Kelly Lawson Facing a $100,000 Investor Dispute

Kelly Lawson (CRD #: 1222498), a broker registered with Portsmouth Financial Services, is the subject of a six-figure investor dispute, according to her BrokerCheck record, accessed on September 11, 2023. Investors may have engaged her services through The Putney Financial Group. 

On August 23, 2023, an investor named Kelly Lawson in a dispute alleging multiple FINRA rule violations. These include allegedly unsuitable recommendations and alleged supervisory failures. The investor is seeking $100,001. 

What is an Unsuitable Investment?

FINRA Rule 2111 requires brokers to evaluate whether an investment strategy fits their investor’s financial goals. Brokers must examine the investor’s profile, which contains the following investor characteristics:

• Age
• Risk tolerance
• Time horizon (i.e., how long the investor plans to hold the investment)
• Investing experience
• Tax status
• Financial goals

Investments that do not fit the criteria established by the investor profile may be unsuitable. Investors who rely on brokers for recommendations may be able to recover their losses by pursuing FINRA arbitration.

FINRA Rule 3110

FINRA Rule 3110 requires that firms establish systems of supervision to maintain their compliance with securities regulations. This includes appointing supervisors and providing them with Written Supervisory Procedures (WSPs).

Background Information 

Kelly Lawson has passed the following exams: 

• Series 66 Uniform Combined State Law Examination 
• Series 63 Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination 
• SIE – Securities Industry Essentials Examination 
• Series 7 General Securities Representative Examination 

She is a registered investment adviser and broker in California. 

Kelly Lawson has registered with the following firms: 

• Portsmouth Financial Services (CRD #: 13980) 
• The Putney Financial Group (CRD #: 111639) 
• Presidio Capital Advisors (CRD #: 108531) 
• Presidio Merchant Partners (CRD #: 46473)
• Presidio Capital Advisors (CRD #: 116284) 
• Banc of American Investment Services (CRD #: 16361) 
• Banc of America Securities (CRD #: 26091) 
• Montgomery Securities (CRD #: 4357) 
• Morgan Stanley & Co. (CRD #: 8209) 
• Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (CRD #: 7691) 

Kurta Law Can Help

If you worked with Kelly Lawson and you have concerns about your investments, please contact us today at 877-600-0098 or info@kurtalawfirm.com for a free consultation.

For over 20 years, Kurta Law has advocated on behalf of investors who want to recover their investment losses from brokers and brokerage firms. Kurta Law is a nationally recognized law firm that exclusively represents investors against brokers and brokerage firms on a contingency basis. This means that the firm only earns a fee if our securities attorneys recover money on your behalf.