors sign account documents at brokerage houses that almost always contain binding arbitration clauses, most claims are resolved in arbitration proceedings. Attorney Coleman has extensive experience in arbitration proceedings, both as an attorney and as an arbitrator for FINRA. He also served on the Government Committee of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA). He uses these experiences to present logical, technically sound arguments that are aimed at maximizing your recovery.

Common types of investment fraud

Although investment fraud can occur in many different ways, there are four prevalent types of fraud that damage
investors across Florida.

Misrepresentation

These trusted advisors have a duty not to misrepresent or omit material facts when advising a person whether to invest. In this context, a material fact is a piece of information that a reasonable person would find important when making the decision to invest his or her money. These misrepresentations (or omissions) may not be intentional, but are actionable if the investor suffered financial losses as a result of relying on the advisor’s word.

Commission churning

Churning occurs when a broker continually “turns over” your account in unnecessary trades for the purpose of generating commissions. Some account managers only earn fees when buying or selling securities, so they have an incentive to engage in churning to make money for themselves. However, this practice can be extremely detrimental to their investors’ interests. When securities are traded, you must pay not only the broker but also any capital gains taxes on the profit earned from the trade. If you think about it, if the churning results in a cost to the portfolio of five percent commissions, you have to make five percent on the account before it “breaks even.”

Unsuitable investments

Brokers also have a duty to recommend investments that are suitable for the client’s financial standing, tax status and investment objectives. However, many brokers disregard this duty and recommend high-risk or high-price investments to people who have no interest or ability to pursue them. Remember, even if the investor can “afford” to lose some money, if the investment advice does not line up with the risk tolerance, then the resulting losses should be examined.

Unauthorized trades

In order to make a trade on an investor’s behalf, a broker must obtain that client’s authorization unless he or she has already signed an authorization to do so. However, brokers may engage in unauthorized trading in order to generate commissions for themselves or higher returns for their investors. Attorney Coleman may be able to help you recover your investment if your broker persuaded you to make it against your will. Regardless of the reason, it is a breach of the broker’s duty, and Attorney Coleman can help you file claims to recover any losses that these actions may have caused.

For more information on securities litigation, visit our Investor FAQs page or feel free to visit our Securities Litigation blog.

Make an investment you can count on. Call the firm today.

Call the Coleman Law Firm today and speak to one of our Florida securities litigation attorneys. Click here to schedule a free initial consultation. From offices conveniently located throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, the firm represents people living in Clearwater, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Dunedin, Largo, Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas. We welcome the opportunity to help you today.

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