FINRA Arbitration, Boston

Attorneys Experienced in Successful FINRA Arbitration

Godbout Law offers experience and a track record of success litigating claims in the unique forum of FINRA arbitration. FINRA has its own unique procedures including a Code of Arbitration Procedure for both investment disputes and employment disputes that are not applicable to Courts. Most, if not all, brokerage firms mandate within their opening agreements that investors agree to arbitrate their disputes in FINRA arbitration. The attorneys at Godbout Law are familiar with the FINRA forum, the arbitrators, the procedural rules, and how to present a case in arbitration.

We represent broker-dealers, registered representatives and investors in all FINRA proceedings. Investment related cases can be based on unsuitable investments, over-concentration, churning of accounts, unauthorized trading or fraudulent statements resulting in an investment. Any investor who believes they or someone they know may have a claim should contact the attorneys at Godbout Law to carefully evaluate the case to determine if a claim should be filed. At Godbout Law, we also use our knowledge to represent brokers in successfully defending against investor arbitration claims.

All brokers who have employment disputes with their firms typically must arbitrate their disputes before FINRA. These claims may involve wrongful discharge, defamation, promissory note disputes, bonus disputes and U5 disputes. The attorneys at Godbout Law are capable of representing individual brokers as well as brokerage firms in any employment dispute that may arise. We leverage our deep knowledge of employment law as well as our experience in the FINRA forum to obtain the best possible result for our client.

The attorneys at Godbout Law are also capable of representing brokers in all types of FINRA regulatory inquiries, including subpoena compliance, OTR (“on the record”) depositions, FINRA Wells Notices, and correcting U5 filings or Broker Check information. It is important for any broker that finds himself or herself the subject of a FINRA investigation to retain an experienced and independent counsel that is not connected to any brokerage firm and therefore has only your interest in mind.

Examples of FINRA arbitration disputes recently handled by Godbout Law include:

• Defense of brokerage firm against claims brought by former employee/registered representative for inter alia payment of fees and commissions, defamation and violations of M.G.L. c. 93A. We secured a near complete defense for our client, and the insubstantial amount awarded to claimant was netted out against the far greater sum of attorney’s fees that was awarded to our client for prevailing in the arbitration.
• Represented local Catholic grammer school in claim against individual broker and his brokerage firm for unsuitable investments, misrepresentations and failure to supervise. We recovered substantially all loses sustained by our client due to investments in penny stocks and other highly volatile positions where the investment profile should have been conservative.
• Represented investor in action against investment advisor for damages arising out of investment losses due to mismanagement of an IRA account. We also brought claims against the brokerage firm for failure to properly supervise its agent. We were able to secure a settlement for our client prior to the arbitration hearing that covered nearly all of his substantial losses.
• Represented brokerage firm in claim against former officer for misappropriation, conversion of company funds and breach of fiduciary duty where the former officer used his position of authority to designate himself representative of record on accounts that were in fact “house accounts,” and thereby take commissions that belonged to the firm. The matter settled prior to arbitration and our client recovered nearly all the commissions that were wrongfully taken.
• Retained as counsel by another FINRA attorney to defend against a Petition to Vacate an arbitration award of approximately one million dollars in the Federal District Court.

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