Self-Qualifier
Signs You May Have a Securities Arbitration Claim
If you recognize even one of these situations, you may have grounds for a FINRA arbitration claim, a private forum where disputes with brokers are resolved. A free consultation costs you nothing, and there are strict time limits on every claim.
Practice Areas
What We Handle
Each of these practice areas reflects a recurring pattern Jorge investigated from inside the SEC and continues to see in FINRA arbitration. He knows how the misconduct is structured, what the internal records show, and which rules were violated.
The Securities Arbitration Claims We Handle
Most securities arbitration cases follow patterns I first saw inside the SEC. When an advisor concentrates a retiree's savings in illiquid alternative investments, sells non-traded REITs or preferred shares as safe income, or exploits an elderly client's trust, the misconduct leaves a paper trail. Winning the case is about knowing where that evidence lives and how to present it to the arbitration panel, whether the forum is FINRA, AAA, or JAMS.
Broker Fraud & Misconduct
Churning, unauthorized trading, misrepresentation, and selling away follow predictable patterns in the internal records. The supervisory exception reports flag the activity. The branch manager signs off anyway. Jorge knows where those failures are documented and how to prove they were not isolated incidents.
Learn More →Unsuitable Investment Recommendations
Suitability violations begin with the new account form. When a broker records a client as "aggressive" to justify products that pay higher commissions, the discrepancy between the stated profile and actual circumstances is the case. Jorge reads those forms the way a CPA reads a balance sheet, and cross-examines the broker on every line.
Learn More →Securities Fraud & Ponzi Schemes
Offering fraud follows a structural logic: legitimate-looking documents, affinity networks, and promised returns that require new investor capital to pay existing ones. Jorge led the prosecution of Wealth Pools International, a $132 million offering fraud affecting 70,000 investors across 64 countries. He understands how these schemes are built from the inside.
Learn More →Investment Adviser Misconduct
Regulation Best Interest created new obligations. Many advisers are not meeting them, and their compliance departments know it. Conflicts of interest, undisclosed compensation arrangements, and self-dealing leave documentary trails that Jorge knows how to find and how to present to an arbitration panel.
Learn More →Elder Financial Exploitation
Brokers who target elderly clients typically concentrate positions in high-commission illiquid products, document consent they never genuinely obtained, and rely on the client's reluctance to confront them. FINRA arbitration panels take elder exploitation seriously. Jorge has obtained rescission and punitive damages in cases involving vulnerable investors.
Learn More →Alternative & Complex Investments
Non-traded REITs, private placements, structured notes, and variable annuities are routinely sold with disclosure documents that technically satisfy regulatory requirements while obscuring the real risks. Jorge evaluates these products as a CPA: modeling the actual economics against what the client was told, and builds the gap between those two pictures into the case.
Learn More →My Story
From SEC Enforcement to Investor Advocacy
I spent more than a decade as Senior Enforcement Counsel at the SEC's Miami Regional Office, building and trying cases against broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, and fraudsters who victimized ordinary investors. I know how misconduct is structured, how it is concealed, and how regulators and arbitration panels evaluate it.
Today I represent only investors, never firms, never respondents. That singular focus, combined with my SEC background and credentials as a CPA and CGMA, gives my clients a level of case preparation and forensic analysis that most claimant attorneys cannot offer.
I am one of only seven Public Members of FINRA's National Arbitration and Mediation Committee, appointed by the FINRA Board of Governors. I bring to the committee a combination of an active investor-side arbitration practice, a decade in SEC Enforcement, and CPA/CGMA credentials. I help set the rules of the forum where your case will be heard. Learn how the process works.
FINRA hearings are conducted near the investor's home. I represent clients nationwide from my office in Coral Gables, Florida.
Read My Full BackgroundCredentials & Appointments
SEC Enforcement & FINRA Arbitration
Representative Experience
Wealth Pools International
Led the SEC enforcement action resulting in $132 million in sanctions, one of the largest offering fraud cases handled by the Miami Regional Office. The matter involved 70,000+ investors across 64 countries and was publicly recognized by then-Commissioner (now SEC Chair) Paul S. Atkins at SEC Speaks 2008.
