Elizabeth Lowery is a Partner in Freeman Mathis & Gary's Downtown Los Angeles and LAX offices, Vice-Chair of the firm's Financial Services and Banking national practice section, Vice-Chair of the firm's Accountants Liability national practice team, and co-chairs the firm's LAX office. She is a trial lawyer with a nationwide practice focusing on financial institutions and professionals. She brings a unique and exceptionally strong financial background to any action, whether it be in litigation, arbitration or a regulatory matter.
Ms. Lowery has extensive experience in all aspects of financial and investment services including matters involving the federal, state and probate courts; the Securities and Exchange Commission; the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”); the Certified Financial Planners Board; as well as California’s Board of Accountancy and Department of Insurance. She has a well-established track record of obtaining FINRA expungements. Ms. Lowery also represents taxpayers before the IRS and state taxing authorities including to seek private letter rulings, abatement of tax penalties, and other relief. In addition, she has assisted many clients navigate through pre-litigation evaluations and negotiations, regulatory inquiries, and various investigations, so that such matters did not escalate to formal actions. Her clients include accountants/CPAs, taxpayers, attorneys, trustees, beneficiaries, financial institutions, brokerage firms, stock and commodity brokers, registered investment advisers, certified financial planners, and insurance agents.
Prior to receiving her law degree, Ms. Lowery was licensed to trade both stocks and commodities. She was in the top 2% of candidates who passed all four parts of the Certified Public Accountant exam in the first sitting. Before joining FMG, she was responsible for the highly publicized victory of registered representative Mark Anderson against the SEC’s accusations that he charged excessive mark-ups. (Reported in the Wall Street Journal and Bond Buyer.) More recently, after an almost two- week arbitration in which nearly $60 million in damages were sought by the sole claimant, Ms. Lowery successfully defended the brokerage firm respondent so that the claimant recovered nothing. [FINRA Case No. 18-03572]
Ms. Lowery regularly speaks at conferences about legal developments relevant to the financial industry and her clients. She has spoken nationally, as well as at Pepperdine’s Securities Arbitration Clinic, on a variety of topics relating to securities law and FINRA arbitrations and enforcement actions. She also has been a panel speaker and authored articles for the Securities Arbitration Treatise of the Practicing Law Institute. Ms. Lowery prides herself on her hands-on and efficient attention to her matters and developing long-term relationships with her clients.