A security is a type of transferable interest representing financial value. Securities may take a number of different forms, including stocks, bonds, notes, collateral trust certificates, voting trust certificates or investment contracts. Securities attorneys represent clients in transactions and legal disputes related to stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and initial public offerings (IPOs). Securities attorneys may represent a corporation or shareholders in a securities fraud lawsuit against officers and directors of the corporation, or may assist clients in matters involving the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
For the Illinois village once known as Charleston, see Brimfield, Illinois. Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,039 as of the 2000 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor Mattoon, Illinois. Both are principal cities of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.