Who should contact us
You may wish to contact us for a free and confidential consultation if:
Former Sutherland Investment Group Clients: Investment Suitability Review
✔ Sutherland Client History: You were a direct client of Fraser Sutherland or The Sutherland Investment Group.
✔ Institutional Management: Your portfolio at CIBC Wood Gundy, CIBC Private Wealth, or Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management was managed by this team.
✔ Unsuitable Advice Concerns: You hold unresolved questions regarding specific investment recommendations made to you.
✔ Alternative Product Exposure: You were placed into alternative assets, private credit tranches, or exempt market products.
✔ Gated Asset Limitations: Some or all of your capital has been locked down, gated, or remains completely inaccessible.
✔ Legal Representation Need: You require an independent legal assessment of your current financial circumstances.
Did you receive investment advice from the Sutherland Investment Group? You may have legal options if your advisor recommended high-risk alternative investments that did not align with your financial goals.
Signs Your Investment Portfolio Was Unsuitable
In advice-based accounts, investment advisors must only recommend products matching your unique investor profile. Common red flags include investments that violated your:
- Risk Tolerance: Portfolio risk exceeds your comfort level.
- Investment Objectives: Products do not match your long-term goals.
- Time Horizon: Funds are locked up longer than planned.
- Liquidity Needs: Inability to access cash when needed.
According to the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI), investment suitability is the most common issue in advice-based account disputes.
High-Risk Products Under Review
Private wealth management firms often recommend complex financial products. We are currently reviewing the suitability of the following assets:
- Private Credit: Non-bank corporate lending with high default risks.
- Exempt Market Products (EMPs): Investments sold without a prospectus.
- Liquidity Needs: Inability to access cash when needed.
These alternative financial products carry unique dangers. They typically feature strict liquidity restrictions, complex valuation issues, and severe limits on redemption.
Why speak with Harold Geller and Matthew Taylor?
"Our Investor Protection Group brings combined decades of high-stakes securities litigation, regulatory oversight, and complex loss recovery to your case. By combining Harold Geller’s deeply established history of assisting over 1,500 Canadians against financial advisor misconduct with Matthew Taylor’s advanced litigation experience in senior appellate courts, our firm offers specialized, strategic representation designed to hold financial institutions accountable."
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Harold Geller
Partner, Sotos LLP
Harold’s practice focuses on securities litigation, investor protection, and financial services disputes. He has more than 30 years of experience representing investors in matters involving investment losses, unsuitable financial advice, professional negligence, advisor misconduct, and related disputes.
Harold has assisted more than 1,500 Canadians in recovering losses and has held leadership and advisory roles relating to investor advocacy, consumer protection, and financial services regulation, including prior service on investor-focused advisory bodies connected to the OSC, CIRO, FSRA, and OBSI.
416-863-5603
hgeller@sotos.ca
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Matthew W. Taylor
Senior Associate, Sotos LLP
Matthew’s practice focuses on complex investment, securities, and class action litigation. He represents plaintiffs in high-stakes disputes involving financial loss, professional liability, and technical evidence.
He has appeared before the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and serves as a supervising lawyer at the Osgoode Hall Law School Investor Protection Clinic.
416-572-7315
mtaylor@sotos.ca
Frequently Asked Questions
Request a Confidential Case Evaluation
Complete this secure form to check your eligibility for legal recovery. A member of our legal team will review your file to assess your unauthorized account transfers or investment losses.
