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Articles Tagged with Laidlaw & Company

Two-South-Florida-Brokers-in-the-FINRA-Spotlight-for-Making-Inappropriate-Loans-300x199On May 1, 2018, FINRA Department of Enforcement entered into a settlement via Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) with Respondent Laidlaw & Company. Without admitting or denying any wrongful acts, Laidlaw consented to a public censure by FINRA, the imposition of a $25,000 fine, as well as agreeing to give FINRA a written statement saying that systems mentioned in the AWC are designed to achieve compliance with “applicable securities laws, regulations, and rules.

FINRA Enforcement alleged that from April 2014 through December 2015, Laidlaw did not establish and maintain a supervisory system and written supervisory procedures (WSPs) designed to ensure that recommendations of leveraged and inverse exchange traded funds (Non-Traditional ETFs) complied with applicable securities laws and FINRA rules.

Non-Traditional ETFs are risky financial products because they are designed to return a multiple of an underlying benchmark or index over the course of a trading session. They are not intended to be held for more than a single trading session. FINRA Regulatory Notice 009-31 states “The performance of Non-Traditional ETFs over periods of time longer than a single trading session can differ significantly from the performance of their underlying or benchmark during the same period of time.”

Kevin Richard Wilson (CRD #326701) is a registered broker currently employed with National Securities Corporation (CRD #7569) of New York, NY. His previous employers include Laidlaw & Company (UK) LTD. (CRD #119037), Aegis Capital Corp. (CRD #15007) and Gilford Securities Incorporated (CRD #8076), all of New York, NY. He has been in the industry since 1999.

Why Private Placements are Often Risky and Unsuitable Investments on silverlaw.comWilson has two disclosures, both pending customer disputes that were filed this year. The first was filed on 10/24/2018, alleging “unsuitability” from 2010 through 2017. The client requests damages of $2,000,000.00.

The second disclosure was filed on 07/09/2018, alleging over-concentration and unsuitability from 2009 through 2017. This client requests damages of $457,000.00.

Craig Aaron Bonn (CRD #2280460) is a currently registered FINRA broker employed with National Securities Corporation (CRD #7569) of New York, NY. He was previously registered with Laidlaw & Company (UK) LTD. (CRD #119037) and Sands Brothers & Co., LTD. (CRD #26816), both also of New York, NY. He has been in the industry since 1993.

FINRA Reports Brokers Nas Adel Allan and Gregory Anastos Made Unsuitable Recommendations on elderfinancialfraudattorneys.comBonn is currently the subject of a customer dispute filed on 8/29/2018 that alleges unsuitability and excessive trading from 2008 through 2016. The client has requested damages of $228,128.47. Bonn denies the claims of wrongdoing made in this dispute.

Previously, Bonn was accused of making “unsuitable recommendations” for a client from 2006 through 2012 in a dispute filed on 1/17/2014. The client requested $800,000 in damages, and the firm settled for $325,000. Bonn was “dismissed and discharged” from this case, and the company settled without any input or contribution from him.

Paul Joseph Prestia (CRD #4477149) is a former registered broker whose last employer was Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd. (CRD #119037) of Melville, NY. His previous employers include Network 1 Financial Securities Inc. (CRD #13577) of Huntington Station NY and MidAmerica Financial Services, Inc. (CRD #47351.) No current employment information is available. He began in the industry in 2003.

Thomas-Hogle-Barred-by-FINRA-After-Alleged-Lack-of-Cooperation-With-Investigation-300x200Prestia has been barred by FINRA in all capacities after he failed to respond to a request for information. After receiving a Notice of Suspension and Suspension from Association letters dated April 25, 2018, and May 21, 2018, and failing to respond three months after his suspension FINRA barred him indefinitely.

Prior to the FINRA action, Prestia’s other disclosures are four tax liens:

Laidlaw & Company financial advisor Patrick Maddren (CRD# 4665903) is the subject of a customer complaint for excessive trading and commissions. Maddren has been registered with Westpark Capital, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida since August 2017. Previously, he was registered with Laidlaw & Company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from 2017 to September 2017.  A recent customer arbitration claim was settled for $295,000.  A brokerage firm has a duty to supervise its stockbrokers and prevent excessive trading or commissions.  If a firm fails to properly supervise a financial advisor or otherwise mismanage a portfolio, an investor may have legal rights.

Contact Our Firm if You’ve Invested with Patrick Maddren

 If you invested with Patrick Maddren and believe you have lost money due to his misconduct, you may be able to file a claim to recover your losses through FINRA arbitration. For a free evaluation of your potential case by as securities attorney, please contact Silver Law Group.

Silver Law Group is investigating New York-based broker Jeffrey L. Offen (CRD# 2893980) after FINRA suspended him.

According to Offen’s FINRA BrokerCheck report, FINRA suspended Offen for 60 days and fined him $5,000 in December 2016.  Offen consented to the sanctions and entry of findings that he failed to timely update his Form U4 to disclose reportable information.

Offen has 16 disclosures on his BrokerCheck report, but most of them are civil and tax judgment/liens. Two (2) FINRA arbitration complaints were settled against him, though.

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