Art. 581-33-1. CIVIL LIABILITY OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS AND INVESTMENT ADVISER REPRESENTATIVES. A. Liability of Investment Advisers and Investment Adviser Representatives. (1) An investment adviser or investment adviser representative who renders services as an investment adviser in violation of Section 12 or an order under Section 23B or 23-2 of this Act is liable to the purchaser, who may sue at law or in equity, for damages in the amount of any consideration paid for the services.
(2) Except as provided by Subsection C of this section, an investment adviser or investment adviser representative who commits fraud or engages in a fraudulent practice in rendering services as an investment adviser is liable to the purchaser, who may sue at law or in equity, for damages.
B. Damages. In damages under Subsection A(2) of this section, the purchaser is entitled to recover:
(1) the amount of any consideration paid for the services, less the amount of any income the purchaser received from acting on the services;
(2) any loss incurred by the person in acting on the services provided by the adviser or representative;
(3) interest at the legal rate for judgments accruing from the date of the payment of consideration; and
(4) to the extent the court considers equitable, court costs and reasonable attorney's fees.
C. Untruth or Omission. An investment adviser or investment adviser representative who in rendering services as an investment adviser makes a false statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement made, in light of the circumstances under which the statement is made, not misleading, may not be found liable under Subsection A(2) of this section if the adviser or representative proves:
(1) the purchaser knew of the truth or omission; or
(2) the adviser or representative did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the untruth or omission.
D. Statute of Limitations. (1) A person may not sue under Subsection A(1) of this section more than three years after the violation occurred.
(2) A person may not sue under Subsection A(2) of this section more than five years after the violation occurs or more than three years after the person knew or should have known, by the exercise of reasonable diligence, of the occurrence of the violation.
E. Liability of Control Persons and Assistants. (1) A person who directly or indirectly controls an investment adviser is jointly and severally liable with the investment adviser under this section, and to the same extent as the investment adviser, unless the controlling person sustains the burden of proof that the person did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the existence of the facts by reason of which liability is alleged to exist.
(2) A person who directly or indirectly with intent to deceive or defraud or with reckless disregard for the truth or the law materially aids an investment adviser in conduct for which a cause of action is authorized by this section is jointly and severally liable with the investment adviser in an action to recover damages under this section.
F. A remedy provided by this section is not exclusive of any other applicable remedy provided by law.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1091, Sec. 3.18, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Article: Previous 581-29-1 581-29-2 581-29-3 581-30 581-31 581-32 581-33 581-33-1 581-33-2 581-34 581-35 581-35-1 581-35-2 581-36 581-37 NextLast modified: September 28, 2016