Thomas Roberts: Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C.

Overview

Tom Roberts is the Managing Principal of the firm’s New York office, and a member of the firm’s Financial Institutions practice group.

Tom is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on matters relating to the securities and financial services industries, including the defense of securities brokers/dealers, financial service firms, and financial industry professionals in litigation and arbitration. Tom advises and represents broker/dealers and their registered representatives in regulatory investigations and actions commenced by the SEC, FINRA and State Securities Commissioners. Tom also represents the telecommunications industry in litigation and regulatory matters, and serves as general counsel to the boards of several trade associations, providing corporate governance and antitrust advice.

Tom has appeared as lead counsel in federal and state courts, arbitration proceedings before all major self-regulatory organizations, private dispute resolution organizations, and regulatory agencies in cases throughout the United States. He has also argued before the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second, Third and Fifth Circuits.

Tom is a member of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s Compliance and Legal Division and has contributed to the Business Lawyers’ Annual Review of Securities Case Law Developments. Tom is a member of the Advisory Board of Resource Bank, New Orleans, LA, and serves on the investment committee of the Gleason Foundation, New Orleans, LA. Tom has also served on the Board of the Telluride Academy, Telluride, Colorado.

Tom has spoken at seminars and authored articles for the Practicing Law Institute and Tulane University Law School. He has taught securities law at a program sponsored jointly by New York Law School and Tulane University Law School in London, England.

Awards & Accolades

Included in the list of the Best Lawyers in America®, 2005-2023
Received the Best Lawyers in America^®, "Lawyer of the Year" award for Securities/Capital Markets Law in New Orleans, LA, 2014
Selected to the list of Louisiana Super Lawyers, 2007, 2010-2014, 2016-2017
Recognized in the list of New Orleans Magazine's "Top Lawyers"
Selected to the list of Martindale-Hubbell AV^® Preeminent lawyers
Recipient of the Joseph J. Arenson Award

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Experience

Successfully represented a broker-dealer concerning allegations of material omissions about the sale of Auction Rate Securities at trail in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, and on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit.
Represented national broker-dealers and registered financial advisors before FINRA Dispute Resolution and in state and federal courts across the country, including Louisiana, Arkansas, Nevada, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, and South Carolina and before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
Successfully represented the CEO of a publicly traded oil and gas company in a securities class action, following the revision of audited financial statements concerning reported natural gas reserves.
Defeated claims against a broker-dealer and financial advisor, concerning the sale of variable annuities in Louisiana state court, by arguing that the variable annuities were insurance products and the plaintiff’s claims were therefore time-barred.
Represented a national broker-dealer in a case where a registered representative was selling away from the firm. Defeated class allegations and settled the matter on terms very favorable to the client.