The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. Wins $6 Million Plus Award Against UBS and UBS Puerto Rico
In an arbitration proceeding against UBS Financial Services, Inc. and UBS Financial Services, Inc. of Puerto Rico, the Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. won $4.25 million in compensatory damages plus interest at 6.25% from February 28, 2014 and costs of $170,000 for one of the firm’s clients last month. This arbitration arose out of a series of unsuitable recommendations by a UBS-PR and UBS financial advisor that our clients purchase and then hold an excessive concentration of Puerto Rico Bonds and UBS-PR Closed-End Funds. As a result, our clients’ investment portfolios were not diversified from not only an asset allocation standpoint but also overly concentrated in securities from a single geographic area – Puerto Rico. The excessive concentration in Puerto Rico securities and leverage strategy implemented made the accounts highly speculative, which was inconsistent with not only our clients’ investment objectives but also the UBS-PR and UBS financial advisor’s representations. UBS and UBS-PR, through their representatives, disseminated false and misleading information to our clients about the nature, mechanics and risks of owning leveraged and concentrated positions in Puerto Rico Bonds and UBS-PR Closed-End Funds and the investment strategy employed in their accounts.
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