Key Points -
- The SEC’s Crypto Task Force acknowledges past hostility toward digital assets and aims to create more sensible regulations.
- Tokenized securities face complex regulatory challenges, including compliance...more
5/28/2025
/ Acquisitions ,
Blockchain ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Energy Sector ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Healthcare ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
Life Sciences ,
Mergers ,
Private Equity ,
Retail Market ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Tokens ,
Technology
In this issue of The Informed Board, we go behind all the talk about companies reincorporating in states other than Delaware. In our lead article and our podcast, we point out that few companies actually moved, and we explain...more
5/16/2025
/ Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Officers ,
Delaware ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Incorporation ,
Institutional Investors ,
Private Equity ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholders ,
Spinoffs
For decades, Delaware has been widely regarded as the leading forum for incorporation in the United States. More than half of all publicly traded U.S. companies, including more than two-thirds of the Fortune 500, have made...more
2/28/2025
/ Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Corporate Governance ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Director Removal ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rule 144 ,
Safe Harbors ,
Section 220 Request ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Shareholders
In this issue, we explore ongoing corporate law issues involving controlling stockholders, with significant decisions anticipated from the Delaware Supreme Court in 2025; the rise in litigation over earnout provisions in...more
12/31/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Aiding and Abetting ,
Appeals ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Buyers ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Corporate Governance ,
Delaware ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Executive Compensation ,
Merger Agreements ,
Mergers ,
Nominal Damages ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Ratification ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Sellers ,
Shareholders
Key Points -
- During its 2024 term, the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to provide important guidance on the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act’s (PSLRA’s) particularity requirement in NVIDIA Corp. v. E. Ohman J:or...more
12/6/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Automotive Industry ,
Class Action ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Digital Assets ,
E-Commerce ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Sector ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Healthcare ,
Investment Adviser ,
Life Sciences ,
Mergers ,
NVIDIA ,
Nvidia Corp v E Ohman J or Fonder AB ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
PSLRA ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Technology Sector ,
Trading Platforms
Ninth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Insider Trading Claims Against Satellite Operator Investors Based on Stock Sales After FCC Chairman Vote -
In re Silver Lake Grp., LLC Sec. Litig. (9th Cir. July 24, 2024)
What to...more
10/2/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Aerospace ,
Bylaws ,
Cannabis Products ,
Class Certification ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Corporate Governance ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Disclosure ,
FCC ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare ,
Insider Trading ,
Life Sciences ,
Marijuana ,
Mergers ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
PSLRA ,
Safe Harbors ,
Scienter ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Startups ,
Technology Sector
In this issue, we discuss Delaware court developments, including the first-ever dismissal of a SPAC disclosure complaint, as well as rulings pertaining to financial advisor conflict and disclosure law, state laws involving...more
6/26/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Business Judgment Rule ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Corporate Governance ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Disclosure ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Mergers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation
The first half of 2024 has been a watershed moment for the development of controller law in the Delaware courts. Among the highlights, the Delaware Supreme Court reexamined and confirmed that transactions involving a...more
6/26/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Business Judgment Rule ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Corporate Governance ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Disclosure ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Mergers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation
The Delaware Supreme Court recently issued two opinions weighing in on the scope of disclosures involving board advisors in connection with M&A transactions that warrant close attention. In both rulings — each written en banc...more
6/26/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Buyers ,
Corporate Governance ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Disclosure ,
Financial Adviser ,
Mergers ,
Proxy Statements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Sellers
On May 31, 2024, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued its first opinion dismissing a “MultiPlan claim” at the pleadings stage.
