SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Lawyers with the Securities Law Firm of Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP, http://www.ubs-taxfree-puertorico.com/, has filed a case on behalf of a former client of Jose Ramirez (“Ramirez”), Carlos Freire (“Freire”), and UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS”).  The case alleges that Ramirez and/or Freire recommended and convinced the client to invest virtually her entire net worth in Puerto Rico municipal bonds and UBS proprietary Puerto Rico municipal bond funds.  These securities were marketed and sold as low risk investments that would pay the clients high, tax advantaged dividends. 

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Ramirez, the original broker for the client, was terminated by UBS for encouraging clients to invest proceeds of loans in UBS proprietary Puerto Rico bond funds.  Ramirez was later replaced by Freire as the broker for the client.  According to the claim, neither Ramirez nor Freire warned the client that UBS’s proprietary Puerto Rican bond funds are highly leveraged, that UBS bonds were potentially unstable, and that UBS was artificially inflating and/or supporting the market for its Puerto Rico bond funds.  As a result, this was a highly speculative investment strategy unsuitable for almost any client. 

The claim alleges that the client followed the brokers’ recommendations to make these investments and ultimately lost roughly half of her life savings in a short period of time.  If you are or were a client of Jose Ramirez and/or Carlos Freire, or suffered losses in any other municipal bond investments made at the recommendation of your broker, contact the law firm of Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas LLP for a free, confidential evaluation of your account.  We have a team of attorneys, consultants and staff with more than 100 years of combined experience in the securities industry and in securities law. For more than two decades, our firm has represented thousands of investors nationwide to recover losses. We have represented clients in Federal and state courts and in arbitration through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the New York Stock Exchange Inc. (NYSE), the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and in private arbitration actions.  More information can also be found on our blog at http://www.stockbrokerfraudblog.com/2013/10/puerto_rico_municipal_bonds.html.

Contact Info: 800-259-9010

713-580-8914 to speak to Spanish fluent staff

Sam Edwards [email protected]

Kirk Smith [email protected]

Luis Acevedo [email protected]

SOURCE Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Lawyers with the Securities Law Firm of Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP, http://www.ubs-taxfree-puertorico.com/, have filed more claims on behalf of former clients of David Lugo (“Lugo”) and UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS”).  These cases allege that Lugo recommended clients invest huge portions of their accounts, which also were often large concentrations of the clients’ total net worth, in Puerto Rico municipal bonds and UBS proprietary Puerto Rico municipal bond funds.  These securities were marketed and sold as low risk investments that would pay the clients high, tax advantaged dividends. 

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The claims further allege that Lugo recommended to many of his clients that they borrow money against their UBS accounts and invest the proceeds in even more municipal bonds and bond funds, claiming this was a low risk way of increasing their returns.  According to the claim, Lugo did not warn the clients that what he was recommending was expressly not allowed under UBS rules and U.S. banking regulations, and was actually an incredibly high risk investment strategy, contrary to Lugo’s promises.

The claims also allege Lugo did not warn clients that UBS’s proprietary Puerto Rican bond funds are highly leveraged, that UBS bonds were potentially unstable, and that UBS was artificially inflating and/or supporting the market for its Puerto Rico bond funds.  Between the borrowed money and the large risks inherent in the UBS Puerto Rico bond funds, this was a highly speculative investment strategy unsuitable for almost any client.  As a result of these recommendations, Lugo’s clients saw tremendous losses in their accounts, which represented almost all of the clients’ life savings.  Attorneys with the law firm Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas LLP are currently in the process of trying to recover these losses from UBS for Lugo’s clients.

If you are or were a client of David Lugo, or suffered losses in any other municipal bond investments made at the recommendation of your broker, contact the law firm of Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas LLP for a free, confidential evaluation of your account.  We have a team of attorneys, consultants and staff with more than 100 years of combined experience in the securities industry and in securities law. For more than two decades, our firm has represented thousands of investors nationwide to recover losses. We have represented clients in Federal and state courts and in arbitration through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the New York Stock Exchange Inc. (NYSE), the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and in private arbitration actions.  More information can also be found on our blog at http://www.stockbrokerfraudblog.com/2013/10/puerto_rico_municipal_bonds.html.

Contact Info: 800-259-9010
713-580-8914 to speak to Spanish fluent staff
Sam Edwards [email protected]
Kirk Smith [email protected]
Luis Acevedo [email protected]

SOURCE Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP