May 2018-Palm Harbor, Florida
The FINRA records of Charles J. Lawrence, a stockbroker who currently is employed by R. F. Lafferty & Co. disclose a pending regulatory investigation and a recent employment separation after allegations.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is the agency that licenses and regulates stockbrokers and brokerage firms. FINRA requires brokers and brokerage firms to report customer complaints and disputes as well as regulatory sanctions. In addition brokers are required to disclose certain financial matters such as personal bankruptcies, judgments and liens.
In March 2016, Lawrence was discharged from Morgan Stanley who made the following allegations on his FINRA record: “Allegations involving adherence to industry rules and/or firm policy regarding use of trading discretion.”
In January 2018 Lawrence was sent a Wells Notice indicating that FINRA has made a preliminary determination to recommend that disciplinary action be brought against him alleging potential violations of NASD Rules 2510 (Discretionary Accounts) and 2310 (Recommendations to Customers) and FINRA Rule 2010 (Standards of Commercial Honor and Principles).
Lawrence was registered with Morgan Stanley from 6/2009-4/2016. He has been registered with R.F. Lafferty since 4/2016.
What is Discretionary Authority ?
In this context, it means that the broker makes trades in the customer’s account without first consulting the customer. It means that the broker can decide how much of a security to buy or sell, and at what price, without customer input. Generally discretionary trading in an investor account is only allowed if the investor has authorized the broker to do so in writing and the brokerage firm has approved the account for discretionary trading.
If a broker makes trades in an account without having discretionary authority and without first consulting with the customer, that is generally considered to be an unauthorized trade and the customer may be entitled to damages for any losses.
Rex Securities Law , with offices in Boca Raton, FL, and Austin, TX, provides representation to investors nationwide who are seeking recovery of investment losses due to the negligence or fraud of stockbrokers and broker dealers. If you have questions about how your account has been handled, call to speak with an experienced securities attorney.
Most cases handled on a contingent fee basis meaning that you do not pay legal fees unless we are successful.
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