**Update: 4/19/21** In March 2021 another customer filed a securities arbitration complaint against Daniel Todd Lerner and David Lerner Associates, Inc. The customer has alleged over $515,000 in damages as a result of unsuitable investment recommendations related to Energy 11 and an unspecific mutual fund (possibly, SOAEX). The complaint alleged unsuitability, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, and unauthorized trading.
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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended financial advisor Scott Richard Hansen for three months from the securities industry over allegations that Mr. Hansen, who is not a lawyer and did not attend law school, prepared a will and trust agreement for an elderly client who was in hospice care. FINRA also fined Mr. Hansen $7,500.
At the time of the alleged conduct, Mr. Hansen was a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Moab, Utah. LPL Financial terminated his employment in March 2020 for his conduct.
If you have lost money with broker Scott Hansen or LPL Financial, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential review of your account.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended broker Sean Daniel McDevitt for six months from the securities industry over allegations that Mr. McDevitt, while associated with Woodrock Securities, L.P. in Houston, Texas, participated in four private securities transactions totaling $600,000 without notice to or approval from his firm. FINRA also fined Mr. McDevitt $10,000.
Mr. McDevitt was a financial advisor with Woodrock Securities, L.P. in Houston, Texas, from November 2015 until December 2016. He was then registered with Campfire Capital in Chappaqua, New York, from July 2017 until January 2021.
If you have lost money with broker Sean McDevitt, Woodrock Securities, L.P., or Campfire Capital, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
Morgan Stanley’s Global Sports and Entertainment Group is a division of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management that targets professional athletes and entertainers. The group consists of approximately 168 financial advisors across the country that hold the designation “Global Sports and Entertainment Directors.” Morgan Stanley promotes that these advisors are uniquely qualified to address the needs of actors, directors, writers, producers, musicians, songwriters, professional athletes, coaches, and sport team owners. Over the past year, these brokers have received several customer complaints, according to public records.
If you or a client were a customer of Morgan Stanley’s Global Sports and Entertainment Group and either sustained financial losses or suspect that Morgan Stanley did not have your best interest in mind when recommending investments or transactions, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
Financial Advisor Darryl Cohen (CRD No. 2786613) – Westlake Village, CA
Professional basketball players Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee, who have both played in the National Basketball Association, have reportedly filed a $5 million securities arbitration complaint against Morgan Stanley. According to broker Darryl Cohen’s CRD report, the complaint alleges that Morgan Stanley made payments from the players’ accounts without prior approval. The complaint also alleges that Mr. Cohen recommended the use of a “liquidity access line” for real estate and life insurance policies for which they “now claim they hold no interest.”
Parsons and Lee were not the first professional athlete to file a claim against Morgan Stanley arising out of broker Darryl Cohen’s conduct. Former Major League Baseball outfielder Nyjer Morgan filed a securities arbitration complaint against Morgan Stanley in May 2020. The complaint alleged that Mr. Cohen unsuitably recommended using a liquidity access line” to loan funds to outside business entities.
If you have lost money with broker Darryl Cohen or Morgan Stanley, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
FINRA has suspended James Alan Schumaker from the securities industry for nine months for allowing a former registered representative, who had been barred from the securities industry in 2014, to conduct a securities business. The barred registered representative was identified as Mr. Schumaker’s father. In addition to his suspension, Mr. Schumaker was also fined $5,000.
If you have lost money with James Alan Schumaker, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
Key Points
FINRA has suspended Stewart Schram from the securities industry for four-months for engaging in outside business activity and private securities transactions without firm approval. In addition to his suspension, Mr. Schram was also fined $7,500.
FINRA began its investigation after receiving a regulatory tip. Mr. Schram is no longer associated with any FINRA member but remains subject to FINRA’s jurisdiction.
If you have lost money with Stewart Schram, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
On behalf of a client, securities arbitration law firm Iorio Altamirano LLP has filed an arbitration claim through FINRA Dispute Resolution Services against David Lerner Associates Inc. (“David Lerner”). The claim alleges that President and CEO Martin Walcoe and David Lerner unsuitably recommended that the customer purchase and hold Puerto Rico municipal bonds and misrepresented and omitted material facts concerning the risk and safety of the bonds. The recommendations and misrepresentations occurred at a time when credit rating agencies were downgrading Puerto Rico municipal bonds and indicated that further credit downgrades were imminent. At the time of the recommendations, Mr. Walcoe was an investment counselor and branch manager.
The claim also alleged that David Lerner also failed to suitably and properly allocate the customer’s brokerage account. Instead, David Lerner concentrated the customer’s account in risky, speculative, and uninsured Puerto Rico municipal bonds.
David Lerner’s recommendations to purchase and hold speculative Puerto Rico municipal bonds and its repeated recommendations to concentrate the customer’s investment accounts into speculative junk bonds were unsuitable and not in the customer’s best interest in light of the customer’s investment objectives and “middle ground” risk tolerance.
Iorio Altamirano LLP is investigating The GMS Group LLC (“GMS”) after the firm was censured and fined $90,000 for charging unfair and unreasonable prices to customers in 49 transactions involving below investment grade municipal bonds. As part of the AWC, GMS was also ordered to pay approximately $42,446 plus interest in restitution to customers.
If you have lost money with GMS, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
GMS and FINRA entered into a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”) on February 5, 2021, over the following findings:
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has barred broker Scott Wayne Reed from the securities industry over allegations that Mr. Reed, while associated with Wells Fargo, participated in private securities transactions totaling at least $3.5 million without providing prior written notice to his firm.
Mr. Reed was a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing Services (“Wells Fargo”) in Scottsdale, Arizona, from April 2016 until April 2020. Mr. Reed was permitted to resign after a customer alleged that Mr. Reed recommended and facilitated investment opportunities in investments sold away from and not offered by Wells Fargo.
Wells Fargo appears to have denied any compensation to the complaining customer.
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