Menzer & Hill, P.A. represents investors in the recovery of losses at the result of brokerage firms' failure to supervise their financial advisors who engage in unsuitable investment recommendations, the excessive trading of investors' accounts, inappropriate allocation of portfolio assets, misrepresentations and/or material omissions of fact resulting in fraud, negligence, breach of fiduciary duties, selling away, failure to advise their clients of risk management strategies and excessive use of margin.

In addition to their legal and arbitration experience, the attorneys and founding partners of Menzer & Hill, P.A. bring with them extensive securities industry experience which include in-house and chief corporate brokerage counsel, chief compliance officer supervising and regulating the practice of stockbrokers and financial advisors, as well as sales experience with advising clients and recommending the sale of securities and insurance.  The attorneys and founding partners have essentially switched hats where they once represented the industry and broker-dealers, they now represent aggrieved investors.  This yields a unique experience giving the firm intimate knowledge of the misconduct of brokers and the details and nuances of the securities and insurance products they recommend.

We represent clients in cases involving the following practice areas:

• Securities Arbitration / Litigation
• Annuities and Insurance Arbitration / Litigation
• Investment Advisor and Financial Planning Arbitration / Litigation
• Hedge Fund and Alternative Investment Fraud Arbitration / Litigation
• Futures and Commodities Arbitration / Litigation
• Broker Representation

A federal appeals court in San Francisco has tossed out the conviction of an Arizona man who left water jugs in the desert for migrants passing through.

Two years ago during a bench trial, a U.S. Magistrate in Tucson found Daniel Millis guilty of littering.

Millis and the faith-based aid group No More Deaths had regularly helped migrants by offering them food, water and medical aid. Prosecutors said Millis was leaving behind garbage and failing to follow orders by federal agents to remove it.

In reversing the conviction, the appeals court said the term "garbage" is "sufficiently ambiguous" and should be resolved in favor of the defendant.

A California court has refused to order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown to appeal a ruling that overturned the state's gay marriage ban.

The 3rd District Court of Appeal on Wednesday denied a conservative legal group's request to force the officials to defend voter-approved Proposition 8.

Presiding Justice Arthur Scotland did not explain why the appeals court turned down the request filed two days earlier by the Pacific Justice Institute.

The institute now plans to take the matter to the California Supreme Court, Chief Counsel Kevin Snider said Thursday.

"We are disappointed that the appellate court showed indecisiveness in trying to prevent a constitutional crisis," Snider said. "They didn't want to deal with it."

The institute maintains the attorney general and governor have the duty to uphold all laws, not just those with which they personally agree.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker struck down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional last month.

The measure approved by 52 percent of California voters in November 2008 amended the state Constitution to outlaw same-sex unions five months after the state Supreme Court legalized them.

The state has until Sept. 11 to challenge Walker's ruling. Both Brown and Schwarzenegger have said they don't plan an appeal.