As a reminder, a MultiPlan claim is a breach of fiduciary duty claim against directors,...more
Spotlight -
Macquarie Ruling Raises the Bar for Securities Fraud Claims -
Key Points -
- On April 12, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed and vacated the Second Circuit’s decision in Macquarie...more
5/23/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Financial Institutions ,
Healthcare ,
Life Sciences ,
Macquarie Infrastructure Corp v Moab Partners LP ,
Media ,
Mergers ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Real Estate Market ,
Retail Market ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation
Securities Class Actions Show No Signs of Slowing in 2024 -
Key Points -
While the volume of securities class actions filings has remained consistently elevated over the past several years, the composition of the class...more
3/5/2024
/ Class Action ,
Corporate Governance ,
Digital Assets ,
Educational Institutions ,
Energy Sector ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Healthcare ,
Life Sciences ,
Macquarie Infrastructure Corp v Moab Partners LP ,
Media ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Retailers ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation
Expert Allegations Could Become More Frequent in Securities Fraud Complaints and Possibly Erode Pleading Standards -
A Ninth Circuit panel ruling that plaintiffs could use expert analysis to bolster securities fraud claims...more
12/22/2023
/ Article III ,
Bankruptcy Court ,
Constitutional Amendment ,
Consumer Protection Act ,
Corporate Governance ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Self-Reporting ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Voluntary Disclosure
The U.S. Supreme Court will likely decide before the end of its current term whether the failure to make a disclosure pursuant to Item 303 of Regulation S-K can serve as the basis for a securities fraud claim under Section...more
12/5/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Data Security ,
Dismissals ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Life Sciences ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Mergers ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Regulation S-K ,
Scams ,
Scienter ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Shareholders ,
Token Sales
Two Sides of the Same Coin: Analyzing the Recent Ripple and Terraform Decisions -
Key Points -
- In July 2023, Judges Torres and Rakoff in the Southern District of New York issued rulings on whether digital asset sales...more
9/15/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Financial Institutions ,
Healthcare ,
Life Sciences ,
Media ,
Mergers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Technology Sector
Supreme Court Hears Argument on Traceability Requirement in Circuit-Split Slack v. Pirani -
Key Points -
- Before the end of June, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in a high-profile securities case...more
6/1/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Appeals ,
Biopharmaceutical ,
Class Action ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Corporate Officers ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Dismissals ,
Healthcare ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Insurance Claims ,
Life Sciences ,
Mergers ,
Misleading Statements ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
NYSE ,
Oral Argument ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Popular ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 11 ,
Section 12 ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Slack Technologies Inc v Pirani ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Stock Exchange
Circuits Split Over Whether Targeting Is Necessary for Seller Liability -
Key Points -
- While courts have long held that solicitations must be tailored to a particular audience to precipitate statutory seller liability,...more
3/16/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Bitcoin ,
Business Model ,
Cannabis Products ,
Class Action ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure ,
Dismissals ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Failure To Disclose ,
FinTech ,
Gambling ,
Healthcare ,
Investigations ,
Investors ,
Life Sciences ,
Media ,
Mergers ,
Online Platforms ,
Popular ,
Section 12 ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Sellers ,
Social Media ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Telecommunications ,
Unregistered Securities ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
Cornerstone Research reports that during the first six months of 2022, plaintiffs filed 110 securities class actions, a pace that is generally in line — 2.8% higher — with what we saw in the second half of 2021. Looking...more
12/5/2022
/ Class Action ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Sales Transactions ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Futures ,
Healthcare ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Life Sciences ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Stock Options
Derivative Litigation Eighth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Derivative Securities Action - Carpenters’ Pension Fund of Ill. v. Neidorff, No. 20-3216 (8th Cir. 2022) - Following Centene Corporation’s merger with Health Net,...more
9/12/2022
/ Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Derivative Suit ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Materiality ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholders ,
SLUSA
This quarter’s issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between February and April 2022. Cryptocurrency Derivative Litigation Fiduciary Duties – Bylaws Material...more
5/24/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Material Misstatements ,
Mergers ,
Pleading Standards ,
PSLRA ,
Scienter ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation
On March 22, 2022, Skadden hosted a webinar on recent developments in Delaware corporate law. Litigation partners Edward Micheletti and Jenness Parker and litigation associate Lauren Rosenello led the discussion, which...more
On January 3, 2022, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a novel decision arising from a challenge to a transaction involving a special purpose acquisition company, commonly referred to as a SPAC, in In re MultiPlan Corp....more
This quarter’s issue of Inside the Courts — An Update From Skadden Securities Litigators includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided in May-August 2021....more
10/22/2021
/ Breach of Duty ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Derivative Suit ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Loss Causation ,
Mergers ,
Pleading Standards ,
PSLRA ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
SLUSA ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Statute of Repose
To stay ahead of the feds, companies need to monitor their own data for possible compliance problems. Congress may soon give companies better visibility into their shareholder bases, including derivatives positions.
In this...more
10/8/2021
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Biden Administration ,
Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Competition ,
Corporate Governance ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Horizontal Merger Guidelines ,
Mergers ,
Section 220 Request ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Books and Records - Court of Chancery Orders Production of Emails, Denies Production of Privileged Communications in Books and Records Action - Emps.’ Ret. Sys. of R.I. v. Facebook, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0085-JRS (Del. Ch....more
6/9/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Breach of Duty ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Pleading Standards ,
PSLRA ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Scienter ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
SLUSA