ZEK offers a broad array of commercial services for firms engaged in the existent and emerging financial services business, which includes those firms grounded in or which have evolved from the securities industry. In this respect, ZEK draws upon and integrates its experience in banking, insurance, real estate and employment law to provide services which include the panoply of commercial and real estate transactions and issues, such as those involving contracts; negotiable instruments; letters of credit; secured transactions; lending; purchases and sales of commercial real estate and businesses; mortgages and foreclosures; real estate and commercial leasing; creditors rights, including bankruptcy law; defalcations; stolen and forged instruments; and all matters involving general insurance and financial institution blanket bonds. In addition, ZEK has experience in the resolution of issues and disputes peculiar to the securities industry, such as issues and disputes which have arisen among member firms, professionals and customers on both the institutional and retail side of the securities and commodity futures business. Such matters have included internal and regulatory investigations; operational disputes; unsecured debits; alleged violations of federal and state securities laws and regulations; garden variety claims by customers involving issues of suitability, churning, unauthorized trading, breach of contract, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty; disciplinary proceedings; lost or stolen securities; and the various employment agreements in the industry, including compensation and advanced compensation agreements, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, non-compete and “no hire” clauses, and non-solicitation agreements. The firm has experience in cases in both the state and federal courts, and in matters before federal and state authorities and agencies, regulatory and self-regulatory bodies, and before arbitration panels.