Philip M. Aidikoff

Mr. Aidikoff is a past President and Director Emeritus of the Public Investors Advocate Bar Association (PIABA). He served a five-year term (with three years as chair) of the National Arbitration and Mediation Committee of FINRA (formerly the NASD) which provides recommendations on rules, regulations and procedures governing arbitrations, mediations and dispute resolution. He served as one of three public members of the Securities Industry Conference on Arbitration (“SICA”), which was created with the support of the Securities and Exchange Commission to help protect the interests of public investors in securities arbitration. He also served as one of two investor advocates on the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) modernization task force. He served as a member of the FINRA Arbitration Task Force (2014-2015) which provided recommendations aimed at improving the transparency, impartiality and efficiency of securities arbitration.

Mr. Aidikoff was recognized from 2005 to 2024 as a Southern California Super Lawyer and was profiled in the February 2012 issue of Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine. He has been awarded recognition as one of America's Most Honored Lawyers (Top 1%) for more than 10 years. He was also named by the National Law Journal as one of the 50 Litigation Trailblazers & Pioneers (2014). His legal rating as an attorney is the highest available, “AV”.

Mr. Aidikoff has served on the faculty of the Practicing Law Institute (1996, 1997, 2002), NASD Fall Securities Conference (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006), NASAA Enforcement Conference (2002, 2004), NASAA Attorney/Investigator Training Conference (2006), University of Cincinnati School of Law Symposium-Twenty Years after Shearson v. McMahon (2007), SCMA Conference (2005), NERA Securities Litigation Seminar (2004), New York City Bar Securities Arbitration program (2002), Los Angeles County Bar Association Securities Arbitration program (2006, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2019), San Diego County Bar Association Mediating and Arbitrating FINRA Claims (2021), the NASD faculty for training of discovery arbitrators, on the JAMS faculty for training of securities arbitrators and on SEC/NASAA Older Investor Roundtable (2022). He was a member of the NASD Neutral Roster Task Force (2005-2006), the FINRA Arbitrator Training Task Force (2009-2010), FINRA Discovery Guide Task Force (2010-2013), and National Roundtable on Consumer and Employment Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University 2012. He has appeared on CNBC, CNN/fn, PBS Nightly Business Report, National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and the Business Channel addressing investor rights topics, and has been quoted on securities matters in the Wall Street Journal, the Dow Jones News Service, Newsweek, Reuters, Fortune Magazine, Business Week, Money Magazine, Bloomberg News Service, Forbes, Medical Economics, Registered Representative, The New York Times, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and other national and local press. For five years he wrote a weekly column in the Palm Springs Desert Sun on issues of interest to investors.

Education

B.A. – University of California at Berkeley, 1969, Dean’s List
J.D. – Southwestern University School of Law, 1975, Law Review

Bar Admissions

California, 1975
United States District Court Central District California, 1976
United States Supreme Court, 1981
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1999
United States District Court for the District of Colorado, 2011

Publications

Trends in Preventing Senior Financial Abuse: PLI Current: White Collar Practice Journal, Vol.2, No.1 (September 2019)
The Use of Third Party Subpoenas to Determine a Brokerage Firm’s Pre-Hiring Due Diligence and Post-Hiring Supervision: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2015)
Market Adjusted Damages in the FINRA Forum: PIABA Bar Journal, Volume 21, No. 2 (2014), reprinted in the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Advocate (April 2016)
FINRA Six-Year Eligibility Rule 12206: The Purchase Date is Often Not the Triggering “Occurrence or Event Giving Rise to a Claim.”: PIABA Bar Journal, Vol. 20, No. 1 (2013)
Discoverability of Wells Submissions: What They Are And How To Get Them: PIABA Bar Journal, Vol. 19, No. 2 (2012)
Discovery of Regulatory Documents: Debunking the Myth of the “SEC” Privilege in Securities Arbitration: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2011)
Arbitrators Misclassified: Looking Back to Move Forward: PIABA Bar Journal, Vol. 18, No. 1 (2011)
The Prospectus Defense: Defeating It As A Matter of Fact and Law: PIABA Bar Journal, Vol. 16, No. 4 (2009)
Wall Street Does it Again: The Auction Rate Securities Fraud: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2008)
Trying Asset/Mortgage Backed Securities Cases: A Practical Guide: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2007)
A Practical Guide To The New NASD Code of Arbitration Procedure For Customer Disputes: Practicing Law Institute Securities Arbitration Handbook (2006), also Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2006)
Third Party Money Managers: Brokerage Firms’ Duty to Monitor and Resulting Liability: Practicing Law Institute Securities Arbitration Handbook (2005)
I Didn’t Say That, Oh Yes You Did: The Use of Court Reporters in Securities Arbitration: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2005)
From Wall Street to Main Street: A Guide To Litigation Over Hedge Funds Sold by Brokerage Firms to Retail Investors: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2005)
Confidentiality and Compliance Manuals: The Fight for Unfettered Access: Practicing Law Institute Securities Arbitration Handbook (2005), also Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2004)
Due Diligence or Don’t: Pre-Filing Considerations and Claim Drafting: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2003)
Comments on The Claimant’s Bar On Proposed Changes In The Expungement Process: The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (2002)
Arbitration: Can It Be Waived?: Practicing Law Institute Securities Arbitration Handbook (2002)
2001: An Update On Best Execution and Suitability Standards For Online Trading: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2001)
After the Correction: Are Your Losses Recoverable?: American Pathology Foundation (2001)
Selective Recission and the Offset Defense in Securities Cases: A Survey of the Law: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2000)
Motion Practice in Securities Arbitration: A Claimant’s Point of View: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (1999)
Why Shouldn’t Clearing Firms be Liable: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (1998)
Clearing Firm Liability: A Forward Looking Analysis: Practicing Law Institute Securities Arbitration Handbook (1998)
Liability of Control Persons at Second Tier Firms: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (1997)
Control Person Liability in the Securities Industry: A Legal Overview and Practical Applications: Practicing Law Institute Securities Arbitration Handbook (1997)
Recognizing and Guarding Against Fiduciary Abuse: National Guardianship Association National Convention (1996)
Stockbrokerage Firm Liability: A Pre-Litigation Analysis: Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles “Advocate” (1996), reprinted in the Arizona Trial Lawyer Association “Advocate” (January 1997)
The Brave New World of Banks Selling Securities: Offline and Online: Practicing Law Institute Securities Arbitration Handbook (1996)
Recognizing and Evaluating Stockbroker Liability: Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Convention (1995)
Take it or Leave it: Case Evaluation and Retention: Practicing Law Institute Securities Arbitration Handbook (1995)
Broker Abuse: Recovering for your Client: Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Advocate (1993)