Securities Litigation

Victim of Investment Fraud or Misrepresentation?

Chicago Securities Litigation Lawyers

A stockbroker has a professional obligation--and a legal duty--to respect your investment philosophy and to operate ethically in advising you and investing your money.

If you believe your broker has intentionally misled you about risks or returns, placed your funds in inappropriate securities, or conducted excessive transactions just to generate commissions, contact the Chicago securities litigation lawyers of McGowan & Hull. We handle stock broker churning lawsuits and claims for damages from securities fraud.

Qualified to Protect Your Rights as an Investor

Our experienced trial lawyers have extensive litigation experience and 75 years of combined experience. All of our attorneys are members of PIABA, the Professional Investors Arbitration Bar Association. We assist individual investors in the greater Chicago, Illinois area and statewide in seeking to recover money lost to securities fraud and misrepresentation.

Stockbrokers can abuse their clients in a number of ways:

• Investment “Churning”: The broker buys and sells stocks, bonds, and other securities at an unusual rate chiefly to generate personal commissions, with minimal regard for the investor’s gains or losses
• Broker Misrepresentation: The broker misleads the client when providing financial advice about potential rates of return, or fails to disclose the true risks of the investment
• Inappropriate securities: The client has expressed a low risk tolerance, but the financial advisor puts the client in high-risk securities, hoping for commissions on big gains but resulting in substantial losses for the client
• Failure to execute orders: The broker ignores the client’s orders to sell off a failing investment or buy a rising stock, resulting in additional losses or missed opportunities for gains
• Securities fraud: The broker makes outright promises or guarantees of returns (“a sure thing”), siphons client funds for personal use, misrepresents commissions or returns to the client, fails to disclose a conflict of interest or insider knowledge, or makes false reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Can I Sue My Broker for Bad Investments?

Individuals assume personal risk in investing in stocks, bonds, money markets, precious metals, or any security. As long brokers are forthcoming about the risks and scrupulous about investing per the client’s parameters, they cannot be held responsible for poor performance or losses in a particular security (even if industry peers had shunned that investment).

However, the government and the investment industry set a high standard for conduct by brokers in order to maintain the confidence of the investing public. If you believe your broker intentionally misled you or knowingly violated their fiduciary duty, we can represent you in a stock broker churning lawsuit or misrepresentation claim.

Contact the securities litigation attorneys of McGowan & Hull today to arrange a free consultation. We will give you an honest assessment of your claim, and vigorously pursue compensation from the brokerage firm throughout mediation, arbitration, direct negotiation, or trial.