▸ Lehman Brothers Structured Notes Claims Against UBS

The financial fraud lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are continuing investigating potential Lehman Brothers Structured Notes claims for individuals who lost more than $50,000. To review a case for yourself, a friend or family member, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

Lehman Brothers, once the fourth largest investment bank on Wall Street, filed for bankruptcy on September 15, 2008. During the months leading up to the company’s fall, UBS and other brokers continued to recommend the bank’s financial instruments, even though they knew or should have known that Lehman Brothers was in a weak financial position due to the sub-prime mortgage market collapse.

The Lehman Structured Notes were supposed to be guaranteed, but became worthless when the bank folded.

According to a reorganization plan announced last week, the company will only pay $65 billion of the total debt totaling $320 billion. Creditors representing $160 billion of that debt have already signed off on the plans.

Despite the bankruptcy, investors may still pursue Lehman Brothers Structured Notes UBS claims through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to recoup more of their losses. UBS and other brokers may have violated their fiduciary responsibility to ensure that the Lehman Brothers investments were in line with the objectives and risk tolerance of their clients.

LEHMAN BROTHERS NOTES UBS CLAIM LAWYERS

The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are providing claim evaluations for investors who lost in excess of $50,000 to determine whether the circumstances surrounding the loss may allow the investor to obtain a financial recovery. To review a potential claim, request a free consultation.

>>INFORMATION: Morgan Keegan Fraud Lawsuits

The stock broker fraud lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are continuing to review potential arbitration claims for individual investors throughout the United States to recover financial losses as a result of investments in any of the following Morgan Keegan bond mutual funds:

• Regions Morgan Keegan Select High Income
• Regions Morgan Keegan High Income Fund
• Regions Morgan Keegan Strategic Income Fund
• Regions Morgan Keegan Select Intermediate Bond Fund
• Regions Morgan Keegan Multi-Sector High Income
• Regions Morgan Keegan Advantage Income

While a number of Morgan Keegan bond fund arbitration claims have already resulted in millions of dollars in losses being returned to investors, these new charges of fraud and reckless business practices from federal and state regulators reinforce the allegations raised on behalf of investors who have lost their hard-earned savings.

Morgan Keegan & Co. committed fraud against bond fund investors by purposefully deceiving them about the value of bond fund investments, according to new charges leveled against the brokerage by the SEC, FINRA and state financial regulators from Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and South Carolina.

The SEC says that employees of the company manipulated data to make the funds appear stronger even as the bottom fell out. One fund manager, James C. Kelsoe, allegedly issued nearly 300 “price adjustments” that arbitrarily increased the value of the fund even while it was in decline

FINRA has charged Morgan Keegan, a subsidiary of Regions Financial Corp., with failing to abide by “just and equitable principals of trade,” according to James Shorris, the authority’s acting chief of enforcement. Shorris said Morgan Keegan violated advertising rules and supervision rules.

The state charges add claims that the company specifically concentrated high risk on investors who were retired or near retirement, and who owned low-risk CDs. The states are threatening to not only force Morgan Keegan to pay back investors, but are also considering revoking the company’s license to operate in those states.

MORGAN KEEGAN FRAUD LAWSUITS

Information about potential Morgan Keegan class action suits and individual investor claims was first posted on this website in January 2008. Since that time, our Morgan Keegan fraud lawyers have spoken with investors throughout the United States have lost money as a result of bond fund investments they were led to believe were a safe, low risk investment.

If you, a friend or family member have experienced substantial losses as a result an investment in a Morgan Keegan bond mutual fund, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

>>INFORMATION: Medical Capital Notes Lawsuit and Arbitration Claims

While Medical Capital class action lawsuits have been filed, seeking to represent all investors who purchased the notes from several brokerage firms since September 18, 2006, individual investors who lost more than $50,000 will likely be in a better position to recover their losses through an individual arbitration claim with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

A class action lawsuit was filed earlier this month against a number of brokerage firms who sold Medical Capital Notes. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of all individuals who were sold Medical Capital notes by National Securities Corp., Cullum & Burks Securities, Inc., Securities America, Inc., Ameriprise Financial, Inc., and CapWest Securities, Inc. However, the Medical Capital lawsuit will not consider the individual circumstances of each investment, could take years longer than an arbitration claim and generally class actions result in smaller recoveries for individual investors.

