Wes Holston

“When financial clients need more than legal advice, my extensive, personal industry and business background gives them the edge they require to mitigate liability and maximize objectives.”

Wes Holston is a businessman who practices law.  As Managing Principal of Bressler’s two Florida offices (Fort Lauderdale and Miami), Wes focuses his practice on securities law and commercial litigation. He makes it his personal goal to help businesses grow and avoid future conflict, while keeping the focus on his client’s long term success through minimizing risk.

Before joining Bressler, Wes served as in-house counsel and Executive Director at UBS Financial Services, where he handled and supervised the firm’s litigation in 21 states and Puerto Rico.  Wes also served as UBS’s Southeastern Divisional Counsel, where he was responsible for providing advice and counsel for all issues involving legal, compliance, employment, regulatory, HR, litigation, risk and recruiting for 29 offices and over 1,000 employees (Branch Managers, Complex Managers, Financial Advisors, sales assistants and staff).  Prior to his tenure at UBS, Wes gained first hand brokerage experience as a registered representative for Kidder, Peabody.

Wes has more than two decades of experience representing broker-dealers and financial institutions in state and federal courts, in arbitrations before FINRA, as well as before the SEC and state regulatory authorities.  This allows him to approach each case by looking through the many lenses of his vast industry knowledge and experience. 

His value added service includes offering training programs, as well as meeting with senior management to discuss post litigation “lessons learned.”  Insightful and thought provoking, Wes is valued for his ability to work with such clients to steer clear of future mistakes and conflict.

Wes’s across-the-board and in-depth litigation abilities manifest in steadfast and practical results.  He oversaw the successful defense of the largest claim brought by an individual investor in FINRA history of approximately $200 million.  The size and successful defense of the case became the subject of a Wall Street Journal article.  In addition, he litigated the first successful defense of an auction rate security (ARS) case for UBS, in which the institutional investor sought more than $5 million in damages.

Wes is frequently asked to speak before business and legal organizations and professional and industry associations.  When Wes is not at work, he enjoys all sports, particularly tennis and golf.  Most of all, his favorite sports are those played with his two children. 

Awards & Honors

• Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent Rating