Marshall, TX.

Marshall, TX is a city of about 25,000 people in East Texas. Founded in 1841 it became the “Gateway to Texas” as the route of several stagecoach lines began passing through it. Later on, one of the first railroad lines constructed into Texas ran into town.

This easy access made Marshall an ideal venue for a number of seminaries, teaching colleges and newly founded universities. Due to the Ionic architecture of many of these buildings, Marshall became known as “the Athens of Texas”. As the city continued to grow, its importance was confirmed by the establishment of the first telegraph line in Texas, connecting Marshall with New Orleans.

In less than 20 years, Marshall became the fourth largest city in Texas and was the seat of the state’s richest county. Due to the ample water supply, fertile land and transportability of products agriculture became a major industry in the county and the area surrounding the city.

After the Civil War, Marshall’s fate declined as it had been linked to high levels of the Confederacy’s leadership. But the antebellum great migration was starting to begin, and Marshall’s location and infrastructure would restore the luster to the city.

In the early 1870’s the city and the county reached an agreement with the Texas and Pacific Railway for the railroad to establish its center of operation in Marshall. The city immediately saw a population explosion as workers arrived in search of new jobs with the railroad.

By 1880, the city was one of the South’s largest cotton markets with crops and other products being shipped nationwide by the railroad. Creature comforts began to find a home in Marshall; the first department store in Texas was opened and Marshall became the first city to have electricity. Many of the city’s historic homes and properties were built during this period as well.

In 1909 natural gas was discovered at nearby Caddo Lake and used to improve city lifestyles. The Texas & Pacific Railroad also benefited from petroleum traffic and a local ceramics industry which was so large that the city began to proclaim it was the “Pottery Capital of the World”. In 1930 a massive oil field was discovered in nearby Kilgore and as a result brought more wealth to the region. The first student at Marshall high school to have a car was Lady Bird Johnson.

Unfortunately, Marshall once again found itself in decline after World War 2. The construction of the Interstate Highway System and the improvements made in the trucking industry brought on the decline and ultimately the closing down of the Texas and Pacific. Many of the city’s historic landmarks were destroyed either due to neglect or redevelopment and were replaced with “modern” structures.

The realities of the situation were recognized by civic leaders and in the 1980’s and 1990’s the city began to reinvent itself. The new focus became its heritage and tourism. One of the new festivals sponsored by the city “the Fire Ant Festival” was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show and the town received free global publicity.

The Fire Ant Festival is no more but the holiday season “Wonderland of Lights” which began in 1986 has been recognized as one of the largest light festivals in the US. Tourism has resulted in more growth with new restaurants, boutiques and loft apartments being developed downtown.

There has been one unusual aftereffect of Marhsall’s rise and fall.

There have been an unusually high number of patent lawsuits filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas which includes Marshall, Tyler and Texarkana. For those cases which end up going to trial 78% of the verdicts are in favor of the Plaintiff.

Marshall’s restored growth in population and businesses also suggests growth in wealth that is available for investment, and with increasing investment comes the greater potential and greater incidence of broker and adviser misconduct that leads to investment losses.

One area of investing that seems to attract a lot of bad behavior by brokers or the issuers themselves are Oil and Gas deals. The false promises and omitted facts in this area loom large over many failed investments. Even the most experienced and successful investors can be deceived by the overpromised and underdelivered results after those investors believed what they were told, placing significant investment dollars only to see nothing in return. But once again there are potential remedies under the Texas Securities Act. The Act establishes that these deals are considered securities and are subject to the same standards of registration, prohibition of fraud, suitability requirements, and fair dealing as any stock or bond registered for sale in Texas.  

Have you lost more money in the stock market than you think you should have? If you are one of the 25,000 people living in Marshall, Texas or the additional 35,000 people living in Harrison County and your investments lost much more than you expected you could be a victim of stockbroker fraud.

