Securities & Stock Broker Fraud Blog

Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated to pay more than $1.5 million to customers who claimed that their Financial Advisor, Kenneth Blumberg unsuitably concentrated their portfolios

March 4, 2020 | Dan Miller

Visions from im 5 Miller Law Group – Miller Stern Lawyers, LLC is currently investigating allegations against Kenneth Blumberg and Stifel and has successfully litigated against Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and current financial advisor Kenneth Blumberg (CRD# 1585520) pertaining to a multitude of allegations including taking discretion in customer accounts without authority, over-concentration in sectors and individual securities, breach of fiduciary duty, unsuitable investments and other securities violations. Blumberg was registered with Stifel during the time of the events, located in the downtown Baltimore office of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated. Please call 410 Law Firm for more information.

A FINRA arbitration panel has ordered Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated to pay more than $1.5 million to four customers who claimed that their Financial Advisor, Kenneth Blumberg (CRD# 1585520) unsuitably concentrated their portfolios in biotechnology and healthcare stocks at levels exceeding 80%. It was further alleged that while the customers’ portfolios were profitable, Mr. Blumberg failed to protect gains in the account, which was a violation of his duties as a fiduciary, after which time the value in the accounts deteriorated by approximately $1 Million. The case against Stifel asserted that it failed to properly supervise Blumberg. In the Arbitration, the customers recovered 100% of their losses plus approximately $500,000 in consequential damages reflecting what the accounts would have gained from the time they withdrew from Stifel as customers through the date of the Arbitration had the gains been protected and suitably reinvested.

“The concentration risk and asset allocation defects associated with this investment strategy should have been ongoing ‘red flags’,” attorney Daniel J. Miller wrote in the Statement of Claim against Stifel and the broker that was obtained by AdvisorHub. “Yet, if they ever took notice, they failed to contact claimants and failed to take any corrective measures.”

SEC In the Matter of E. Herbert Hafen

March 4, 2020 | Dan Miller

Miller Stern Lawyers, LLC. is currently investigating allegations against Hebert Hafen CRD#867068 for financial losses for any of the reasons stated bellow as well as others for individuals doing business with Mr. Hafen at any of the institutions e worked for or with. If you or anyone you know lost money because of the actions of matter at issue in this order, please contact 410 Law Firm for more information and a free consultation.

A Securities and Exchange Commission ORDER INSTITUTING ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(b) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 AND SECTION 203(f) OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS ACT OF 1940, MAKING FINDINGS, AND IMPOSING REMEDIAL SANCTIONS against Herbert Hafen was published on March 4, 2020.

Excerpts from the oder are as following

The SEC Obtains Final Judgment Against Hedge Fund Manager Nicholas Lattanzio – Call 410 Law Firm for more information

March 2, 2020 | Dan Miller

Litigation Release No. 24749 / February 27, 2020

SEC v. Nicholas Lattanzio et al., 2:15-cv-03883 (D.N.J.)

Sources have confirmed to Miller Stern Lawyers, LLC, from local news wires and SEC confirm that The Securities and Exchange Commission has obtained a final judgment against defendant Nicholas Lattanzio, a hedge fund manager based in New Jersey, for allegedly defrauding two small businesses out of approximately $4 million.

Bed Bath & Beyond Law Suit

February 25, 2020 | Dan Miller

Miller Stern Lawyers, LLC and other law firms are currently investigating potential violations of several federal securities laws by Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.’s (NASDAQ: BBBY) regarding the company’s preliminary earnings report and the dip in shares right after the release.

It has been reported on various news wires that Bed Bath & Beyond’s shares dropped more than 25% in the after-hours session, “on unusually heavy trading volume”, as the company reported a 5.4% decline in same-store sales in the first two months of the fourth financial quarter of 2019.

Call 410 law firm Miller Law – Miller Stern Lawyers, LLC is currently investigating claims for investors of BBBY regarding investment losses and possible fraud. If you or anyone you know have experienced investment losses from the actions above or other situations, please call 410-LAW-FIRM or fill out the contact us form for a no cost consultation and evaluation of your claim.

