Securities Law Commons^™

The Level Playing Field, Constantine N. Katsoris

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The years 1987-1989 (hereinafter the "Dickens years" or "Dickens period") have been extremely volatile for the securities industry. Regardless of the causes, this volatility has become a fact of life resulting in enormous profits for some and enormous losses for others. One outgrowth of these losses is the explosion of litigation between the individual investors and the securities industry. Not only has the amount of litigation mushroomed, but the disputes have become significantly more complex. During the Dickens years, the forum for the resolution of these disputes has shifted from the courtroom to arbitration. This dramatic switch is largely the …