Michigan Investment Fraud Lawyers & FINRA Attorneys
Investment fraud lawyers serving Michigan — statewide
Michigan’s investor community spans several distinct economic profiles. The Detroit metropolitan area — home to the global automotive industry and its vast supplier network — has created generations of corporate employees with significant pension assets, equity compensation, and retirement savings that are consistent targets for broker misconduct. The automotive industry’s concentration in specific publicly traded companies creates specific overconcentration risk for employees whose portfolios are weighted in employer stock.
Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan corridor represent a different investor profile — research scientists, physicians, and technology entrepreneurs with equity compensation from university spinouts and private biotechnology and technology ventures. Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second-largest city, has a significant healthcare and manufacturing economy whose professional community has its own distinctive investment fraud exposure around complex alternative products and retirement mismanagement. Lansing’s government workforce creates pension and TSP mismanagement exposure similar to other state capital markets.
Investment fraud and misconduct claims we handle
- Unsuitable investment recommendations: recommendations inconsistent with the investor’s risk tolerance, financial situation, or objectives violate FINRA Rule 2111 and Regulation Best Interest.
- Broker fraud and misrepresentation: material misstatements and omissions in connection with investment recommendations are actionable under federal securities law and FINRA rules.
- Unauthorized trading: executing transactions without prior client authorization violates the account agreement and FINRA rules.
- Churning and excessive trading: excessive trading to generate commissions at the investor’s expense is a suitability violation.
- Overconcentration: failing to maintain adequate diversification in a single security, sector, or product is a suitability violation.
- Product failure: unsuitable recommendations of non-traded REITs, structured notes, variable annuities, leveraged ETFs, and private placements.
- Elder financial fraud: financial professionals who exploit elderly investors face enhanced liability under federal and state elder financial abuse statutes.
- Failure to supervise: brokerage firms bear independent liability under FINRA Rule 3110 when supervisory failures allow broker misconduct to cause investor harm.
Michigan communities Bakhtiari & Harrison serves
Bakhtiari & Harrison represents investors throughout Michigan. For Detroit-specific information visit the Detroit Investment Fraud Lawyers page. The firm also serves investors in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Sterling Heights, Warren, Livonia, Dearborn, Troy, Westland, Farmington Hills, Kalamazoo, and all other Michigan communities.
Why choose Bakhtiari & Harrison as your Michigan investment fraud lawyers
- $250 million+ recovered. Four decades of results for investors in FINRA arbitration and securities litigation nationwide.
- Former FINRA NAMC Chairman. Ryan Bakhtiari served as Chairman of the FINRA National Arbitration and Mediation Committee from 2013 to 2017.
- Former Morgan Stanley in-house counsel. David Harrison spent years as Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in-house counsel and began his career as a Series 7-licensed representative at Shearson Lehman Brothers.
- FINRA hearings near you. FINRA arbitration hearings are held at the venue nearest the claimant’s residence.
- Contingency fee representation. No recovery, no fee. Initial consultations are free.
Frequently asked questions — Michigan investment fraud lawyers
How much does it cost to hire Bakhtiari & Harrison for a Michigan investment fraud claim?
Nothing upfront. Bakhtiari & Harrison represents Michigan investor claimants on a contingency fee basis — paid only as a percentage of what the firm recovers, and only if it recovers. If no recovery is made, the client owes nothing. Initial consultations are completely free. This structure means the quality of legal representation is not limited by the investor’s financial situation.
What is failure to supervise and how does it affect my Michigan claim?
FINRA Rule 3110 requires every broker-dealer to establish a supervisory system reasonably designed to detect and prevent misconduct. When that system fails and investors are harmed, the firm bears independent liability — in addition to the individual broker’s liability. This is particularly important in Michigan where major broker-dealer branch offices serve a large investor community: even when the individual broker has no assets, the firm’s supervisory failure creates full liability for investor losses.
My Michigan broker has left the firm — can I still bring a claim?
Yes. A broker’s departure does not eliminate the employing firm’s FINRA Rule 3110 supervisory liability. Claims are filed against both the individual broker and the firm. The firm remains fully liable for its supervisory failures regardless of whether the broker still works there, has been barred from the industry, or cannot be located.
What is the difference between FINRA arbitration and going to court for a Michigan investment fraud claim?
Most investor claims against broker-dealers go through FINRA arbitration rather than court because brokerage account agreements contain mandatory arbitration clauses. FINRA arbitration is typically faster — 12 to 18 months versus years for federal court — and less expensive. Awards are binding and enforceable in federal court. The key differences are no jury, more limited discovery, and narrow appellate review. Bakhtiari & Harrison handles both FINRA arbitration and federal court securities litigation.
Contact our investment fraud lawyers — free consultation
Contact Bakhtiari & Harrison for a free, confidential consultation. Our FINRA attorneys evaluate every potential investor claim at no charge. Investor cases are handled on a contingency fee basis — no recovery, no fee.
Investor cases are handled on a contingency fee basis — no recovery, no fee.
Call: (800) 382-7969 | Contact Us