Scott Matasar, Mark Jacobs, and Jennifer Lesny Fleming have again been recognized as Super Lawyers® for 2025, a designation given to only 5% of attorneys in each state. The Super Lawyers® selection process takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, amongst other factors. As the firm’s founders, this is Mark’s 11th year being recognized and Scott’s 12th year being recognized. Jennifer has been recognized since 2021.
Matasar Jacobs is pleased to announce that Annamarie E. Braga and Ethan Clark have been selected as Super Lawyers® Rising Stars for 2025. Rising Stars are the top up-and-coming attorneys under the age of 40 who have been practicing for less than 10 years. Only 2.5% of attorneys in each state are selected for this recognition.
In addition to his Rising Stars Recognition, Ethan has also been selected for Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch award.
Matasar Jacobs is pleased to announce that Ethan Clark has been selected as a Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch for 2025, an acknowledgement given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers and achieving outstanding professional excellence in private practice. Recognition with a Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch award is based entirely on the same Purely Peer Review® methodology that has made Best Lawyers® the gold standard for legal recognitions worldwide.
Matasar Jacobs is pleased to announce that Mark R. Jacobs, one of the founders of the firm, and Jennifer Lesny Fleming have been selected for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled based on an exhaustive Purely Peer Review® evaluation. For 2025, more than 3.2 million evaluations were provided by over 28,000 individuals. Lawyers are not required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers® is considered a singular honor.
This is the seventh year Mark has been selected by Best Lawyers®. He is recognized in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Appellate Practice, Corporate Law, and Litigation – Securities. This marks Jennifer’s second year in Best Lawyers®, being recognized in the area of Commercial Litigation.
In addition to acknowledgement by Best Lawyers®, Mark and Jennifer have consistently been named by Super Lawyers® Magazine as “Ohio Super Lawyers.”
Matasar Jacobs is pleased to announce that Mark R. Jacobs, one of the founders of the firm, and Jennifer A. Lesny Fleming have been selected for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.
This is the sixth year Mark has been selected by Best Lawyers®. He is recognized in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Appellate Practice, Corporate Law, and Litigation – Securities. This marks Jennifer’s first year in Best Lawyers®, being recognized in the area of Commercial Litigation. In addition to acknowledgement by Best Lawyers®, Mark and Jennifer have consistently been named by Super Lawyers Magazine as “Ohio Super Lawyers.”
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled based on an exhaustive Purely Peer Review® evaluation. For the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, more than 13.7 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 76,000 leading lawyers included in the milestone 30th edition. Lawyers are not required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers® is considered a singular honor.
Veteran Wealth Management Industry Attorney Scott Matasar on Where the Real Legal Risks Are – And Where They Aren’t – with Return to Office Policies, In-Person Events and More
Matasar Jacobs is pleased to announce that Mark R. Jacobs, one of the founders of the firm, has once again been selected for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Appellate Practice, and Litigation – Securities.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. For the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, more than 10.8 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 66,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
Mark is an accomplished and creative litigator with broad experience as lead counsel in state and federal trial and appellate courts, arbitration proceedings, and mediation. He advises clients with a focus on defining and achieving successful business outcomes. Mark represents clients in disputes arising from mergers & acquisitions, shareholder and member disagreements, real estate acquisitions, commercial leases, non-competition agreements, licensing agreements, employment agreements and other matters vital to the lives of businesses and business people.
As a leader in the legal community, Mark has served for years as a Co-Chair of the Private Equity Litigation Subcommittee for the American Bar Association’s Commercial & Business Litigation Committee and is a Member of the Bench-Bar Committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.
In addition to acknowledgement by Best Lawyers, Mark has consistently been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as an “Ohio Super Lawyer” and “Ohio Super Lawyer Rising Star.”
Matasar Jacobs LLC was pleased to represent Truvium Wealth Management in its acquisition by Stratos Wealth Partners.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This webinar is designed to update advisors on the substance of the key sales practices that regulators currently have under a microscope, and provide practical advice about how to improve your processes and procedures so that you can avoid getting crosswise with FINRA, the SEC, or your own firm’s Compliance department.
