Our attorneys in the Securities Industry Regulation & Litigation practice area have represented broker-dealers, investment advisers, financial planners, and other securities industry professionals in virtually every aspect of securities industry related litigation and arbitration, as well as investigations and enforcement actions brought by the SEC, self-regulatory bodies, and state securities commissioners.

Our approach is a preventative one geared toward helping our securities industry clients meet their business objectives. We have conducted seminars for our clients on matters ranging from customer compliance issues to recruitment of registered representatives. Our goal is to provide risk management assistance to our clients in order to lessen their potential exposure to litigation and regulatory enforcement actions.

Our experience includes the following:

• Advice to broker-dealers and investment advisers on a wide array of general securities, corporate and business, compliance and regulatory issues
• Representation of broker-dealers and investment advisers in customer litigation and arbitration involving claims of unsuitability, churning, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraud
• Representation of investment advisers in SEC investigations and enforcement actions
• Defense and prosecution of claims on behalf of broker-dealers involving breach of non-competition agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of fiduciary duties related to recruitment of registered representatives
• Prosecution and defense of "raiding" claims on behalf of broker-dealers
• Representation of securities industry clients before state securities commissioners and self-regulatory agencies for compliance and regulatory issues, including sales practices, supervision, registration requirements, market making, financial and operational issues, and underwriting activities
• Representation of broker-dealers in complex litigation where the broker-dealer has served as underwriter
• Representation of broker-dealers in complex securities class action litigation
• Advice to "independent contractor" broker-dealers regarding the design of errors and omissions insurance programs for registered representatives
• Design of insider trading and compliance programs for broker dealer and investment adviser clients
• Assist in internal reviews and investigations involving securities compliance and regulatory matters

We believe our experience is unique among firms in the Midwest because of our long history serving securities industry clients and because of the numerous securities industry clients whom we represent. A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., the largest broker-dealer based outside of New York, has been our client for over 50 years. We also represent regional broker-dealers, independent contractor broker-dealers, investment advisers and individual registered representatives. This experience gives us the ability to understand issues unique to the securities industry and to meet the objectives of our securities industry clients.

Expertise

Our extensive experience in representing securities industry clients allows us to provide a full range of services. Included among our attorneys is a former Missouri Commissioner of Securities, a former General Counsel for a regional broker-dealer and a former in-house litigation counsel for a national broker-dealer. We have handled securities litigation and arbitration throughout the country for our broker-dealer clients. In addition, we have represented our securities industry clients before the SEC, several states' securities commissioners, the New York Stock Exchange, and the NASD. Because of our extensive securities industry client base and the wide range of matters on which we advise clients, we intensely monitor securities industry legislative and regulatory developments.

We are particularly well suited to handle cases for securities industry clients when litigation does occur. We have tried jury cases and bench trials for our securities industry clients throughout the United States. We also have extensive arbitration experience before the NASD, New York Stock Exchange, and American Arbitration Association.

Our trial attorneys are cost sensitive and make every effort to work closely with our clients to evaluate each case and employ litigation strategies designed to provide the best possible result at the lowest possible cost. When requested, we provide a written evaluation which includes, among other things, a thorough analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each party's relative position, a realistic evaluation of the claim, and an incremental budget of litigation costs.