When you are looking for a FINRA (formerly NASD) securities arbitration lawyer to advise or represent you in connection with your claim against your stockbroker, investment advisor, or financial planner, you may want to look at lawyers who have experience representing investors in both court and in arbitrations.

The Public Investor's Arbitration Bar Association is an association of lawyers who are interested in representing investors.  Like any group of professionals, the lawyers in PIABA vary in ability, ethics, and experience.   However, some of them have been representing investors for many years and are highly regarded.  Start by searching for lawyers near your most likely hearing location, then ask the lawyers where you should be looking.  Normally, FINRA assigns cases to be heard in the hearing location nearest the city where the investor resides.

You may also want to research and crosscheck lawyers with the Martindale-Hubbell directory. The Martindale-Hubbell directory contains listings of lawyers and law firms organized by city. The AV rating is the directory's highest rating for both competence and ethics.  Before hiring a lawyer, you should check with the state bar associations in any state where he practices to see whether he is in good standing or has a disciplinary record.

Many local bar associations have telephone lawyer referral services. Some of these may list lawyers who do securities cases for investors. Yellow page phone directories usually have a section on lawyers that is divided by the type of law they practice. In major cities, there is often a section for Securities Law or Investment Law that contains ads by lawyers who represent investors. Recommendations from any friends who have brought similar claims can be valuable leads.

When you talk to a lawyer, ask him whether he has represented investors with claims like yours in court and in arbitrations. Ask whether he is willing to give you a free consultation. After he has evaluated your case, ask him what he charges by the hour, and whether he is willing to represent you for a contingent fee. Ask how the contingent fee will be calculated, get a copy of the fee agreement, and have it reviewed by an independent lawyer before you sign it.

DISCLAIMER: Vincent DiCarlo, who authored and maintained this site, has entered government service and, as of September 1, 2008, is no longer engaged in the private practice of law.  Therefore, this site is no longer being maintained,  may not be accurate, and should not be relied upon.  It is not now and was not ever intended as legal advice.  It is being provided for historical purposes, and for the benefit of those lawyers who are capable of independently verifying the information and judging the opinions in it, and then reaching their own conclusions.  You are strongly advised to consult qualified legal counsel before adopting any of the ideas or suggestions in this material, which may or may not be applicable in your jurisdiction or to your specific situation, and may no longer be accurate or prudent in any case.  The opinions and statements at this site were solely those of the author.  They were not and are not those of, nor were they nor are they made on behalf of, any agency of government or anyone else.

Copyright © 1998-2008 Vincent DiCarlo