Join Scott Matasar on Tuesday, April 14 to learn how you can keep your business compliant with today’s evolving regulatory standards and rules.
Matasar Jacobs LLC was pleased to serve as legal counsel to the advisory firm Horizons Financial Group in its transition from Triad to LPL Financial.
Matasar Jacobs was pleased to have successfully represented Claimant in this FINRA Intra-Industry arbitration.
Matasar Jacobs is pleased to announce that Mark R. Jacobs, one of the founders of the firm, has again been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020 edition, in the area of Commercial Litigation. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
Mark is an accomplished and creative litigator with broad experience as lead counsel in state and federal trial and appellate courts, arbitration proceedings, and mediation. He advises clients with a focus on defining and achieving successful business outcomes. Mark represents clients in disputes arising from mergers & acquisitions, shareholder and member disagreements, real estate acquisitions, commercial leases, non-competition agreements, licensing agreements, employment agreements and other matters vital to the lives of businesses and business people.
As a leader in the legal community, Mark has served for years as a Co-Chair of the Private Equity Litigation Subcommittee for the American Bar Association’s Commercial & Business Litigation Committee and is a Member of the Court Rules Committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.
In addition to acknowledgement by Best Lawyers, Mark has consistently been recognized by Super Lawyer Magazine as an “Ohio Super Lawyer” and “Ohio Super Lawyer Rising Star.”
Matasar Jacobs announces that for the sixth straight year, Scott Matasar has been included on the Super Lawyers magazine list of the “Top 100 Lawyers in Ohio” and “Top 50 Lawyers in Cleveland” for 2019.
Mark Jacobs has been included on the Super Lawyers magazine list of “Ohio Super Lawyers“, an honor he has received each year since 2015.
Matasar Jacobs is pleased to announce that Mark R. Jacobs, one of the founders of the firm, has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019 edition, in the area of Commercial Litigation. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. For the 2019 Edition of Best Lawyers, 7.8 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 60,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
Mark is a creative and accomplished commercial litigator with broad experience as lead counsel in state and federal trial and appellate courts, arbitration proceedings, and mediation. He advises clients with a focus on defining and achieving successful business outcomes. Mark represents clients in disputes arising from mergers & acquisitions, shareholder and member disputes, non-competition agreements, commercial leases, real estate acquisitions, and other matters vital to the lives of businesses and business people.
As a leader in the legal community, Mark has served for years as a Co-Chair of the Private Equity Litigation Subcommittee for the American Bar Association’s Commercial and Business Litigation Committee and is a Member of the Court Rules Committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. In addition to acknowledgement by Best Lawyers, Mark has consistently been recognized by Super Lawyer Magazine as an “Ohio Super Lawyer” and “Ohio Super Lawyer Rising Star.”
Merrill Takes Fired Ohio Broker to Court in Non-Solicitation Dispute
Ex-Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors Fight Back in Court and Claim Victory
LPL Puts Teeth Into Penalties for Sales Practice Violations
A team from Matasar Jacobs, led by Mark Jacobs, obtained summary judgment against Blue Star Productions, LLC, which had leased parking lots to produce events during the Republican National Convention. Matasar Jacobs represented the property owner and manager. Just weeks before the Convention, without notice, Blue Star moved the events to another venue and refused to pay amounts still owed to our clients.
Blue Star creatively argued that its own refusal to purchase insurance rendered its contract null and void. Blue Star even asserted a counterclaim to recover a $50,000 deposit it already paid. Acting quickly to address Blue Star’s default, Matasar Jacobs filed suit before the Convention began and then pursued a broad and efficient discovery strategy focused on producing a positive result without the need for trial. As a result of Matasar Jacobs proactively addressing the novel real estate issues presented in the case, the Court awarded summary judgment in favor the firm’s clients for $111,045 and fully dismissed Blue Star’s counterclaims.
To request a copy of the presentation, please click here.
Some recent executive orders setting wheels in motion for deregulation in financial services may be the harbinger of regulatory relief that financial institutions have longed for since the inception of the Dodd-Frank Act.
