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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a private, self-regulatory organization that regulates member brokerage firms and exchange markets. Just because you receive a Rule 8210 letter does not mean FINRA will charge you with violation of its rules or violation of securities laws. Nevertheless, the way you respond to a Rule 8210 letter can…

If you are subpoenaed by the SEC – the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission – you should contact an SEC subpoena defense attorney right away. Just because you are not named in the title of the investigation or you think you have done nothing wrong, there are many ways that individuals and businesses can…

We aggressively protect our client’s rights, whether they’re businesses, investors, financial professionals, or whistleblowers. The tools of our trade are federal and state laws that regulate the securities industry and protect those who may be abused by it. Other laws or legal doctrines may also apply to participants in the securities industry. They include state…

What should we make of the SEC bringing settled charges against Kim Kardashian for violating the antitouting provisions of the federal securities laws? In the first place, it is not surprising that the SEC brought these charges or that Kardashian settled. Almost immediately after Kardashian made her June 13, 2021 Instagram post about cryptocurrency Emax,…

Bragança Law is proud to announce the addition of attorney David O’Toole to our legal team. Before joining Bragança Law, since 1998, David O’Toole was a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Midwest Region Senior Staff Attorney. He has considerable experience with antitrust and consumer protection litigation. David was the lead attorney on more than thirty investigations…

“Apes together strong” is a popular quote from the 2011 science fiction film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and it is one of the mottoes of Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets community, day traders, and retail investors who refer to themselves as “apes” in contrast to Wall Street’s experts. The subreddit made financial headlines when members…

This January 25, 2022 Court decision shows how corrupt FINRA’s dispute resolution process is. We don’t see this kind of a decision often because FINRA arbitrations are conducted behind closed doors, by arbitrators selected through an opaque process, by arbitrators who have virtually unfettered authority to determine the law and facts to apply, and with…

Short selling is selling a share of stock that you do not own. In order to engage in a short sale (with a few exceptions), a short seller is required to locate and borrow a share of stock before it engages in a short sale. Short selling is an artifice that our securities regulators allow…

If you are an investor, how can you research a broker before turning over your hard-earned savings to them? The SEC, FINRA, state securities regulators, and others encourage investors to research a broker before turning over your hard-earned money to that broker to invest. The primary tool that these regulators and others recommend investors use…

With good reason, financial elder abuse has been characterized by some experts as “the crime of the 21st Century.” – Broken Trust: Elders, Family and Finances. Metlife Study, March 2009 The second edition of Aging and Money was just released including a chapter that I co-wrote with Lisa Bleier of SIFMA, entitled Perspectives from Financial…