James M. Ham and First Independent Financial Services, Inc.
Have you lost money with financial advisor James M. Ham of Dallas, Texas? We are investigating allegations made by FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, against James Ham. Ham was barred from the securities industry after he failed to respond to a FINRA investigation. FINRA was investigating Ham for allegations that he solicited a customer to invest $170,000 in an undisclosed outside business activity.
FINRA also investigated Ham previously in October 2014 for exercising discretion in customers’ accounts at least 280 times without authorization from the customer. FINRA fined Ham $5,000 and suspended him for 60 days. FINRA barred Ham after he failed to pay the $5,000 fine.
James M. Ham was a financial advisor and registered representative of First Independent Financial Services from 2006 to October 2014. He worked at a branch office in Dallas, Texas. In addition to the two regulatory investigations by FINRA, Ham has also been the subject of two customer complaints, terminated by two firms in 2005 and 2014 (by First Independent Financial Services), and he filed for bankruptcy in 2011.
Brokerage firms like First Independent Financial Services have a responsibility to adequately supervise all representatives who are registered through their firm. Brokerage firms also must take steps to ensure that their financial advisors follow all securities rules and regulations, as well as internal firm policies, such as refraining from selling investments and securities that are not approved by the firm. When brokerage firms fail to adequately supervise their registered representatives, they may be liable for investment losses sustained by customers.
Israels & Neuman PLC is a securities and investment fraud law firm with offices in Denver, Colorado and the Seattle area. We represent investors in FINRA arbitration proceedings in all 50 states, including investors in the Dallas area and throughout Texas. Our attorneys have represented over one thousand investors against many brokerage firms in the past, including LPL Financial, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, Stifel Nicolaus & Company, UBS Financial Services, Oppenheimer, Charles Schwab, Wells Fargo Advisors, Ameriprise Financial Services, Raymond James, ProEquities, Securities America, National Securities Corp., and many others.
If you lost money with James Ham or First Independent Financial Services, please Contact Us at 720-599-3505 for a free evaluation of your case.
Click to view: Ham FINRA AWC
Click to view: Ham BrokerCheck 6.15.15