Demystifying FINRA Arbitration: Navigating Disputes with Confidence

Margaret L. Watson has more than 30 years of experience in employment litigation, internal investigations and alternative dispute resolution. She has litigated numerous cases in federal and state courts as well as in arbitrations (FINRA, AAA, JAMS) and agency proceedings. She regularly defends employers and individual managers in cases involving discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII, Section 1981, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, FMLA, Dodd-Frank Act and related New York State and City laws, as well as common law tort and contract claims, including U-5 defamation claims and the enforcement of restrictive covenants. For approximately ten years, Margaret was employed by a large national wealth management financial services company, where she served as litigation counsel and also helped to design and manage the first corporate ombudsman office for the broker-dealer business of that company. Margaret is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and she began her career as a law clerk to the Hon. Whitman Knapp in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Janell Ahnert’s practice encompasses all facets of employment law, specifically in representation of management in both employment counseling and employment litigation. She has experience with issues involving wage and hour claims, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
With licenses held in four states, Janell is able to serve her clients’ needs in various legal forums. She handles a variety of employment law matters in state and federal courts and has broad experience defending employers accused of harassment and discrimination in federal court, including first chair jury trial experience. She has also successfully defended management in many wage and hour cases under the Fair Labor Standard Act and obtained summary judgments on behalf of her clients.
In addition to a federal court practice, Janell has experience defending financial services clients in employment matters pending before FINRA. In this area, Janell represents broker-dealers and banks in FINRA arbitrations filed by employees across the country.

Ms. Jenks has over 35 years of legal experience representing financial institutions, wirehouses, independent broker-dealers, insured broker-dealers, investment professionals, officers and directors, and financial advisers in retail, industry, and employment disputes as well as in compliance and regulatory matters. She defends registered persons and entities in regulatory matters. She has represented retail and institutional investors in securities matters and arbitration.