Investment fraud attorneys at Haselkorn & Thibaut have opened an investigation into UBS Financial Services broker Leila F. Larijani (CRD# 2359888) following multiple regulatory disclosures on her record. If you’ve invested with Ms. Larijani and experienced losses or have concerns about your account management, understanding her regulatory history could be crucial for protecting your financial interests.
Who is Leila F. Larijani?
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Ms. Leila Fayaz Larijani has worked as a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services Inc. since June 26, 2006, operating primarily from their office at 1285 Avenue of the Americas in New York, NY. With nearly two decades at one of the world’s largest wealth management firms, she has built a substantial client base managing investment portfolios for individuals and families.
However, her regulatory record reveals concerning patterns that investors should carefully consider. According to BrokerCheck records, Ms. Larijani has accumulated multiple disclosures that raise questions about her investment recommendations and client account management practices.
Understanding the Red Flags: Regulatory Disclosures
Financial advisors with clean records typically have few or no regulatory disclosures. Ms. Larijani’s record shows 5 total disclosures, including customer disputes and regulatory actions that warrant careful examination:
Customer Disputes and Allegations
| Disclosure Type | Number | Key Concerns |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Disputes | 3 | Unsuitable investment recommendations, excessive trading, breach of fiduciary duty |
| Regulatory Events | 1 | FINRA regulatory action |
| Employment Separation | 1 | Permitted resignation during internal review |
Specific Complaint Details
The customer disputes against Ms. Larijani include serious allegations that directly impact investor portfolios:
- February 2019 Complaint: A client alleged unsuitable investment recommendations resulting in claimed damages of $1,937,354. This substantial claim suggests significant portfolio losses potentially tied to inappropriate investment strategies.
- March 2017 Complaint: Another investor filed a dispute claiming $750,000 in damages, alleging breach of fiduciary duty and unsuitable recommendations. When advisors breach their fiduciary duty, it means they may have put their own interests ahead of their clients’.
- October 2018 Complaint: A third dispute involved allegations of excessive trading (churning) and unsuitable investments with damages claimed at $500,000. Churning occurs when advisors make excessive trades primarily to generate commissions rather than benefit the client.
Why These Numbers Matter to Your Investment Portfolio
The combined claimed damages from these three disputes alone total over $3.1 million. While settlements and outcomes vary, such substantial claims suggest serious concerns about investment management practices. Here’s why each type of allegation poses risks to investors:
Unsuitable Investment Recommendations
Financial advisors must recommend investments that align with your risk tolerance, investment timeline, and financial goals. When advisors push unsuitable products, clients may face:
- Excessive risk exposure beyond their comfort level
- Investments misaligned with retirement timelines
- Complex products they don’t fully understand
- Higher fees that erode returns
Excessive Trading (Churning)
Churning generates commissions for the advisor while typically harming client returns through:
- Unnecessary transaction costs
- Tax consequences from frequent trading
- Deviation from long-term investment strategies
- Increased portfolio volatility
Breach of Fiduciary Duty
As a registered representative, Ms. Larijani has obligations to act in clients’ best interests. Breaches of this duty can manifest as:
- Recommending products with higher commissions over better alternatives
- Failing to disclose conflicts of interest
- Not properly explaining investment risks
- Prioritizing firm profits over client outcomes
Additional Regulatory Concerns
Beyond customer complaints, Ms. Larijani’s record includes a FINRA regulatory event. Regulatory actions typically arise from violations of industry rules designed to protect investors. These may involve:
- Failure to supervise
- Documentation deficiencies
- Sales practice violations
- Compliance failures
Perhaps most concerning is the employment separation disclosure indicating Ms. Larijani was “permitted to resign” during an internal review of her business conduct. When firms allow advisors to resign during investigations, it often suggests serious concerns about their practices.
What This Means for Current and Former Clients
If you’ve worked with Ms. Larijani, these disclosures warrant a thorough review of your investment accounts. Consider examining:
- Account statements for unusual trading activity
- Commission charges compared to account performance
- Investment suitability based on your stated goals
- Concentration in particular products or sectors
- Performance relative to appropriate benchmarks
Protecting Your Financial Future
Investment losses from unsuitable recommendations or excessive trading can devastate retirement plans and financial security. The patterns evident in Ms. Larijani’s regulatory record suggest investors should proceed with caution. Multiple customers have already raised serious concerns about her investment practices, resulting in substantial claimed damages.
Understanding your rights as an investor is crucial. Securities laws provide protections against various forms of investment fraud and misconduct. If you’ve experienced losses or have concerns about how your accounts were managed, you may have options for recovering damages through FINRA arbitration.
Take Action to Protect Your Investments
Don’t wait to address concerns about your investment accounts. The skilled attorneys at Haselkorn & Thibaut have over 50 years of experience helping investors recover losses from unsuitable investments and broker misconduct. With a 98% success rate and millions recovered for clients nationwide, they work on a “No Recovery, No Fee” basis.
If you invested with Leila Larijani at UBS Financial Services and have concerns about your account management or have suffered investment losses, call Haselkorn & Thibaut today at 1-888-885-7162 for a free consultation. Their experienced investment fraud attorneys can review your situation and help you understand your options for recovering losses.
Time limits apply to investment fraud claims, so don’t delay in seeking professional guidance. Your financial future deserves protection from unsuitable investment practices.
