For many investors, opening a brokerage statement and seeing unexpected losses is about more than numbers. It is about trust. For investors who believe their losses came from misconduct and not just a bad market, Jeffrey Erez, attorney at Erez Law, has built a career around holding brokerage firms accountable.
Based in Miami and representing clients across the country, Mr. Erez focuses on one area of the law: investment fraud. Here is a closer look at who he is, how he works, and the results he has delivered for investors.
A Practice Built Around Investors
As the founder of Erez Law, Jeffrey Erez handles securities arbitration and litigation exclusively. That focus is intentional. He strongly believes that investors who have been wronged deserve someone in their corner who will fight for justice, all the way through litigation if that is what it takes.
Many investors do not realize it until a problem arises, but nearly every dispute with a brokerage firm must be arbitrated with FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, rather than heard in a traditional courtroom. Because of that, Mr. Erez’s practice centers almost entirely on representing investors in FINRA arbitrations nationwide.
Over the years, he has worked on thousands of FINRA arbitrations and other securities cases, either as lead attorney or alongside other lawyers. Together, those efforts have produced more than $400 million in recoveries for investors.
A Trial Lawyer Who Actually Goes to Trial
Plenty of attorneys talk about trial experience. Mr. Erez has taken more than 50 FINRA arbitrations through final hearing or to an award, which is the arbitration version of a verdict. He is widely regarded as a top trial lawyer, known for putting in the time, resources, and effort it takes to win.
That reputation shows up in his results. In 2024, he won a $14.2 million award for clients against Stifel over losses in structured notes and a managed account. The award included $9 million in punitive damages, along with a finding that Stifel violated the Florida Securities Act. Stifel never offered to settle, and the final award came to more than six times the clients’ actual losses.
That case was not a one-off. Mr. Erez has litigated nine similar cases against Stifel to conclusion, recovering over $190 million in awards and settlements. As of 2025, he has secured punitive damages in six cases. Readers who want to learn more about his background can visit his Avvo attorney profile or his entry on Wikidata.
A Track Record Against Major Firms
In 2022, Mr. Erez won a $3.8 million award for clients against UBS over losses in YES, the firm’s proprietary options overlay strategy. The clients had lost $2 million, and UBS made no offer to settle. Mr. Erez recovered the benefit of the bargain damages, meaning compensation based on how YES was represented to perform, plus nearly $1 million in attorney’s fees. That result stood out, since most YES investors who brought claims had not succeeded at trial.
Puerto Rico investments are another area where he has made a real difference. In 2018, he won a $4.2 million award against UBS for losses in Puerto Rico closed-end funds and bonds, following a $2.5 million award against UBS in 2015 over Puerto Rico closed-end funds. Over a decade of litigating these cases, he recovered more than $100 million for investors.
His other notable wins include:
- A $4.5 million award against Morgan Stanley in 2014 in a complex international securities case
- A $3.1 million award against Citigroup in 2013 in a selling away case, where a broker sold an unapproved real estate investment that failed
- An $831,000 recovery against RBC Capital in 2013 over Lehman Bros. preferred stock losses, including $250,000 in punitive damages
- Two verdicts of $1 million or more against Morgan Keegan in 2010: over $1.1 million for a retired Air Force General in a fraud case involving closed-end funds, and $1 million for a family business sold mutual funds packed with complex subprime structured products that had been pitched as stable fixed income
Settlements Matter Too
Not every case needs to go to a final hearing. Beyond his published awards, Mr. Erez has successfully settled thousands of cases. Settlement terms are confidential, but between settlements and awards he has recovered over $400 million for his clients.
His trial record plays a big role here. Brokerage firms know he is ready and willing to take a case all the way, and he brings decades of experience to the table when negotiating the best possible terms for the people he represents.
Getting to Know Jeffrey Erez
Mr. Erez graduated cum laude from McGill University in 1993 and earned his law degree cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996. He is admitted to practice in Florida, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
He is frequently quoted in the press on securities matters, and he speaks fluent French and Hebrew, which helps when working with clients from different backgrounds.
The Bottom Line
Losing money to broker misconduct can feel isolating, especially when investors are up against a large financial firm with deep pockets. Jeffrey Erez has spent his career leveling that playing field. With hundreds of millions recovered, a long list of trial wins, and a practice devoted entirely to investors, he gives clients a real shot at getting back what they lost.
