W.L. “Cotton” Gray, Sophie Ratkovich, et al. v. Merchant Banking Services, Inc., et al.
(NASD Case No. 98-03752). A group of investors represented by Montgomery Griffin consisting of retired senior citizens (including a widow from Walnut Creek in the Bay Area, a former law enforcement officer in Los Alamitos, a couple in Santa Cruz, and others) were awarded $732,000 by unanimous vote of an NASD arbitration panel in Los Angeles following a three-day hearing on the issues of securities fraud, recommending unsuitable investments, and failure to diversify.