For many investors, a Medical Capital Notes arbitration claim through a FINRA panel will be a better option. This could potentially allow an investor to recover more, if not all, of their losses, and the process can sometimes resolve in less than a year.

MEDICAL CAPITAL NOTES LAWYERS

For investors who have suffered losses in excess of $50,000, the lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are offering free consultations and claim evaluations to help review whether they may be in a better position to recover their losses through an individual claim, as opposed to the Medical Capital class action. If you, a friend or family member have experienced losses as a result of an investment in Medical Capital Notes, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

>>REVIEW A POTENTIAL OPPENHEIMER INVESTOR LAWSUIT<<

While investors were told that they were purchasing a relatively conservative bond fund which would preserve their capital while generating income, fund managers changed their investment style without properly informing shareholders and exposed the fund to greater risk than investors otherwise agreed to accept.

The Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund has suffered devastating losses since July 2008, largely associated with risky gambles made on mortgage-backed securities and corporate bonds. The fund managers failed to adhere to the stated investment objectives of not taking any undue risk and failed to disclose the extent of investors’ exposure to derivatives and other illiquid securities.

Investors may be entitled to recover their losses through an Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund arbitration claim filed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which oversees about 5,000 different brokerage firms throughout the United States.

OPPENHEIMER CHAMPION INCOME FUND LAWYERS

For losses in excess of $50,000 or more, our Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund lawyers recommend that investors review the individual arbitration options, rather than relying on the pending Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund class action lawsuit, which will likely not place them in the best position to recover their losses in the shortest amount of time.

If you, a friend or family member have experienced significant losses in the value of an investment in the Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund (NASDAQ: OPCHX, OCHBX, OCHCX, OCHNX, OCHYX), contact our financial fraud attorneys today by requesting a free consultation and claim evaluation.

The first Morgan Keegan arbitration hearings have already been heard, and hundreds of other claims filed against the regional brokerage firm are scheduled for hearings later this year and early next year. However, investors who have not taken steps to protect their right to recover the investment losses caused by Morgan Keegan’s failure to disclose the risks associated with several bond mutual funds, can still present their cases.

According to an article published yesterday by Investment News, which is a publication for financial advisors, the ultimate number of Morgan Keegan arbitration claims that will be filed is likely to be between 1,000 and 1,500, with potential damages exceeding $200 million.

Our lawyers are pursuing Morgan Keegan arbitration claims for investors who suffered losses in excess of $10,000 as a result of any of the following bond funds:

• Regions Morgan Keegan High Income Fund (RMH)
• Regions Morgan Keegan Multi-Sector High Income Fund (RHY)
• Regions Morgan Keegan Advantage Income Fund (RMA)
• Regions Morgan Keegan Strategic Income Fund (RSF)
• Regions Morgan Keegan Select High Income-C, A or I (RHICX, MKHIX, RHIIX)
• Regions Morgan Keegan Select Intermediate Bond Fund-C, A or I (RIBCX, MKIBX, RIBIX)

It is not too late to take steps to protect your right to recover financial losses. To speak with one of our Morgan Keegan arbitration lawyers, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

>>REVIEW A LEHMAN BROTHERS CLAIM WITH AN ATTORNEY

Investors who purchased Lehman Brothers principal protected notes, also known as Lehman structure notes, or Lehman Brothers stock based on the recommendations of their broker may be entitled to recover their investment losses.