Unsuitable Illiquid Alternative Investments
Award in FINRA arbitration for a retired investor who suffered substantial losses after a broker recommended a portfolio of illiquid alternative investments inconsistent with the client's conservative risk profile and retirement income needs. FINRA No. 22-01620 (Feb. 2025).
Unsuitable REIT Recommendations, Vulnerable Investor
Award in FINRA arbitration involving unsuitable non-traded REIT recommendations to an elderly investor. Panel awarded damages, rescission, punitive damages, and sanctions, recognizing both the unsuitability of the products and the vulnerability of the client. FINRA No. 18-00218 (Dec. 2018).
Eligibility Defense, FINRA Rule 12206
Successfully defeated a motion to dismiss on FINRA Rule 12206 eligibility grounds, preserving the client's right to proceed to a full arbitration hearing. The matter subsequently resolved.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each matter depends on its own facts and circumstances. Prior results in matters where co-counsel appeared do not reflect the work of any single attorney.
What Sets Riera Law Apart
The Riera Advantage
| Riera Law | Typical Claimant Firm | |
|---|---|---|
| Former SEC Senior Enforcement Counsel | ✓ | Varies |
| Ran compliance inside a global bank (HSBC) | ✓ | Varies |
| FINRA NAMC Board-Appointed Public Member | ✓ | Varies |
| Dual Attorney + CPA/CGMA credentials | ✓ | Varies |
| Represents investors only, never firms | ✓ | Varies |
| Contingency fee, no recovery, no fee | ✓ | ✓ |
| Direct attorney access (not paralegal-driven) | ✓ | Varies |
| Forensic accounting integrated into case strategy | ✓ | Varies |
| PLI Securities Arbitration Faculty | ✓ | Varies |
| English and Spanish fluency | ✓ | Varies |
The Process
What Happens Next
Most investors have never filed a FINRA arbitration claim. Here is exactly what to expect when you work with Riera Law Firm.
Free Consultation
We review your situation at no cost. Jorge personally evaluates your account statements, confirms whether misconduct occurred, and identifies your legal options, including applicable time limits.
Case Evaluation
If you have a viable claim, we conduct a forensic review of your brokerage records, calculate damages, and identify the specific FINRA rule violations at issue.
Statement of Claim
We draft and file your Statement of Claim with FINRA. The respondent firm has 45 days to answer. We select your arbitration panel from FINRA's roster.
Discovery & Preparation
We obtain the firm's internal records, supervisory files, and compliance documents. Jorge's SEC background means we know exactly what to ask for, and what it means when we get it.
Hearing & Award
FINRA hearings are conducted near your home. We present your case to a panel of arbitrators. Most cases resolve before hearing, by settlement or award. You owe nothing unless we recover.
Client Testimonials
What Clients and Colleagues Say
"Friendly, knowledgeable and patient. Willing to spend whatever time is required to fully comprehend the issues in order to provide best results possible."
"Mr Jorge Riera is an excellent attorney. Very detailed in his review of the client's situation and comes up with the perfect strategies and solutions. Highly recommend Mr. Riera as an attorney."
"Jorge was a spectacular partner when we worked together. His years of experience with securities regulation coupled with his commercial thinking made him a crucial partner for success. He always goes above and beyond and his genuine desire to help people shines through. For securities law he is an essential partner."
"Jorge Riera is a class act. He extremely knowledgeable, diligent and genuinely cares."
"So far you have done an extraordinary job. Well prepared, had all the facts and documents at your fingertips. Proud you are in that chair and of the fabulous job you have done representing my parents. Thank you"
Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Decide
Still Have Questions?
The Only Question That Matters Right Now: Does Your Situation Qualify?
A free, confidential consultation with Jorge answers that question directly, with no obligation, no pressure, and no hourly clock running.
Riera Law Firm • 340 Sevilla Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • jlr@rieralaw.com
Representing Investors Nationwide • No Recovery, No Fee • Contingency Fee Basis
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Florida Bar No. 10773.