Securities and Stock Fraud

Taking Action

If you have invested in a company and lost money due to fraud, corporate mismanagement, self-dealing, or insider trading, our securities and fraud lawyers can take action and file a suit to recover your losses. Corporate and securities fraud litigation ensures honest financial reporting as well as integrity within the securities markets, and investors should be proactive in protecting their investments.

Power To The People

In 1995, Congress passed the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) in order to tip the balance of power back into the hands of investors. Any investor, regardless of the size of his or her investment, can initiate a securities class action lawsuit when his purchase or sale of a security was due to a false or misleading statement, or an omission, by officers or directors of a public company. Our Charleston securities and fraud attorneys have filed lawsuits (including class action securities lawsuits) on behalf of defrauded investors in cases involving:

• Federal securities law violations
• Shareholder rights violations
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act violations (accounting fraud, false corporate filings)
• Breach of fiduciary duties
• Insider trading and options backdating

The 3 Common Types Of Securities Fraud Cases

Our experienced securities and fraud attorneys are ready to fight aggressively on your behalf.

• 10(b)(5) Cases: When a publicly traded company engages in fraud by making false statements to the investing public and disseminating false information through their public filings and other forms of communication. There have been many situations where a company inflates the value of its stock by making false statements to the marketplace. In addition, the false statements are usually accompanied by insider trading or self-dealing of some sort, making it even more crucial than ever for investors and experienced securities and fraud attorneys to hold corporations accountable by enforcing the law.
• Derivative Cases: A shareholder derivative action is appropriate when a company's officers and directors have breached their fiduciary duties to the company by engaging in corporate mismanagement and waste as well as insider self-dealing. In a derivative case, the investor will file suit to recover from the Directors and Officers of the company. Derivative actions provide institutional investors with a process to restore shareholder value through improved corporate governance and to recoup damages suffered by the company. Investors can directly impact long-term investment value through a company's recovery of damages and the adoption of improved corporate governance measures which enhance director independence, improve disclosure policies, and better ensure compliance with laws, rules and regulations involving accounting, labor relations, the environment, workplace health and safety, anti-bribery statutes, and more.
• Merger and Acquisition Cases: If you have invested in a company that has agreed to a merger or acquisition and believe that the company has not negotiated in the best interest of the shareholders, you may file a direct class action to make the terms more favorable and ensure the disclosure of material facts. In many cases, company insiders may agree to sell your company for less than it is worth in order to get some special consideration or compensation or even a position in the acquiring company. By filing a lawsuit, you may be able to increase the purchase price of the company, ensuring you and your fellow investors get the full value of your investment.

Protect Yourself And Your Investment

If you have questions about your rights or believe you may have a securities fraud case, our experienced securities team can help. We offer free initial consultations and are conveniently located in central Mount Pleasant. Call us today at 843-972-0150 or complete our consultation form.