Securities Lawyers Blog
According to the BrokerCheck records kept by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Peter Girgis (Girgis) has been the subject of at least three customer complaints, several unreported judgement or liens, one employment separation following allegations by his brokerage firm, and two regulatory actions taken by FINRA. Customers have filed complaints against Girgis alleging a number of securities law violations including that the broker made unsuitable investments, fraud, churning (excessive trading), breach of fiduciary duty, and unauthorized trading among other claims.
Bergen entered the securities industry in 2002. From August 2006 until November 2009, Girgis was registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C. (JP Turner). From there, Girgis was associated with Brookstone Securities, Inc. until June 2012. Thereafter, Girgis was a registered representative of Joseph Gunnar & Co. LLC from June 2012 until June 2013. Finally, Girgis is currently registered with Legend Securities, Inc.
In one of the FINRA actions, FINRA alleged that, while registered through Joseph Gunnar, Girgis caused a violation of Regulation S-P of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on the part of his employer firm by sending nonpublic personal information about a customer to an unauthorized individual. In the second FINRA action, the regulator alleged that between February 2011 and January 2013, Girgis failed to disclose and/or timely disclose on his Form U4 four unsatisfied judgments and/or liens including a January 2011 New York income tax warrant of approximately $4,488; a January 2011 New York income tax warrant of approximately $13,418; a November 2011 New York income tax wan-ant of approximately $2,524; and a March 2011 federal income tax warrant of approximately $30,635. Subsequent to these allegations Joseph Gunnar terminated Girgis alleging that the broker violated the conditions of the FINRA action.
It is important for investors to know that all advisers have an obligation and responsibility to deal fairly with investors including making suitable investment recommendations. In order to make suitable recommendations the broker must have a reasonable basis for recommending the product or security based upon the broker’s investigation of the investments properties including its benefits, risks, tax consequences, and other relevant factors. In addition, the broker must also understand the customer’s specific investment objectives to determine whether or not the specific product or security being recommended is appropriate for the customer based upon their needs.
The number of complaints and regulatory actions against Girgis is relatively large by industry standards. According to InvestmentNews, only about 12% of financial advisors have any type of disclosure event on their records. Brokers must disclose different types of events, not necessarily all of which are customer complaints. These disclosures can include IRS tax liens, judgments, and even criminal matters.
Investors who have suffered losses may be able recover their losses through securities arbitration. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are experienced in representing investors in cases where their broker has acted inappropriately. Our consultations are free of charge and the firm is only compensated if you recover.