The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP focus their practice on securities arbitration and litigation around the nation and within the State of Utah. Generally, many investors lose money and fail to understand how they could have lost their entire nest egg. Some investors have unanswered questions about their accounts and want answers to determine what legal rights they have. Many of our clients are disturbed that their broker recommended risky investments in the first place. Our attorneys conduct a forensic analysis of client accounts to explain losses and determine if the losses were a result of misconduct.
Securities misconduct comes in many different forms and no two cases are the same. Sometimes, brokers churn accounts. Churning is the excessive buying and selling of securities for the purpose of generating commissions. Other times, brokers’ misrepresent or omit the risks of securities. Most frequently, brokers sell unsuitable securities to investors.
Utah investors are protected by legislative statutes, both federal and state, but also by industry rules promulgated by FINRA and the SEC that prohibit brokers from engaging in churning, unauthorized trading, fraud, unsuitable sales, and other forms of misconduct. Below are useful links and resources covering some of the investor protections available in the State of Utah.
The Department of Commerce, Securities Division - The Utah Division of Securities is the state agency that regulates the securities (investment) industry in Utah and enforces its securities laws. The Division attempts to ensure minimum standards of competency in the brokerage industry and attempts to ensure fair-dealing by issuing licenses to broker-dealers and investment advisers that do business in the State of Utah. In addition, Utah’s Securities Division’s mission includes a mandate to educate investors in Utah.
FINRA regulates all broker-dealers in the United States. FINRA, in conjunction with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also creates and enforces the securities laws.
Our attorneys can help you determine if your investment losses were caused by Wall Street malfeasance. We apply a very detailed forensic approach to understanding your investments and apply the appropriate law to advance your causes.
Many clients attempt to rely on regulators to return their funds. However, securities regulators rarely reimburse investors for investor losses. A study of seventy-five SEC cases revealed that the SEC only distributed 13% or less of enforcement action proceeds to investors. An investor’s best chance for recovery is to hire an attorney to pursue a claim on their behalf.
To learn more about securities topics please visit our Securities Arbitration & Litigation page. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP represent investors in all major cities across Utah including Salt Lake City, West Valley, Provo, West Jordan, Orem, Sandy, Ogden, St. George, Layton, Taylorsville, Murray, Logan, Bountiful, among other cities within the region.