Former LPL Financial Broker Christopher S. Laws, Barred by SEC

Have you lost money investing with Christopher Laws, Jonathan Cooke, Danny Hood, or Brandon Long? In 2017, Christopher Laws, Jonathan Cooke, Danny Hood, and Brandon Long were recently the subject of a regulatory action by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).   According to a 2017 press release by the SEC, Laws, Cooke, Hood, and Long are Atlanta, Georgia-area brokers that were alleged to fraudulently induce federal employees to roll-over holdings from a thrift-saving plan (TSP) into higher-fee, variable annuity products.  In December 2019, the SEC barred Christopher Laws from the securities industry.

The SEC alleges that an entity called Federal Employee Benefits Counselors was used by these brokers to target federal employees who were nearing retirement and had sizeable funds invested in the TSP.  The press release further states that:

The complaint alleges that the brokers misled investors concerning significant details about the recommended variable annuity investment, including the associated fees and guaranteed investment returns.  The brokers allegedly fostered the misleading impression that they were in some way affiliated with or approved by the federal government.  In some instances, investors were led to believe that their funds would be invested in a product that was offered, vetted, or specifically selected by the TSP.  According to the SEC’s complaint, the brokers sent investors incomplete or modified transaction forms as well as written materials they devised that obscured that the investment was a privately issued variable annuity with no connection to the TSP and would be processed through a private brokerage firm with which the brokers were associated.

Christopher Laws was affiliated with LPL Financial from July 2005 to December 2014 and worked in Alpharetta, Georgia.  He was terminated by LPL Financial in December 2014.

Jonathan Cooke was affiliated with LPL Financial from December 2009 to December 2014 and also worked in Alpharetta Georgia.  Cooke was also terminated by LPL Financial.

Danny Hood was affiliated with LPL Financial from October 2012 to December 2014 and also worked in Alpharetta Georgia.  Hood is the subject of two customer complaints, both making allegations about variable annuities.

Brandon Long was affiliated with LPL Financial from May 2014 to December 2014 and also worked in Alpharetta Georgia.  Long was also terminated by LPL Financial.

Broker-dealers like LPL Financial have a responsibility to adequately supervise all representatives who are registered through their firm, including investments sold by their registered representatives.  Broker-dealers also must take steps to ensure that their financial advisors follow all securities rules and regulations.  When broker-dealers 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; Seattle, Washington; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Phoenix, Arizona.  We represent investors in FINRA arbitration proceedings in all 50 states, including investors in Georgia and the Altanta area.  Our attorneys have represented over one thousand investors against many brokerage firms in the past.

Click to view:  Laws, Christopher SEC Order

If you lost money with Christopher Laws, Jonathan Cooke, Danny Hood, Brandon Long, LPL Financial, or Federal Employee Benefits Counselors, please CONTACT US at 720-599-3505 for a free evaluation of your case.