Articles Posted in FINRA Arbitration

Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) initiated an action against 40-year old Leon Vaccarelli by filing a sixteen-page complaint (“SEC Complaint”) in federal court in New Haven, CT. The SEC is alleging that Mr. Vaccarelli, based in Waterbury, CT, engaged in operating a Ponzi Scheme for more than four years, during which time he…

Investors who have suffered losses due to the recommendation of a stockbroker or financial advisor to invest in the hedge fund Astenbeck Master Commodities Fund II (“Astenbeck II”) may be able to recover losses through FINRA arbitration if the investment recommendation was unsuitable, or the nature of the investment was misrepresented by the advisor. According…

Investors in Sierra Income Corporation (“Sierra”), or a similar non-traded investment product may be able to recover losses on their investments through FINRA arbitration. The attorneys at Law Office of Christopher J. Gray, P.C. have considerable experience in representing aggrieved investors who have lost money due to unsuitable recommendations to purchase securities, including illiquid non-traded…

Lawyers at Law Office of Christopher J. Gray, P.C. have handled many cases against stockbrokers and other investment professionals involving non-traded invesments such as REITs, hedge funds and private placements. FS Energy and Power Fund (“FSEP” or the “Fund”) is a non-traded business development company that invests primarily in the debt of a portfolio of…

Investors in American Finance Trust and Lightstone Value Plus REIT V may have viable arbitration claims before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) if a stockbroker or investment advisor made an unsuitable recommendation to the investor to purchase them, or made a misleading sales presentation in recommending them. Publicly registered non-exchange traded REITs like American…

Non-traded real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), such as KBS REIT I (“KBS I”), unlike exchange traded REITs, are complex and risky investment vehicles that do not trade on a national securities exchange such as the NYSE or NASDAQ. Unfortunately, retail investors are often uninformed by their broker or money manager of the illiquid nature of…

With increasing frequency retail investors are encountering scenarios in which they are offered an opportunity to invest in a private placement. A private placement – often referred to as a non-public offering – is an offering of a company’s securities that are not registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Under the federal securities…

With increasing frequency, given the current low interest rate environment, retail investors are steered into investing in products appearing to offer more advantageous yields than are available in traditional interest-bearing investments such as money market funds and CDs. One example is the publicly registered non-exchange traded real estate investment trust (“REIT”) or “non-traded REIT.” While…

The State of Illinois Securities Department (“Department”) recently initiated enforcement proceedings against Thrivent Investment Management, Inc. (“Thrivent”) (CRD #18387) for allegedly violating the Illinois Securities Law of 1953 in connection with sales of unsuitable variable annuity (“VA”) products to certain of its clients who already held Thrivent VA’s. Specifically, the Department alleges that Thrivent violated…

Platinum Partners LP Funds are under scrutiny after federal agents reportedly raided the funds’ New York offices in July 2016. Hedge fund entities sponsored by Platinum Partners include the Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Funds, the Platinum Partners Credit Opportunities Fund, Platinum Credit Holdings LLC, Platinum Credit Management LP, Platinum Partners Value Corp., and Platinum Management…