Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel & Burns: Firm managing partner Guy M. Burns (litigation – banking and finance; litigation – regulatory enforcement [SEC, telecom, energy]; litigation – securities; securities / capital markets law, 1999) and partner Scott C. Ilgenfritz (commercial litigation; litigation – securities; litigation – trusts and estates, 2012) were retained by the widow of Home Shopping Network co-founder Roy M. Speer to represent Speer’s estate and foundation in arbitration to determine whether Morgan Stanley and its employees mishandled the late entrepreneur’s accounts. Mr. Speer died in 2012 at the age of 80, and, according to the Tampa Bay Times, he had a nearly 12-year extramarital relationship with one of the stockbrokers accused of wrongdoing in the arbitration.
The arbitration panel met numerous times with the concerned parties and their attorneys, including the attorneys from Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Rupple & Burns, and found Morgan Stanley, the stockbroker, and the branch manager guilty of numerous ethical violations including elder exploitation, breach of fiduciary duty, and constructive fraud. The panel awarded Roy M. Speer’s foundation and estate $32,840,000 in damages, plus costs and legal fees.
