Sandra P. Lahens is a partner at Lax & Neville LLP. Sandra’s practice involves representing businesses and individuals in commercial litigation and arbitration regarding securities and investment disputes, employment matters and regulatory investigations. She has successfully arbitrated and mediated cases before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), JAMS, and litigated cases in federal and state courts, including in appeals before the New York Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the New York State Appellate Division.
Sandra represents investors nationwide in customer sales practice disputes against their registered representatives, broker dealers and registered investment advisors in arbitration before FINRA and AAA. In one of her cases, the FINRA arbitration panel awarded her client, a former professional athlete, the full amount of his net out-of-pocket losses, along with the entire amount of the attorneys' fees and all costs requested. Sandra also has experience in general commercial litigations, including cases involving defamation. In a recent case, Sandra successfully defended a well-known New York City restaurant and its manager against claims of age discrimination and defamation by a former employee.
Sandra has extensive experience representing clients in litigation of employment-related matters. She represents professionals in financial industry disputes, such as, compensation and bonus disputes, promissory note negotiations, Form U-4 and U-5 negotiations, and expungements. Additionally, she represents clients in employment discrimination claims, wrongful termination, whistleblower litigation, violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, wage and hour labor disputes, and negotiates severance agreements.
In addition, Sandra represents registered representatives in their transitions or moves between brokerage firms, including Broker Protocol issues. Sandra has effectively defended brokerage firms and registered representatives in regulatory investigations by FINRA and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Sandra has also represented victims of the notorious Bernard L. Madoff Securities, LLC Ponzi scheme in clawback actions and SIPC matters. Sandra was a legal intern at the Fordham School of Law Securities Arbitration Clinic, and an Editor for the Journal of Corporate & Financial Law.
Sandra is also fluent in Spanish.