Detroit Securities Fraud Attorneys

Security and What it Means

The role of Wall Street traders, bankers, and investors is changing as individuals become more informed of their rights and the risks associated with trusting a financial advisor. The news is full of reports about white-collar crimes, Ponzi schemes, and business fraud.

When investors entrust their money to a corporation, they expect that the company’s leaders will adhere to federal securities laws and state “blue-sky” laws and honor their fiduciary duties. Unfortunately, management doesn’t always adhere to the rules, jeopardizing shareholders’ investment.

Congress, the states, and the Securities Exchange Commission have put rules in place that regulate the marketing and sale of financial instruments, including stocks, bonds and other market-traded investments, and seek to the protect investors from illicit practices.

For example:

• Securities Exchange Commission Rule 10(b)-5 makes it unlawful for public companies to falsely represent their future prospects or financial condition.
• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) mandate how companies categorize and report profits, losses, debts, and expenses.
• Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 prohibits the filing of a false or misleading registration statement.

These laws can be complex, and exposing wrongdoing and bringing actions to recover investors’ losses can be difficult and complicated.

Sommers Schwartz represents individuals and businesses that have been victims of securities fraud, as well as brokers, investment advisors, and companies who have been accused of such wrongdoing. Our attorneys are deeply familiar with complicated and tough-to-prove issues such as churning, insider trading, margin violations, illegal trading, stock market manipulations, and breaches of fiduciary duty. We excel in identifying our clients’ rights and aggressively pursuing these rights in trial.

Our attorneys have also successfully litigated a number of prominent securities class action lawsuits, including:

• In Re Bank One Securities Litigation, Case No. 00-cv-767 (N.D. Ill.), $120 million recovered for a class of former First-Chicago NBD shareholders for suspected accounting violations.
• Gutter v. E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co., Case No. 95-cv-2152 (S.D. Fla.), $80 million recovered for a class of defrauded shareholders for undisclosed risks associated with the company’s products.
• In Re F&M Distributors, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 95-cv-71778 (E.D. Mich.), $20 million recovered for a class of defrauded bondholders who invested money just prior to the company’s bankruptcy.

Business litigation is sophisticated, complex, and poses substantial risks for both defendants and plaintiffs. With so much at stake, you can’t afford to compound that risk.

Contact a Sommers Schwartz attorney today to confidentially discuss your case and learn how we can help.