LEHMAN STRUCTURED NOTES

Lehman Brothers structured notes were sold by many brokers to investors as a safe and conservative investment which “guaranteed” that investors would at least get back their initial investment. However, the Lehman protected notes are now essentially worthless following the investment bank’s bankruptcy filing.

During the months leading up to the bankruptcy filing on September 15, 2008, many brokers continued to recommend these financial instruments, even though they knew or should have known that Lehman Brothers’ financial position was weak and compromised by the sub-prime mortgage market collapse, which Lehman helped create.

The Lehman structured notes were being sold to generate revenue to make up for the underperformance of securities related to the subprime mortgage crisis. Many of the same brokerage firms who had stock brokers recommending these investments as safe and conservative, were selling Lehman structured notes for the same reasons.

LEHMAN BROTHERS STOCK LOSSES

For individual investors who purchased shares of Lehman Brothers stock since January 2008 as part of a solicited trade, or with the advise and recommendations of their stock broker, potential recoveries may be available through an arbitration claim. Cases are not being investigated for self-directed trades, or those made based only on the decisions and research of the investor. For those who purchased shares prior to 2008, potential cases are being evaluated if the broker advised to hold the security within 90 days of the bankruptcy filing.

In many cases, the recommendations and actions of stock brokers have violated their fiduciary responsibility to ensure that the Lehman Brothers investments were in line with the objectives and risk tolerance of their clients. Financial recovery may be available through a FINRA arbitration claim for investors who lost money as a result of unsuitable Lehman Brothers stock purchases, or overconcentration in the investment bank securities.

LEHMAN BROTHERS CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS

A number of Lehman Brothers lawsuits and Lehman Brothers class action suits have been filed on behalf of large investors and those who purchased Lehman Preferred Series shares as part of offerings during the months leading up to the bankruptcy. The Lehman Brothers lawsuits allege that false and misleading statements were made about the lack of capitalization at the bank and the impact of the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

LEHMAN BROTHERS LAWYERS

The Lehman Brothers fraud lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are providing claim evaluations for investors who lost in excess of $50,000.00 to evaluate whether the circumstances surrounding the loss may allow the investor to obtain a financial recovery. To review a potential claim, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

Schwab YieldPlus is a bond fund designed and sold to be a relatively low-risk investment alternative to cash or money market funds. It is an ultra-short bond fund, which promised high current income with minimum change in share price. However, as a result of fund managers’ decisions to place a large portion of the fund’s assets in risky mortgage backed securities, investors have seen dramatic losses that they were never properly told could be at risk.

Given the conservative investment objectives of the fund, it is not likely to reverse course and see substantial increases in shareprice. In addition, since most shareholders have withdrawn their money, the fund has essentially been liquidated already, which Morningstar indicates will likely make it impossible for the fund to recover.

Schwab YieldPlus (SWYPX) once had almost $14 billion in assets. As of the end of July 2008, the fund had lost over 95% of that value and was left with just over $500 million in assets.

RECOVER SCHWAB YIELDPLUS LOSSES

For investors who have lost over $10,000 due to the Schwab YieldPlus collapse, they can seek recovery of their damages through a Schwab arbitration claim. Investors were not properly informed about the disproportionate investment in risky sub-prime mortgage securities, or the lack of diversity, which put their investment at risk.

Several Schwab YieldPlus class action lawsuits have already been filed, but individual investors may be in a better position to recover their losses through a FINRA arbitration claim. To speak with a Schwab YieldPlus lawyer and review your financial losses, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

The losses have been blamed on decisions to place a significant amount of their bond fund assets in relatively new collateralized securities, which had not been tested through market cycles. This exposed the Morgan Keegan bond mutual fund investors to a higher amount of risk than they were ever told about. Many of the Morgan Keegan lawsuits allege that investors were misled by representations that the bond mutual funds were a relatively stable and safe investment.

