Securities and Financial Fraud Litigation

Betts Diplas PLLC represents businesses, financial professionals, and investors in securities, financial fraud, and shareholder disputes in federal and state courts and in arbitration, including before FINRA.

Our experience encompasses claims for securities fraud, common law fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty (and aiding and abetting thereof), breach of contract, and corporate waste arising from securities offerings, investment management, fiduciary relationships, and post-closing M&A disputes. 

We have also conducted and advised companies, boards, and special committees on internal investigations into securities-related issues in connection with M&A and other corporate transactions, public disclosures, board and committee processes, related-party transactions, compensation and incentive structures, executive transitions, and financing activities. 

Our work is informed by our in-house experience at the wealth management division of a leading global financial institution, where we defended the company and its financial advisors in numerous FINRA arbitrations, handled expungement proceedings and ancillary civil litigation, and engaged directly with regulators.

Representative matters include:

  • Representing Morgan Stanley and its financial advisors in numerous FINRA arbitrations, involving allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, unsuitability, unauthorized trading, failure to supervise, and breach of contract, and securing favorable resolutions through contested hearings, mediations, and settlements;
  • Securing a favorable settlement for an investor victimized by identity theft, including full restoration of stolen funds, contractual interest, and reimbursement of legal fees; 
  • Litigating investor claims for common-law fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract arising out of a private offering;
  • Representing a biotechnology company in shareholder disputes concerning inaccuracies in the securityholder register, unrecorded share purchases, estate transfers, and dilution claims following capital restructuring;
  • Securing a FINRA arbitration award for the expungement of customer dispute information regarding allegations of unsuitability, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract, and obtaining state court confirmation of the award;
  • Defending medical services and utilities companies in qui tam matters under the False Claims Act, including responding to DOJ civil investigative demands and OIG subpoenas, and litigating a relator-prosecuted case;
  • Investigating and advising investors on claims for securities fraud, common law fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and civil RICO;
  • Conducting numerous investigations into alleged fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and related governance failures for corporate clients and their officers and directors; and
  • Advising a financial services company on potential exposure to claims for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the use of earmarked funds.

Certain matters described above were handled by Michael A. Betts and/or Alexandros Diplas prior to the formation of Betts Diplas PLLC.

Contact Us

Please reach out to us at [email protected] to discuss how we may be of service.