San Francisco Investment Fraud Lawyers & FINRA Attorneys
Investment fraud representation in San Francisco
San Francisco and the broader Bay Area represent one of the highest concentrations of investable wealth in the United States. The technology industry has created a significant population of investors with complex financial situations — concentrated stock positions, equity compensation, IPO windfalls, and early liquidity events — that financial advisers have frequently mishandled or exploited.
FINRA hearings serving the Bay Area
FINRA arbitration claims arising from Bay Area accounts are typically heard at the San Francisco regional hearing location. Bakhtiari & Harrison represents San Francisco and Bay Area investors in FINRA proceedings and in the Northern District of California for federal securities litigation.
Bay Area investor profile — technology wealth and its risks
Bay Area investors face a distinct set of fraud risk vectors. The concentration of technology company employees holding restricted stock units, stock options, and other equity compensation creates a population of investors who may be unfamiliar with the standards governing broker recommendations for complex products. Advisers have frequently pitched Bay Area tech employees on high-commission alternative investments — non-traded REITs, private placements, structured products — at moments of liquidity when large cash positions become available.
The firm has experience representing Bay Area investors across Silicon Valley, Marin County, the East Bay, and the Peninsula in FINRA arbitration claims against national and regional broker-dealers.
Common investment fraud claims
Bakhtiari & Harrison prosecutes a wide range of investor claims in FINRA arbitration and California state and federal courts. Common claim types include:
- Broker fraud and misrepresentation: false statements or omissions of material fact in connection with the sale of a security (California Corporations Code § 25401).
- Unsuitable investment recommendations: recommendations that do not match the client’s age, risk tolerance, financial situation, or investment objectives (FINRA Rule 2111 / Regulation Best Interest).
- Unauthorized trading: transactions executed without the client’s prior knowledge or approval (California Corporations Code § 25235).
- Churning: excessive trading to generate commissions at the client’s expense (California Corporations Code § 25218).
- Overconcentration: failure to diversify, exposing the client to catastrophic loss in a single security, sector, or product.
- Failure to supervise: the brokerage firm’s independent liability when it fails to detect or prevent a broker’s misconduct (FINRA Rule 3110).
- Ponzi and pyramid schemes: fraudulent investment schemes paying earlier investors from new capital rather than genuine returns.
How FINRA arbitration works — step by step
- File a Statement of Claim. Bakhtiari & Harrison files the claim with FINRA on your behalf, setting out the facts, legal theories, and damages sought. The respondent — typically the brokerage firm and the individual broker — has 45 days to answer.
- Select the arbitration panel. For claims over $100,000, a three-arbitrator panel is appointed. The firm has decades of experience with California-based FINRA arbitrator pools and brings genuine familiarity to the panel selection process.
- Complete discovery. Both sides exchange account statements, trade confirmations, suitability questionnaires, internal firm communications, and supervisory records.
- Attend pre-hearing conferences. A FINRA case administrator schedules conferences to set the hearing calendar and resolve procedural issues.
- Present your case at the hearing. Both sides present evidence, call witnesses, and cross-examine. Bakhtiari & Harrison attorneys are experienced FINRA hearing advocates.
- Receive the award. The panel issues a binding written award, typically within 30 days of the final hearing session.
Why choose Bakhtiari & Harrison for a San Francisco investment fraud case
- $250 million+ recovered. Four decades of FINRA arbitration results for investors across California and nationwide.
- $54 million Citigroup award. The largest FINRA arbitration award of 2011.
- FINRA leadership. Ryan Bakhtiari served as Chairman of the FINRA National Arbitration and Mediation Committee and as President of PIABA. Partner David Harrison is a former New York City assistant district attorney and ex-Morgan Stanley in-house counsel who began his career as a Series 7-licensed registered representative at Shearson Lehman Brothers.
- California Corporations Code expertise. The firm layers state law claims alongside federal claims to maximise recovery options.
- Contingency fee representation. No recovery, no fee. Initial consultations are free.
Bakhtiari & Harrison represents investors throughout California. For a full overview of the firm’s statewide practice, California legal framework, and complete list of California locations, visit the California Investment Fraud Lawyers page.
Contact Bakhtiari & Harrison — free consultation for San Francisco investors
If you have suffered investment losses, contact Bakhtiari & Harrison for a free initial consultation.
Investor cases are handled on a contingency fee basis — no recovery, no fee.
Call: (800) 382-7969 | Contact Us