Articles Tagged with MLP investment attorney

shutterstock_71403175-300x225The investment attorneys of Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating investor claims of unsuitable investments in oil and gas related products.  Our firm is currently representing a number of investors who lost substantial savings due to poor advice to concentrate holdings in speculative commodities investments like master limited partnerships (MLPs).  Duff & Phelps Select Energy MLP and Midstream Energy Fund Inc. (NYSE: DSE) is a mutual fund that invests primarily in MLPs.

In the past year the Duff & Phelps Select Energy MLP has returned a -91% return as of March 31, 2020.  In fact, in mid-2015 the fund had a price as high a $14.18 a share and has fallen all the way to a low of $.2 a share.

As a background, MLPs are publicly traded partnerships. About 86% of the total MLP securities market, a $490 billion sector, can be attributed to energy and natural resource companies. There are about 130 MLPs trading on major exchanges that focus on energy related industries and natural resources.

Wall Street loves MLPs because they provide high yields to investors and require companies to pay Wall Street in order to continue to grow.  In 2013 banks earned fees of $890.3 million from MLP issuance.   Bloomberg quoted an analyst stating that “MLPs are Wall Street’s dream,” because “[t]hey’re fee machines.”  Naturally, in order to entice investors to continue to invest in MLPs Wall Street pumps up MLPs every chance they get.  According to Bloomberg, in May 2014 “[a]nalysts predict that 93 of the 114 MLPs in existence will rise in value in the next year…”  Astonishingly, “all but five MLPs are recommended by the majority of the analysts who cover them.”  At that time professionals without conflicts called MLPs “the next great investment debacle” and warned that “many MLP shareholders…may not understand what they’ve gotten into.”

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shutterstock_62862913-259x300According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Michael Sims (Sims), formerly employed by Wedbush Securities Inc. (Wedbush Securities), has been subject to at least four customer complaints during the course of his career.  According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Sims has been accused by multiple customers of unsuitable investment advice concerning various investment products including energy stocks most likely including master limited partnerships (MLPs).  The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP continue to report on investor related losses and potential legal remedies due to recommendations to investor in oil and gas and commodities related investments.

In August 2019 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Sims violated the securities laws by engaging in, among other violations, excessive trading, inappropriate investments, mismanagement of account, excessive commissions and lack of supervision.  The claim alleges $250,000 and is currently pending.

In January 2019 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Sims violated the securities laws by engaging in, among other violations, unsuitability, breach of fiduciary duty of loyalty, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, material omissions and misrepresentations in connection with the sale of securities, fraud and deceit based on concealment and violations of Federal statutes, California laws and FINRA Rules and. The claim alleges $2.7 million and settled for $702,600.

Our firm handles claims and is also investigating securities claims against brokerage firms over sales practices related to the recommendations of oil & gas and commodities products such as exchange traded notes (ETNs), structured notes, private placements, master limited partnerships (MLPs), leveraged ETFs, mutual funds, and individual stocks.

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shutterstock_188631644-300x225According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Michael Barnett (Barnett), employed by J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC (JJB Hilliard), has been subject to six customer complaints.  According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Barnett has been accused by a customer of unsuitable investment advice concerning various investment products including energy stocks most likely including master limited partnerships (MLPs).  The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP continue to report on investor related losses and potential legal remedies due to recommendations to investor in oil and gas and commodities related investments.

The most recent claim was filed in June 2018 and alleges breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, violation of Kentucky’s blue sky laws, and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act with respect to an over-concentration and losses in Breitburn Energy (BBEP) and that BBEP was unsuitable.  The claim alleges $42,791.95 in damages and is currently pending.

Our firm handles claims and is also investigating securities claims against brokerage firms over sales practices related to the recommendations of oil & gas and commodities products such as exchange traded notes (ETNs), structured notes, private placements, master limited partnerships (MLPs), leveraged ETFs, mutual funds, and individual stocks.

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shutterstock_143094109-300x200According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor William Heiden (Heiden), employed by Wedbush Securities Inc. (Wedbush), has been subject to nine customer complaints.  According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Heiden has been accused by a customers of unsuitable investment advice concerning various investment products including energy stocks including master limited partnerships (MLPs).  The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP continue to report on investor related losses and potential legal remedies due to recommendations to investor in oil and gas and commodities related investments.

The most recent claim was filed in June 2017 and alleges that Heiden, breach his fiduciary duty, committed violation of industry rules, and financial elder abuse causing $855,299.  The customer’s accounts were maintained at the firm from September 2013 to April 2017.  The claim is currently pending.  The broker has stated in defense of the claim that market conditions and the collapse of oil prices in 2014 and 2015, resulted in a loss of value of some stock and bond positions in the customer’s account.

In January 2017 a customer alleged that Heiden, that from March 2012 to February 2016, made unsuitable investments in the client accounts causing $950,718 in damages.  The claim is currently pending.

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