FINRA Arbitration Panel Awards Double Damages to Florida Investor Over Advisor’s “Egregious” Lies

Posted on April 17th, 2023 at 4:11 PM
FINRA Arbitration Panel Awards Double Damages to Florida Investor Over Advisor’s  “Egregious” Lies

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel has doubled the damages a former advisor must pay to a Florida-based investor due to the “particularly egregious” lies the advisor told to convince the client to invest in a fraud.

The client, a retired professor at Florida State University, alleged breach of fiduciary duty, gross negligence, and fraud against her former advisor, Gail Milon, according to the award. The panel awarded the client $458,326 in compensatory damages, $458,326 in punitive damages, and $145,000 in interest.

In 2017, Milon recommended investment funds that were offered by Cambridge Capital Group Advisors, according to the award. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) previously charged Cambridge with civil fraud in 2019, and Cambridge subsequently denied the allegations. However, in 2021, Cambridge agreed to a court-ordered final judgment restricting it from engaging in fraud and compelling the firm to pay an unspecified amount in disgorgement related to the civil fraud.

According to the arbitrators, “The Panel determined that Respondent’s actions in intentionally lying to the Claimant about the nature of the investments were particularly egregious because the Respondent knew that the monies being invested represented over 80% of Claimant’s liquid assets.” According to the award, the investor initially invested nearly $520,000 in Cambridge funds with Milon, who is no longer registered with FINRA.

 

Eccleston Law LLC represents financial advisors and investors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Jim, Stephany and the whole team were a God send.  We felt like we were put into a situation where we had no advocate. Jim’s team came in with a strong, well laid out strategy on how to get our story heard. Where our outside compliance company had no ability to help, our Broker Dealer was impenitent, and the regulators were aggressive pursuing vague rules, Jim came like a barricade against an assault we did not understand. Though you pay member dues to be affiliated with FINRA and a B/D, you have no voice. The only thing that is truly heard in this un-level playing field is a bulldog’s bark like Jim’s. I would encourage anyone to call Jim and his team to find a real ally in the tough and complicated world of securities regulation. They are truly the best.

Greg P.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

March 13, 2026
Connecticut Advisor Pleads Guilty to Ponzi-Like Investment Fraud and Tax Evasion

Federal prosecutors announced that investment adviser John A.

March 12, 2026
Cape Coral Becomes Ground Zero for Private Lending Strains in Post-Pandemic Housing Market

Cape Coral, Florida, long a magnet for out-of-state real estate investors, now illustrates the growing risks of private lending in residential development.

March 11, 2026
SEC and Commonwealth Financial Network Move Toward Settlement in Revenue Sharing Disclosure Case

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commonwealth Financial Network notified a federal court that they are attempting to resolve a long running enforcement dispute involving alleged disclosure failures tied to revenue sharing payments, according to ThinkAdvisor.