Naples, Fla. — UBS fraudulently misrepresented Lehman principal-protected notes in a heavy sales push to its brokerage firm clients at a time when it was systematically shedding its own Lehman debt behind the scenes in advance of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, according to a claim filed today by the nationwide investor advocacy law firm Vernon Litigation Group.
Holders of Lehman notes have been left standing at the back of the line with unsecured creditors in the Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy despite the fact that UBS marketed the notes as safe and principal protected, according to the claim. UBS sold an estimated $1 billion in Lehman principal protected notes to main street investors who are now holding virtually worthless paper, according to the claim.
Vernon Litigation Group filed close to a half-million in claims today on behalf of two UBS clients who assert that they were fraudulently sold Lehman structured products that UBS touted as safe and “principal protected.” The law firm has filed close to $12 million in Lehman notes arbitration claims on behalf of investors before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Vernon Litigation Group’s investigation was featured in AARP magazine in an article about the dangers of investing in so-called structured products, which have been increasingly sold by brokerage firms to retirees in recent years as safe investments.
UBS provided misleading and fraudulent marketing and training material to its own sales force of financial advisors who were encouraged to push sales of Lehman structured products to main street investors, the claim states. Behind the scenes, UBS was propping up the financially faltering Lehman with loans and charging Lehman high-interest rates, a situation that demonstrated Lehman’s desperation and poor creditworthiness, the claims asserted.
“As a creditor of Lehman, UBS was in a unique position to assess Lehman’s increasing financial difficulties. However, despite its knowledge of Lehman’s financial situation, UBS failed to warn its financial advisors or its clients of the increasing risk posed by Lehman structured products,” a claim today filed by Vernon Litigation Group on behalf of an investor states.
Vernon Litigation Group is seeking significant punitive damages on behalf of investors in light of UBS’ gross malfeasance, the claim states. UBS made lucrative profits on its predatory lending strategy to a desperate Lehman at a time when it was making enormous profits on fees and commissions by deceptively selling mom-and-pop investors. UBS told these investors that as a worst-case scenario their principal investment would be protected, the claims state.
For more information about Vernon Litigation Group’s nationwide investigation of Lehman notes, see the firm’s web site lehmannotes.com
The securities attorneys at Vernon Litigation Group represent individuals and businesses in disputes involving all manner of financial fraud and negligence including related to Lehman notes, structured products, non-traded REITs, hedge funds, fund of funds, bonds, mutual funds, annuities, tax shelters, and other products.
For more information, contact:
Chris Vernon, attorney at law Vernon Litigation Group
Website: www.vernonhealy.com, www.lehmannotes.com