Claimants Awarded More Than $1.5 Million Against Stifel in Failure-to-Supervise Arbitration

October 8, 2019 | Dan Miller

Miller Law Group – Miller Stern Lawyers, LLC successfully litigated against Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and current financial advisor Kenneth Blumberg (CRD# 1585520) pertaining to a multitude of allegations including taking discretion in customer accounts without authority, over-concentration in sectors and individual securities, breach of fiduciary duty, unsuitable investments and other securities violations. Blumberg was registered with Stifel during the time of the events, located in the downtown Baltimore office of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated.

A FINRA arbitration panel has ordered Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated to pay more than $1.5 million to four customers who claimed that their Financial Advisor, Kenneth Blumberg (CRD# 1585520) unsuitably concentrated their portfolios in biotechnology and healthcare stocks at levels exceeding 80%. It was further alleged that while the customers’ portfolios were profitable, Mr. Blumberg failed to protect gains in the account, which was a violation of his duties as a fiduciary, after which time the value in the accounts deteriorated by approximately $1 Million. The case against Stifel asserted that it failed to properly supervise Blumberg. In the Arbitration, the customers recovered 100% of their losses plus approximately $500,000 in consequential damages reflecting what the accounts would have gained from the time they withdrew from Stifel as customers through the date of the Arbitration had the gains been protected and suitably reinvested.

“The concentration risk and asset allocation defects associated with this investment strategy should have been ongoing ‘red flags’,” attorney Daniel J. Miller wrote in the Statement of Claim against Stifel and the broker that was obtained by AdvisorHub. “Yet, if they ever took notice, they failed to contact claimants and failed to take any corrective measures.”

$14 Million From J.P. Morgan to Settle Customer Claim Against Advisor Antoine Souma

August 20, 2019 | Dan Miller

Bull Bear Miller Stern Lawyers, LLC, a Maryland Securities and Broker Fraud Law Firm is currently investigating allegations by all clients of J.P. Morgan Securities and Advisor Antine Souma relating to failure to supervise, unsuitable trading and discretionary trading allegations. J.P. Morgan Securities has paid $14 million to settle a claim that, among other things, it failed to supervise Antoine Souma, CRD#: 4210987 , according to regulatory filings.

Antoine Souma, “vehemently denies” the allegations, according to his BrokerCheck report.

The client alleged that over approximately three years, Souma engaged in excessive and unsuitable trading, discretionary trading, falsified performance reports, failed to extend a promised credit line, breach of fiduciary duty, misrepresentation and omission of material facts, breach of contract, constructive fraud, failure to supervise, violation of state and federal securities laws and FINRA rules, and promissory estoppel, according to BrokerCheck.

Complaint against Stifel Nicolaus, Coleman Devlin and Kenneth Blumberg

May 7, 2019 | Dan Miller

Bull Bear Miller Trial Law is investigating and litigating against Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and former financial advisor Coleman Devlin (CRD# 2317635) and current financial advisor Kenneth Blumberg (CRD# 1585520) pertaining to a multitude of allegations including taking discretion in customer accounts without authority, over-concentration in sectors and individual securities, breach of fiduciary duty, unsuitable investments in options and unlisted securities and other securities violations. Both Devlin and Blumberg were registered with Stifel during the time of the events, located in the downtown Baltimore office of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, before being terminated for, among other things, the issues complained of in this arbitration. Mr. Devlin was previously sanctioned and dismissed from Morgan Stanley for similar violations.

In 2003 Devlin was sanctioned with suspension and disgorgement by the NASD and in 2017, Devlin was suspended from FINRA and received a financial penalty. Mr. Devlin also entered into an agreement with the New Jersey regulators and in order to maintain his licensing, was subjected to heightened supervision which the current allegations allege did not address the concerns.

The current arbitration was filed in December 2017 alleging, among other things, breach of contract, selling away, professional negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of Maryland Securities Act, violation of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5, and negligent supervision. These investors are seeking over $20,000,000 in damages for investment losses.