Matasar Jacobs has successfully concluded its defense of a registered representative from Connecticut in connection with disciplinary proceedings brought against him by FINRA’s Enforcement Department. FINRA had accused our client of having improperly sold senior investors alternative investments in vehicles such as REITs and BDCs, and of having submitted inaccurate applications on the investors’ behalf so they could qualify for the purchases.
Following FINRA’s extensive investigation, including a full day interrogating our client under oath, FINRA sought to have the client permanently barred from the securities industry. However, after aggressive advocacy on behalf of our client, Matasar Jacobs attorney Scott Matasar negotiated his sanction down to a one year suspension, and persuaded FINRA not to impose any monetary fine.
Matasar Jacobs LLC attorneys Scott Matasar and Shipra Kumar have prevailed as defense counsel in FINRA arbitration brought by a disgruntled customer against LPL Financial and one of its financial advisors. Following multiple days of testimony, including a witness who testified telephonically from Japan, the arbitration Panel denied the customer’s $400,000 damage claim in its entirety. A copy of the arbitration Award may be found here.
Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine, a division of Thompson Reuters, has released its 2017 ratings of the most qualified lawyers in the state. For the third consecutive year Matasar Jacobs LLC member Scott Matasar has been recognized as one of the top 50 lawyers in the city of Cleveland, and among the top 100 lawyers for the entire state of Ohio. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Matasar’s nomination to these lists was the result of a selection process that included independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations from fellow lawyers in Cleveland and across Ohio.
Former Wells Fargo employees tell NPR that managers at the bank retaliated against them for calling the company’s ethics line and pushing back against reckless sales practices.
Matasar Jacobs represented a Wisconsin-based financial advisor in a FINRA inquiry regarding the advisor’s unauthorized transmission of client investment newsletters in violation of his firm’s compliance policies and applicable FINRA rules. Following the firm’s submission of a detailed written legal analysis advocating for leniency on behalf of the client, FINRA terminated its inquiry and issued the advisor a Cautionary Action Letter that does not have to be reported on his Form U4.
Matasar Jacobs has defeated a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee against a financial services client accused of having violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act and of having committed fraud, conversion and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the alleged malfeasance in administering several connected trusts. In a fourteen page written decision, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer found the Plaintiffs had failed to meet their burden of presenting even the necessary baseline allegations to support a RICO claim, and dismissed the claim with prejudice, barring the Plaintiffs from attempting to re-file that portion of the case. A copy of the Memorandum Opinion and Order can be found here.
The securities industry’s self-funded watchdog is moving forward with a rule to bump up the number of arbitrators available to be selected for panels judging claims against brokers.
Scott Matasar provides continued analysis of the new DOL Fiduciary Rule in the latest article from Crain’s Cleveland Business.
After two years of warnings, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has become ferocious about pursuing and sanctioning brokers who fail to report tax liens, bankruptcies and other “disclosable” events quickly and accurately on their Form U4s
Scott Matasar provides analysis of the new DOL Fiduciary Rule in this recent article from Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Scott Matasar spoke at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s 44th Annual Charitable Tax Seminar on June 1, discussing the effect of the DOL Fiduciary Rule, FINRA enforcement/examination priorities, and enforcement priorities.
Matasar Jacobs represented a Midwest-based financial advisory firm in an inquiry conducted by FINRA regarding the firm’s business model and advisory methodologies. The representation involved analyzing the firm’s records and representing the firm’s managing member during a full day of sworn testimony before FINRA investigators and attorneys in proceedings held in FINRA’s Chicago office. Following the sworn testimony, the matter was resolved with FINRA closing the inquiry and issuing the managing principal a Cautionary Action letter that is not a reportable event for regulatory purposes.
Kumar has joined the firm as an associate attorney, serving the firm’s financial services and business litigation practices.
Scott Matasar and Mark Jacobs, former partners at two of the Midwest’s largest and most prominent law firms, have come together to launch Matasar Jacobs LLC. The new law firm will serve the litigation, regulatory, and transactional needs of publicly-traded and privately-held businesses and individuals engaged in a range of market segments and industries, including securities, financial services, private equity and real estate.
