Attorney Jeffrey D. Anderson from Texas litigation law firm JDA Trials LLC has filed a lawsuit on behalf of an investor who entrusted her hard-earned life savings to an Austin financial advisor, only to discover they were siphoned off in a Ponzi-like scheme.

The suit, filed in Travis County District Court, targets Ronald Dewayne Smith, Jr., his firm Smith Wealth Advisors, LLC, and financial giants TD Ameritrade, Inc., and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., alleging fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence that enabled the theft of over $1.4 million from multiple clients. The Texas State Securities Board revoked Smith’s registration in October 2025 after uncovering the scheme.

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Jeff Anderson, a former Litigation Partner at a highly-ranked AmLaw 25 BigLaw firm, brings deep experience in securities and investment fraud litigation and is the Past Chair of the Securities Litigation & Arbitration Section of the Houston Bar Association. Jeff Anderson has handled high-stakes financial litigation involving penny stock pump-and-dump schemes, offshore variable annuities, non-traded REITs, and various complex securities fraud matters, recovering millions for defrauded investors from financial advisors, broker-dealers, and institutions.

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Drawing from his biglaw tenure, Jeff Anderson emphasizes leveraging specialized expertise to level the playing field against powerful defendants. To that end, he has teamed up with co-counsel Tyler Highful, a Harvard Law graduate who spent a decade at King & Spalding handling securities litigation matters. The lawsuit seeks over $1 million in damages, including actual losses, exemplary damages, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and attorney fees.

If you have been harmed by a financial advisor or have major losses from an investment, contact Attorney Jeffrey D. Anderson at (832) 507-9535 or Jeff@JDAtrials.com for a free consultation.