Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Our three partners, Alfred Villoch, Eric Nelsesteun, and Bert Savage (left to right), at the 2024 Career Fair for Stetson College of Law. Stetson is always a great resource to find the best and the brightest 💡

Four of our current law clerks are Stetson students, two of which are set to graduate this semester!

If you want to see the squad who recovered $15.7 million last December from a well-known broker-dealer, look no further y'all 👏🏻😤

Prominent securities litigator, Brenda Combs, presents on "Case Acquisition" at yesterday's PIABA's Conference in Colorado Springs. She's AMAZING!

We're excited to sponsor the 2023 Public Investors Advocate Bar Association (PIABA) Conference! We start off with our attorney, Brenda Combs, as a speaker on "Case Acquisition."

A solid part of our team is twinning and sporting the law firm t-shirt 😭🙏🏻❤️.
From left to right: Paul, Elisabeth, Sara, Zen, Kristyn, Shena, and David! [Shirted but not pictured was Brittany].

SVL was featured in the September 2023 issue of Stroll Magazine 🙌. We're known for representing investors who suffered a financial loss and want to know if their adviser was at fault. 👊

We've added a signing bonus for qualified trial attorneys in Tampa and Miami. 👏🏻
Contact us now or find us on LinkedIn if you're an interested candidate for a spot in our trial team.

Savage Villoch Law, PLLC, Expands Reach with New Office Opening in Miami, Florida.

Savage Villoch Law, PLLC, a leading law firm specializing in investor loss claims and insurance defense, announces the opening of its newest office in Miami, Florida. This strategic expansion positions the firm to better serve and represent its clients throughout South Florida.

As reported in Barrons, Savage Villoch Law recently recovered $11.7 million and FINRA reports that Morgan Stanley paid an additional $4 million to a husband and wife who suffered investment losses at the hands of their financial advisor. The losses were tied to a covered call writing strategy.
Like personal injury law firms, our law firm reviews investment loss cases for free and gets paid only if we recover for our clients.

Savage Law Blog: Three Simple Methods for Protecting Your Investments

As the familiar adage goes, the higher the risk, the higher the reward. Of course, when it comes to investment strategies, risk is often one characteristic around which you can make informed decisions to mitigate or embrace, depending on your level of risk tolerance.

Yet there is one investment risk – the risk of fraud – which at first glance seems uniquely difficult to mitigate. Fortunately, there are indeed several steps investors can take to protect their hard earned investment dollars from fraud.

In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) each offer investor resources for reducing the risk of investment fraud. (More in link)

https://www.savagelaw.us/blog/three-simple-methods-for-protecting-your-investments/

I have a dream... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Savage Law Blog: Under False Persona, Man Defrauds Investors of Millions

In a stark reminder to thoroughly confirm your stockbroker’s background, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently charged a California man with defrauding investors of millions of dollars by using a patently false persona.

The SEC’s complaint charged Justin Costello with violations of the anti-fraud provisions of several federal securities laws as a result of his role in this massive fraudulent scheme.

While the SEC’s complaint alleges a broad web of fraudulent investment schemes, Costello mainly operated through deceit about his background, his qualifications, and the value of the companies he owned and operated. Throughout the span of his fraudulent schemes, Costello was never registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer nor investment adviser. (More in link)

https://www.savagelaw.us/blog/under-false-persona-man-defrauds-investors-of-millions/

Wishing you a Merry Christmas surrounded by your loved ones!

Making Dreams Come True. Our Annual Tradition of Giving Back to the Community.
Savage Villoch Law Firm is proud to do our part to support the Lealman Fire District through Adopt a Family Program.
Tis the season for giving.

Savage Law Blog: Has Your Stockbroker Defrauded You?

Even a well-trusted investment advisor can take advantage of their client relationships, as illustrated by a recent lawsuit brought by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Per the SEC’s September 29, 2022 complaint, Bradley Goodbred, a registered investment adviser based in Illinois, misappropriated a total of $1,295,000 from a 97-year-old client between 2012 and 2021. While the defendant, Goodbred, returned a portion of this money, his client still lost more than half a million dollars as a result of his fraudulent actions. (More in link)

https://www.savagelaw.us/blog/is-your-stockbroker-defrauding-you/

Give thanks and celebrate!

Bert and Alfred represented Savage Villoch Law at the Vinoy Moonlight Gala charity event. The sponsorship of SVL was to support the ALPHA House of Pinellas County, which prevents the cycle of homelessness and child abuse.

https://alphahousepinellas.org/

Savage Villoch Law, PLLC updated their address.

