Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Florida Securities Arbitration: Tips for Investors
You work hard for your salary and invest what you can for your retirement one day. You certainly don’t want to lose your life-savings to some unscrupulous financial advisor. There are numerous situations that can cause you to lose your investments as well — such as a broker who recommends unsuitable investments, engages in… Read More »
How Do You Dissolve a Florida LLC?
Florida LLCs are governed by Chapter 605, Florida Statutes, commonly referred to as the Florida Revised LLC Act (the “Revised Act”). One of the important topics it covers is the several methods to dissolve a Florida LLC. If you are looking to dissolve your Florida LLC, or it is the subject of an involuntary… Read More »
Whistleblower Claims: Common Types of SEC Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has its own whistleblower laws (15 U.S.C. §78u-6). Anyone who knows about a business, person, or company who is committing securities fraud can act as a “whistleblower” by reporting this illegal activity to the SEC and possibly earn an award. SEC whistleblower actions differ from False Claims Act… Read More »
Avoiding and Resolving Florida LLC Member Disputes
Going into business with additional people can be a positive decision, as multiple minds can be better than just one. However, the more people involved, the greater the likelihood for disputes among those individuals to arise. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a partnership, a corporation, or an LLC, disputes can occur even among family… Read More »
The Importance of Whistleblowers to Help Detect Crime and Fraud
Whistleblowers are people who expose activities that are considered unethical or illegal. Some government programs, like Medicare, rely heavily on whistleblowers to uncover criminal activity. In a recent interview, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions said more than 10 percent of Medicare’s budget is lost to waste and fraud. He went on to state that… Read More »
Securities Arbitration in Florida
If a registered securities broker-dealer or financial advisor has mismanaged your financial assets through a breach of duty or industry standards, and has caused you to suffer losses, you may be interested in exploring avenues of legal recourse. Securities-arbitration claims with a registered firm, however, are not resolved through litigation in court, but rather… Read More »
Florida Qui Tam Actions: Illegal Activities and Penalties Arising Under the Florida False Claims Act
The Florida False Claims Act (FFCA), Florida Statutes §68.081 – §68.092, is modeled after the federal False Claims Act that helps people sue and recover from fraudulent activity committed against Florida state government entities. The FFCA allows a whistleblower (also called a “relator”) to file a qui tam whistleblower lawsuit if they are aware… Read More »
How does the IRS Whistleblower Program Work?
In some cases, the IRS will pay an award to people who “blow the whistle” on people who don’t pay the taxes they owe. The IRS relies on information provided to them to investigate some of these cases, which can pay off for the whistleblower with an award of up to 30 percent of… Read More »
The Importance of Whistleblowers to Help Detect Crime and Fraud
Whistleblowers are people who expose activities or information that are considered unethical or illegal. Some government programs, such as Medicare, rely heavily on whistleblowers to report criminal activity. In a recent interview, former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said more than 10 percent of Medicare’s budget is lost to waste and fraud. He stated… Read More »
Protecting Yourself from Unregistered Security Entities
As an investor, it’s important to protect yourself against investment scams and unregistered securities. At Rabin Kammerer Johnson, , we have experience in representing investors and other members of the public against securities brokerage firms, broker-dealers, and registered investment advisors which have mismanaged investor funds. If you are investing on your own, you also… Read More »