Investor Alert: Mewbourne Energy Partners 12-A LP

Mewbourne Energy Partners 12-A LP Investment Losses

Have you suffered investment losses in Mewbourne Energy Partners 12-A LP? If so, The White Law Group may be able to help you recover your losses by filing a FINRA Dispute Resolution claim against the brokerage firm that sold you the investment.

According to their website, Mewbourne Oil Company develops oil and natural gas prospects, acquires leasehold interests, and serves as the operator in the drilling, completion and production of oil and natural gas wells. The company has focused its efforts on two of this country’s most prolific producing regions, the Anadarko and Permian Basins.

The company often raises money for investments through Reg D private placement offerings like the company did for Mewbourne Energy Partners 12-A LP.  These Reg D private placements are then typically sold by brokerage firms in exchange for a large up front commission, usually between 7-10%, as well as additional “due diligence fees” that can range from 1-3%.

Many oil and gas LPs have high expense ratios, and due to the decline in the overall health of the oil and gas market, are suffering. Some are on the brink of default, or worse yet, bankruptcy.  Such an outcome is extreme, but not unforeseen. It only highlights the unsuitability of these investments for most retail investors – particularly in large concentrations.

Trouble with Alternative Investment

The trouble with alternative investment products, like Mewbourne Energy Partners 12-A LP, is that they involve a high degree of risk and are typically sold as unregistered securities which lack the same regulatory oversight as more traditional investment products like stocks or bonds.  An additional risk inherent to Mewbourne Oil offerings is also the general risk that comes with the energy market – a market that has seen enormous losses over the last few years due to the declining cost of oil and other energy commodities.

The White Law Group is investigating the liability that brokerage firms may have for improperly selling oil and gas private placements like Mewbourne Energy Partners 12-A LP.

Broker dealers that sell alternative investments are required to perform adequate due diligence on all investment recommendations to ensure that each investment recommendation that is made is suitable for the investor in light of the investor’s age, risk tolerance, net worth, financial needs, and investment experience.

However, another problem with Reg D private placements is that the high sales commissions and due diligence fees the brokers earn for selling such products sometimes can provide brokers with an enormous incentive to push the product to unsuspecting investors who do not fully understand the risks of these types of investments or to outright misrepresent the basic features of the products – usually focusing on the income potential and tax benefits while downplaying the risks.

Fortunately, FINRA does provide for an arbitration forum for investors to resolve such disputes and if a broker or brokerage firm makes an unsuitable investment recommendation or fails to adequately disclose the risks associated with an investment they may be found liable for investment losses in a FINRA arbitration claim.

Recovery Options

To determine whether you may be able to recover investment losses incurred as a result of your purchase of Mewbourne Energy Partners 12-A LP or another Mewbourne Oil Reg D private placement investment, please contact The White Law Group at 1-888-637-5510 for a free consultation.

The White Law Group, LLC is a national securities fraud, securities arbitration, investor protection, and securities regulation/compliance law firm with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Franklin, Tennessee. The firm represents investors throughout the country in claims against their brokerage firm.

For more information on the firm and its representation of investors, visit www.WhiteSecuritiesLaw.com.