Securities Lawyer in Los Angeles, CA
Investor-Only Representation. Over Four Decades of FINRA Arbitration Experience.
We represent public investors exclusively. The Law Offices of Jonathan W. Evans & Associates has not represented a broker-dealer, brokerage firm, or financial advisor on the defense side. That singular focus means our interests align with yours. Securities arbitration accounts for 95% of our practice, and Mr. Evans has been practicing securities law since 1975. He has been named a California Super Lawyer in securities litigation each year from 2007–2013 and again from 2015–2023.
If you believe your broker or brokerage firm mishandled your investments, you may have legal recourse. We offer a free consultation to investors throughout Southern California, across the United States, and internationally. Our firm has litigated hundreds of arbitration claims and tried more than 80 cases to conclusion before FINRA arbitration panels. Learn more about our team on the attorney profiles page.
Ready to speak with a securities attorney? Call us at (818) 760-9880 or complete our online contact form to schedule your free consultation.
How We Resolve Securities Disputes
Most investor disputes reach resolution through one of three pathways. The right approach depends on the facts of your claim, your investment agreement, and your goals. We evaluate all three options and advise you on which path may serve your interests.
- Securities Arbitration: Our practice centers on securities arbitration. We have litigated hundreds of claims and tried more than 80 cases to conclusion at FINRA arbitration. Arbitration decisions are legally binding and often avoid the time and cost of traditional litigation.
- Securities Mediation: Mediation is an alternative to securities litigation in which a neutral third party works with the disputing parties to help them reach agreement. Unlike arbitration, no outcome is imposed. The mediator has no authority to decide the case or compel a settlement. If the parties do reach agreement, the signed settlement is binding and enforceable.
- Securities Litigation: When arbitration or mediation isn’t possible or doesn’t serve the investor’s interests, litigation is an option. It can also be used in combination with alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
Types of Cases We Handle
- Negligence: These claims arise from a broker’s failure to follow a client’s express instructions, a firm’s failure to properly supervise its brokers, or a broker’s failure to recommend investments consistent with the client’s stated objectives and risk tolerance.
- Suitability: These are losses resulting from investments, including stocks, annuities, bonds, and options, that were unsuitable for a client’s risk profile or investment objectives, even if the client acquiesced to the broker’s recommendation.
- Failure to Supervise Customer Accounts: Brokerage firms have an affirmative duty to implement layers of supervision to monitor customer accounts and prevent wrongful or abusive conduct. When trading in a client’s account is inconsistent with the client’s stated objectives and risk tolerance, proper supervision can identify red flags promptly and allow a supervisor to intervene.
- Failure to Supervise Brokers: Firms must also implement supervision systems over individual brokers, typically including daily monitoring of trading patterns across the broker’s entire book of business. When supervisors ignore obvious red flags, the brokerage firm may be held liable for resulting customer losses.
- Breach of Fiduciary Duty: Under California law, a broker may owe clients a fiduciary duty, requiring the highest degree of loyalty and an obligation to act in the client’s best interest ahead of the broker’s own. A broker’s recommendations are subject to heightened scrutiny when they stand to benefit the broker personally.
- Misrepresentation and Fraud: When recommending or soliciting an investment, a broker must fully disclose all material facts, including risk of loss of principal, all fees and commissions, the availability of comparable investments, and any other information that could reasonably affect the client’s decision. California Corporations Code § 25401 prohibits brokers from making false statements or omitting material facts when selling securities, and liability does not require proof of intent to deceive.
- Overconcentration and Lack of Diversification: Brokers have a duty to recommend a diversified portfolio. Investing a disproportionately large portion of a client’s assets in a single market sector, investment vehicle, or asset class creates concentration risk, regardless of whether the client agreed to the allocation.
- Churning: Churning is excessive trading or account turnover designed to generate broker commissions. It may also include unjustified mutual fund switching or IRC Section 1035 switching of variable annuities. FINRA Rule 12206 requires claims to be filed within six years of the events giving rise to the dispute; California state law claims may carry shorter limitations periods, making early consultation important.
Why Investors Choose The Law Offices of Jonathan W. Evans & Associates
Many securities attorneys represent both investors and the brokerage firms or broker-dealers involved in securities disputes. We don’t. Our firm limits representation entirely to public customers, which means we have not been on the defense side of a securities dispute. That commitment removes potential conflicts from the relationship and lets us focus entirely on seeking recovery of your losses.
Mr. Evans has been practicing law since 1975. Securities arbitration represents 95% of his practice, and our firm has tried more than 80 FINRA arbitration cases to conclusion. He has been recognized as a California Super Lawyer in securities litigation from 2007–2013 and again from 2015–2023. Our firm secured an arbitration award against Arete Wealth Management involving the sale of GWG L Bonds. We represent investors throughout Southern California, across the country, and internationally.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
If you or someone you know in Southern California, elsewhere in the United States, or internationally has suffered investment losses due to broker misconduct, we can help you understand your options. Call The Law Offices of Jonathan W. Evans & Associates today at (818) 760-9880 or complete the contact form on this site to schedule your free consultation.
The first step costs you nothing. Call (818) 760-9880 or contact us online to speak with a securities attorney about your situation.