Savage Villoch Law, PLLC updated their phone number.

Thank you for your service!

Savage Law Blog: Is Your Stockbroker Keeping Your Personal Data Safe?

While it may be difficult to verify first-hand how secure your stockbroker keeps your personal information, a recent order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows that even the largest stockbrokers are prone to customer data breaches.

On September 20, 2022, the SEC fined financial services giant Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (“MSSB”) $35 million for failing to adequately protect its customer’s records and personal identifying information (“PII”). The fine was entered via a settlement between the SEC and MSSB, through which MSSB has agreed to pay a civil penalty for the SEC’s charges without admitting to nor denying the violations. (More in link)

https://www.savagelaw.us/blog/is-your-stockbroker-keeping-your-personal-data-safe/

Savage Law Blog: A Look Into the Future of Cryptocurrency Regulation

Signaling the potential future of cryptocurrency regulation in the United States, Gary Gensler, the Chairman for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), shared his perspective that the majority of crypto tokens are indeed securities under U.S. law while presenting at the SEC Speaks event in early September.

Along with the sharing his viewpoint that the majority of crypto tokens and cryptocurrency intermediaries are subject to federal securities laws and regulations, Gensler also shared a quote from the first SEC Chairman, Joseph Kennedy: “No honest business need fear the SEC.” Gensler’s repeated reference to this quote supported his overarching message that regulatory oversight of crypto tokens and intermediaries should be viewed as a positive for the market rather than a negative. (More in link)

https://www.savagelaw.us/blog/a-look-into-the-future-of-cryptocurrency-regulation/

Doing our part to help those affected by Hurricane Ian. SVL donated and volunteered to help fill 2 Uhaul Trucks full of supplies driven down to Ft. Myers this past weekend. Please donate to the relief fund below if you can.
www.FloridaDisasterFund.org
https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/
https://www.metromin.org/
https://unitedwaysuncoast.org/

Savage Law Blog: Organizer of $77 Million COVID-19 and Allergy Testing Scheme Convicted on Securities Fraud Charges

On September 2nd, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Mark Schena, the president of a Silicon-Valley medical technology company, was convicted by a federal jury for his role in a $77 million fraudulent Covid-19 and allergy testing scheme.

The jury convicted Schena of three counts of securities fraud, two counts of payment of kickbacks, one count of conspiracy to pay kickbacks, two counts of health care fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. While he won’t be sentenced until early 2023, Schena faces a maximum of 20 years for each count of securities fraud alone. (More in link)

https://www.savagelaw.us/blog/organizer-of-77-million-covid-19-and-allergy-testing-scheme-convicted-on-securities-fraud-charges/

Know Your Rights As An Investor.

Are you concerned about securities fraud or negligence associated with a financial loss? You have the rights to protect your wealth against the negligence of others. Contact Savage Villoch Law for a FREE case study. We represent investors on a contingency fee basis. Call us at 813-200-0013.

SavageLaw Blog: New SEC Investor Alert Highlights Dangers of Social Media Investment Fraudsters
In response to a recent proliferation of fraudulent investment schemes perpetrated over social media platforms, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released an Investor Alert covering “Social Media and Investment Fraud” this week.

The Investor Alert, released by the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, highlights the unique dangers investors face when evaluating investment prospects and making investment decisions via social media platforms or over the internet. In particular, the alert warns investors that investment information portrayed on social media may be “inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading.” (More in link)

https://www.savagelaw.us/blog/new-sec-investor-alert-highlights-dangers-of-social-media-investment-fraudsters/

In Honor and Remembrance.

SavageLaw Blog: $190 Million Heist Illustrates Unique Crypto Security Risks

The theft of an estimated $190 million in cryptocurrency this week from a blockchain bridge, Nomad, is just the latest in a string of similar heists targeting the crypto sector. Crypto investors are encouraged to remain wary of this and similar threats to their crypto assets as they make investment decisions.

Increasingly, crypto thieves are setting their sights on blockchain “bridges,” which facilitate the transfer of cryptocurrencies between separate blockchains. Once a blockchain bridge is breached, hackers and thieves have the ability to steal massive sums of crypto tokens from their rightful owners. (More in link)

https://www.savagelaw.us/blog/190-million-heist-illustrates-unique-crypto-security-risks/

Today is the first day of FL Back To School Sales Tax Holiday.
Visit www.floridarevenue.com/backtoschool for exempt items.