Attorney Profile

Cary S. Lapidus is a San Francisco, California-based attorney and an expert in the field of securities arbitration and litigation. He has received the highest rating (A.V.) from the legal publication Martindale-Hubbell, and has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer since 2010. Mr. Lapidus has been quoted in Newsweek, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, TheStreet.com and other national publications.

Mr. Lapidus was a staff attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement and Division of Market Regulation, where he prosecuted cases involving broker-dealer abuses, market manipulation, management and financial reporting fraud, ponzi schemes, and insider trading. Mr. Lapidus graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia, and obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Boston University School of Law.

Results

Mr. Lapidus has represented numerous investors in American Arbitration Association, Pacific Stock Exchange and NASD arbitrations against most of the nation's major securities brokerage firms. The cases have involved market manipulation, churning, unsuitable recommendations, employee stock options, unauthorized trades, and misrepresentations and omissions of material facts.

Cary S. Lapidus has obtained settlements, awards and judgments in excess of $30 million for his clients since leaving the Securities and Exchange Commission, Enforcement and Market Regulation Divisions.

Mr. Lapidus's practice also includes the representation of investment professionals in lawsuits against brokerage firms regarding compensation issues, wrongful termination and Form U-5 matters. In addition, Mr. Lapidus has experience representing clients in business litigation involving partnership disputes, breach of contract and misrepresentations in securities-related cases.

Expertise and Leadership

For over 15 years, Mr. Lapidus has educated other attorneys and experts in a broad range of securities and arbitration issues, including:

• featured speaker, American Arbitration Association ("Evidence and Persuasion in Securities Arbitrations");
• panelist, National Association of Securities Dealers ("Punitive Damages in Arbitration");
• speaker, Bar Association of San Francisco ("The Availability of Punitive Damages in Securities Arbitration");
• speaker, NASD Securities Conference("Damages in Arbitration - Arbitrator's Duty to Follow the Law");
• panelist, Practicing Law Institute, Securities Arbitration Seminar ("Should Arbitrators Apply New York Law In Face Of A New York Choice-Of-Law Provision").

As an active participant in the training of arbitrators for securities disputes for the American Arbitration Association, Mr. Lapidus also co-authored "Securities Arbitrator Training & Role-Playing Scenarios".

Mr. Lapidus has also:

• served on the Board of Directors of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA), a national organization of attorneys who represent investors in arbitrations against securities brokerage firms;
• served on the NASD's National Arbitration and Mediation Committee (NAMC, 3 year term), which is comprised of 14 leading securities attorneys and securities industry professionals from across the country;
• served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, Pacific Stock Exchange and the NASD;
• been a member of the American Arbitration Association's National Securities Advisory Committee and the NASD Regional Arbitrator Recruitment Counsel;
• testified before the Securities Industry Conference On Arbitration ("Representation Of Parties In Arbitration By Non-Attorneys"), and before the Ruder Commission.

Western Investors Lawyers Alliance

The Law Offices of Cary S. Lapidus are proud to be a member of the Western Investor's Lawyer Alliance (WILA), a small and highly specialized group of lawyers licensed to practice in Oregon, California, Arizona, Washington, and Massachusetts and offering FINRA arbitration nationwide. Together we share a combined 90+ years of experience focused in securities litigation.

As the Western Alliance, we share resources and research, consult with one another on strategy issues, and sometimes jointly represent clients. This cooperative arrangement gives each of our three firms additional strength, depth, and flexibility to meet our clients' needs. All Western Alliance members are distinguished counsel. All are former members of FINRA's National Arbitration and Mediation Committee. Also, all three Western Alliance firms have members who are past board members of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association ("PIABA"), and are recognized leaders in investor rights law.

WILA Members

Law Offices of Cary S. Lapidus

Cary S. Lapidus
Cary S. Lapidus is a San Francisco, California-based attorney and an expert in the field of securities arbitration and litigation. He has received the highest rating (A.V.) from the legal publication Martindale-Hubbell, and has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer since 2010. Mr. Lapidus was a staff attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement and Division of Market Regulation, where he prosecuted cases involving broker-dealer abuses, market manipulation, management and financial reporting fraud, ponzi schemes, and insider trading. Mr. Lapidus graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia, and obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Boston University School of Law. more...

Banks Law Office, PC

Robert S. Banks, Jr.
Bob Banks has been practicing law for 30 years, and almost all of it has been related to securities regulation and legal malpractice. He represents clients in FINRA arbitrations, court cases involving the violation of securities regulations, Ponzi scheme clawback litigation, and legal malpractice cases involving corporate or securities law issues. His clients include individual investors, investor groups, government agencies, profit sharing plans and members of the securities industry. more...

Darlene Pasieczny
Darlene Pasieczny is a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She also earned a master's degree from Columbia University in Art History, and a B.A. from Reed College where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She is a member of the Oregon State Bar and the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA). Darlene’s focus at the Banks Law Office is on corporate and securities law issues, FINRA arbitration, and legal malpractice cases. more...

Shockman Law Office

Please contact us for assistance with securities arbitration law, securities litigation, broker misconduct, investment advisor misconduct and investment losses.