Robert Kantas, Esq.
Securities & Investment Fraud Lawyer
Robert’s Practice Philosophy
Robert Kantas believes that every case is important and deserves his utmost attention and effort. As a result, he does not believe that the practice of law is a “volume business”, as seems to be the case in so many law firms these days. “Crowded attorney dockets, with cases vying for the lawyers’ attention, lead to mistakes and missed opportunities. They can also cause lawyers to recommend settlements for less than the value of the case”, he says. “This is not in the clients’ best interest.” He is selective in the cases he accepts, and only does so after a thorough analysis. He has the experience necessary to weigh the relative pros and cons of each case, and he makes sure his clients are fully informed of those along the way. As a result of his careful analysis, tireless attention to detail, and advocacy skill, he has not lost a case in more than a decade. Results matter.
Education
J.D. University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, VA, 1997
B.S. Management (cum laude), Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA, 1990
Texas Arbitration and Litigation Law Office
Offering Nationwide and International Representation to Investors
Over a law career spanning more than 20 years, Robert Kantas has dedicated himself to representing investors in major securities cases against brokerage firms including Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, Edward Jones, UBS, Wachovia, A.G. Edwards, AIG SunAmerica, and Interactive Brokers, and many others. He has successfully recovered hundreds of millions for defrauded investors across the nation and across the globe.
Formerly a partner at securities law firm Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas, LLP, Robert Kantas retains an “of counsel” relationship with the firm.
Robert has represented investors in investment and securities fraud cases of national and international significance. He was lead counsel for five Wisconsin School Districts that had invested $200 million into complicated Credit Default Obligation/Credit Default Swap derivatives that were misrepresented to the Districts, and which lost a significant amount of their original value. The case was ultimately settled for a total of $218 million. In addition, he was lead trial counsel on a case that resulted in one of the largest, if not the largest, settlements for an individual investor in the history of FINRA Arbitration. That case, which was tried against a major broker-dealer which was represented by one of the largest law firms in the nation, settled after a two-week arbitration.
As well as practicing law in a number of jurisdictions, Robert Kantas has also written and taught extensively on the subject of securities arbitration and specifically broker/customer disputes. Prior to beginning his law career, Robert Kantas served more than a decade in the United States Air Force, and is a decorated Gulf War Veteran.
Admissions and Memberships
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Supreme Court of Texas
- Supreme Court of Virginia
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Virginia
Robert Kantas is a noted author and public speaker on the subject of securities arbitration and broker/customer disputes. His notable publications and public engagements include:
Presentation
“Damages: How and When to Present Them”
Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association Annual Meeting, October 2018
Presentation
“How to Present and Prove Your Damages”
Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association Annual Meeting, October 2016
Presentation
“Best Trial Practices in a Final Hearing”
Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association Annual Meeting, October 2015
Keynote Speaker
Patrick Air Force Base National Prayer Luncheon
February 2009
Presentation
“Making Bricks Without Straw: An Overview of Securities Arbitration”
Houston Paralegals Association CLE, September 2008
Co-Author and Lecturer
“Claims Against Stockbrokers: How to Advise Your Investor Client”
Virginia CLE Program, February 2003
Co-Author
Arbitrating Claims Against Stockbrokers
The Journal of the Virginia Trial Lawyer’s Association, pp. 3-13, Winter 2002/2003