Many people just like you have no idea they have been defrauded. They are told and believe “that’s just how the market works.”  In reality, you may have been misled by false statements or omissions, unauthorized trading, mutual fund fraud, selling away, over–concentration, PONZI schemes, failure to follow directions or other type of fraud. On our FAQ page, firm founder Bryan T. Forman explains the many different types of stockbroker and securities fraud and shows you what to look out for.

According to the FINRA/SEC registration website there are 14 stockbrokerage and investment advisory firms with offices in Marshall, TX. They are:

National Firms:

 J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.  112 W Austin St, Marshall, TX.

Edward Jones & Co. L.P. 204 S Wellington Ste D Marshall, TX

Regional Firms:

Osaic Wealth, Inc. 304 North Washington Avenue, Marshall, TX

Avantax Advisory Services

Avantax Investment Services 401 W Grand Ave Suite D Marshall TX

State Farm Investment Management Corp. 1606 E. East Blvd. N., Marshall, TX

Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. 203 E. Travis Marshall, TX

Small (Boutique) Firms:

John L Shockey Independent Solutions Wealth Management, LLC. (address not shown) Marshall, TX.

Forged Financial Group Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC 100 N. Bolivar St Ste # 109 Marshall, TX

The Forman Law Firm, P.C.’s East Texas office is a short trip down I-20 in neighboring Tyler, Texas, less than 40 miles away from Marshall.  The Forman Law Firm, P.C.  concentrates our efforts in securities arbitration, mediation, and litigation and seeks to recover lost investments for those victimized by broker misconduct. The firm also assists brokers and advisors in regulatory and enforcement proceedings and employment matters.

Most investment fraud cases against stockbrokers are governed by mandatory arbitration provisions. Securities arbitration before FINRA is the most common way that disputes between customers and financial institutions are resolved. The arbitration rules of FINRA are unique, but the nuances of the FINRA arbitration practice are, perhaps, even more important to know. However, when there is no valid and binding arbitration provision between the customer and the firm, the customer’s claims may be pursued in state or federal court. With the increasing transition from brokerage accounts to investment adviser relationships, many clients of investment advisers are subject to different arbitration provisions which rarely allow for arbitration before FINRA, and a client of a registered investment adviser should seek advice regarding the dispute resolution provisions in their particular agreement. In either forum, clients require an attorney experienced in the complex and sometimes arcane world of securities regulation that can also effectively communicate to the arbitrators or the jurors the essence of the case, from the filing of the claim all the way to the hearing before the panel of arbitrators or the jury. Clients should hire an attorney that spends the majority of their time in these types of cases. The Forman Law Firm is not a general practice firm that tells clients it can handle every legal problem. The Forman Law Firm is FOCUSED on securities fraud and legal issues in the securities industry.  Forman Law Firm, P.C. has the needed experience.

The Forman Law Firm, P.C. founder, Bryan T. Forman, spent the majority of his early career in the brokerage industry, serving as Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel for several brokerage firms which he founded. Mr. Forman was born and raised in Tyler and is a member of the State Bar of Texas. Bryan has been inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He had also been honored to be named as a Super Lawyer for 2023 and is a member of the Texas Bar Foundation.

The firm’s East Texas office is located at 609 S. Fannin Avenue in Tyler and Mr. Forman and his staff are available in Tyler by appointment only.  Forman Law Firm, P.C.’s home office is now located at 248 Addie Roy Road, Building B Suite 302, Austin TX 78746. To reach our Tyler office coming down I-20 and TX-31 from Marshall, just take a left on S. Fannin Ave. Our office is 3 blocks down the street on the right (right after you cross E. Houston St.).

If you suspect that you have lost money through brokerage fraud, misconduct, or mismanagement, and you are not sure what your rights are or what to do next, please contact the Forman Law Firm, P.C. today for a confidential Free Case Evaluation.

To schedule your free evaluation, simply call (866) 597–2221, email info@formanlawfirm.com, or fill out and submit our online “Contact Us” form.