An article published Friday in the Memphis Business Journal highlights the problems Morgan Keegan is facing. As quoted in the article, Morningstar senior fund analyst Lawrence Jones said:

“From an investment manager case study, this will become one of the cases taught in business school about how illiquid, thinly traded securities can sink a fund in short order.”

MORGAN KEEGAN LAWYERS

The financial fraud lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential claims on behalf of investors who lost over $10,000 as a result of an investment in any of the following Morgan Keegan bond funds:

• Regions Morgan Keegan Select High Income
• Regions Morgan Keegan High Income Fund
• Regions Morgan Keegan Strategic Income Fund
• Regions Morgan Keegan Select Intermediate Bond Fund
• Regions Morgan Keegan Multi-Sector High Income
• Regions Morgan Keegan Advantage Income

If you, a friend or family member have suffered financial losses, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

Ultra short bond funds are designed to be relatively conservative investments which generate current income with minimal fluctuations in share price. However, investors in Schwab YieldPlus have seen losses of nearly 30% this year. These losses were caused by fund managers’ decisions to invest heavily in un-tested and risky sub-prime mortgage backed securities. They also made multiple false and misleading statements about the true nature of the risk investors in the YieldPlus Bond Fund would be exposed to.

In a recent article in Investment News, which is a news source designed for financial advisors, concerns were expressed about the fund management arm of Charles Schwab. Schwab has minimized the problems and attempted to settle with the least sophisticated investors first, for substantially less than they lost. Several advisors quoted by Investment News indicated that they will be staying away from Schwab funds in the future.

PROBLEMS WITH OTHER ULTRA SHORT BOND FUNDS

Schwab YieldPlus is not the only ultra-short bond fund which has experienced substantial losses this year tied to investments in subprime loans. Some of the other funds for which potential Ultra Short Bond Fund lawsuits may be filed include:

• SSgA Yield Plus Fund, which State Street decided to liquidate in May after it fell 19% in 2008 as a result of 51% of the fund assets being in mortgage-related securities.
• Evergreen Ultra Short Fund, which Wachovia decided to liquidate in June after it dropped 20% in the first half of 2008.
• Fidelity Ultrashort Bond Fund, which fell nearly 7% in the first three months of 2008.

Despite the recent problems with these ultra-short bond funds, advisors have pointed out that well-managed funds remain a good option for some. Despite exposure to the same market conditions, not all Ultra Short Bond Funds have experienced the same dramatic losses, since many did not bet as heavily on the risky subprime mortgage-backed securities.

ULTRA SHORT BOND FUND LAWYERS

The financial fraud lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are investigating potential claims for investors in Schwab YieldPlus, Wachovia Evergreen Ultra Short, State Street Yield Plus and Morgan Keegan Bond funds. If you, a friend or family member have lost over $10,000 from an investment in an ultra short bond fund, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

The Evergreen Ultra Short Opportunities Fund (EUBAX, EUBBX, EUBCX and EUBIX) is a bond mutual fund which was sold as an alternative to money market funds. Investors were told that the fund was designed to provide current income while preserving the capital. However, as a result of heavy investments in risky mortgage-backed securities, investors have seen their principal decline substantially over the past thirty days.

One Evergreen Ultra Short Fund class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts seeking to represent all investors who acquired shares in the Fund within the past three years. The class action suit alleges that Evergreen Investments violated the Securities Act by making materially false and misleading statements.

In most investment fraud cases, investors are placed in a better position to recover a larger portion of their investment losses through an individual arbitration claim, and are often able to obtain a recovery in a much shorter amount of time. Investors who do not participate in the Evergreen class action suit will be able to make an unsuitability claim, based on the circumstances of their particular case. They will also have control over their case, instead of having their case focus on a class representative, whose interests may differ from individual investors.

The Evergreen Ultra Short Fund lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential cases throughout the United States for investors who lost over $10,000.00. To have a claim reviewed and to discuss the benefits of arbitration over participation in an Evergreen Ultra Short Class Action lawsuit, request a free consultation.