Securities Lawyers Blog
Currently financial advisor Shaw Elashmawy (Elashmawy), currently employed by brokerage firm Maxim Group LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.
FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $300,000.00 on July 23, 2024.
The statement of claim brought on behalf of six separate claimants alleges unsuitable recommendations, misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the purchase of a private placement. Mr Elashmawy was not the registered representative for each of the six separate claimants. The statement of claim alleges over $300,000 in compensatory damages.
Non-traded REITs, oil and gas ventures, equipment leasing products, and other alternative investments are among the products included in DDPs. Due to their steep costs and fee structures, these alternative investments are nearly always unsuitable and seldom yield profits for investors. To push these subpar investments, brokers are given additional commissions, leading to perverse incentives that manipulate the market.
Several studies have confirmed that Non-traded REITs underperform publicly traded REITs with some showing that Non-Traded REITs cannot even beat safe benchmarks, like U.S. treasury bonds. Brokers are supposed to warn investors that non-traded REITs offer lower returns than treasuries while being risky and illiquid—however, this disclosure is often neglected. Since there is no additional return to justify the higher risk and illiquidity, these alternative investment products are typically unsuitable for investors.
Brokers have a responsibility treat investors fairly which includes obligations such as making only suitable investments for the client after conducting due diligence. Due diligence includes an investigation into the investment’s properties including its benefits, risks, tax consequences, issuer, history, and other relevant factors. Appropriate due diligence would identify that an alternative investment’s high costs, illiquidity, and conflicts of interests that would make the investment not suitable for investors. Investors often fail to understand that they have lost money until many years after agreeing to the investment. In sum, for all of their costs and risks, investors in these programs are in no way additionally compensated for the loss of liquidity, risks, or cost.
Unfortunately, these types of alternative investment products continue to popular among brokers due to their high commissions. In order to counter the perverse incentives to sell these flawed product many states now limit investors from investing more than 10% of their liquid assets in Non-Traded REITs and BDCs. Many states impose these limitations because these investments do not benefit investors.
Elashmawy entered the securities industry in 2008. Elashmawy has been registered as a Broker with Maxim Group LLC since 2008.
Investors who have suffered losses are encouraged to contact us at (800) 810-4262 for consultation. At Gana Weinstein LLP, our attorneys are experienced representing investors who have suffered securities losses due to the mishandling of their accounts. Claims may be brought in securities arbitration before FINRA. Our consultations are free of charge and the firm is only compensated if you recover.