Securities class action case filings remained flat in 2024, with 229 filings equaling the number of new cases filed in 2023. The number of filings in 2024 tied with 2023 for the highest number of filings since 2020. The...more
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in two cases concerning the pleading standard in securities fraud class actions....more
11/5/2024
/ Annual Reports ,
Certiorari ,
Class Action ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Facebook Inc v Amalgamated Bank ,
Misleading Statements ,
Nvidia Corp v E Ohman J or Fonder AB ,
Pleading Standards ,
PSLRA ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation
On September 4, 2024, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Chair Gary Gensler reiterated concerns about artificial intelligence-related ("AI") disclosures and the need for companies to communicate accurately about...more
10/24/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Boilerplate Language ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Class Action ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Investment Adviser ,
Machine Learning ,
Misrepresentation ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Shareholder Litigation
Seventh Amendment entitles defendants to jury trials when the SEC seeks civil penalties for securities fraud. ...more
The United States Supreme Court in Macquarie Infrastructure Corp. v. Moab Partners, L.P., No. 22-1165, ruled that a corporation is not liable under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 for...more
4/29/2024
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
Item 303 ,
Macquarie Infrastructure Corp v Moab Partners LP ,
Misleading Statements ,
Omissions ,
Regulation S-K ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Violations
The Second Circuit recently revived a securities class action against the crypto exchange Binance Holdings Ltd., holding that plaintiffs plausibly alleged their transactions on the exchange were "domestic," as required by the...more
The use of earnout provisions, which buyers and sellers often use to bridge differing views of value, is on the rise, especially in the private equity and corporate venture capital markets. This White Paper examines how...more
During 2023, securities lawsuit filings rose for the first time in four years. Settlements declined last year; there were nine mega-settlements of more than $100 million, including a $1 billion settlement. Case filings...more
2/28/2024
/ Class Certification ,
Cryptocurrency ,
False Statements ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Misleading Statements ,
Scienter ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Standing ,
Statute of Limitations
A recent decision by the First Department of the New York Appellate Division held that the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's automatic stay of discovery applies in state court, but not during the pendency of an...more
A Washington federal judge dismissed challenges to Starbucks's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ("DEI") policies in a strongly worded opinion, making clear that politics don't belong in his courtroom....more
In Short -
The Situation: The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently decertified a class of stockholders who alleged that Goldman Sachs maintained an inflated share price by making...more
8/31/2023
/ Arkansas Teacher Retirement System v Goldman Sachs Group ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Decertification ,
Disclosure ,
Goldman Sachs ,
Inflated Stock Purchase Price ,
Material Misstatements ,
Misrepresentation ,
New Guidance ,
Presumption of Reliance ,
Retirement ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Fraud ,
Stock Prices
In Short -
The Situation: The Delaware Court of Chancery recently held that supplemental disclosures must be "material" to warrant mootness fees in litigation challenging the disclosures for M&A transactions. Anderson v....more
According to the Stanford Law School/Cornerstone Research Securities Class Action Clearinghouse, each year since 2001, with just one exception (2006), investors have filed more than 150 securities fraud class actions in the...more
During 2022, securities case filings fell for the fourth consecutive year and were down slightly from 2021. The number of announced settlements rose substantially last year, as did total settlement amounts. The 2022...more
2/8/2023
/ Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Popular ,
Scienter ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") Climate and ESG Task Force has filed one of its most significant enforcement matters to date. On April 28, 2022, the SEC brought an action in the U.S. District Court for...more
Reversing the New York Appellate Division, First Department, the New York Court of Appeals, in a 6–1 landmark decision, held that a $140 million disgorgement payment is an insured "loss," after a long history of insurance...more
12/3/2021
/ Bear Sterns ,
Denial of Insurance Coverage ,
Disgorgement ,
E&O Insurance ,
Insurance Claims ,
Insurance Litigation ,
Liability Insurance ,
Loss Coverage ,
Penalties ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Wrongful Acts
The Situation: A number of shareholder derivative lawsuits in federal court have been filed seeking to hold directors and officers of major companies accountable for alleged failures to uphold their companies' stated...more
7/20/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Derivative Suit ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Forum Selection ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholders
On June 3, 2021, the Court of Appeals clarified the scope of New York General Business Law Section 349, a frequently invoked consumer protection provision. The Court held that Section 349 protects consumers from the deceptive...more
The U.S. Supreme Court held that courts should consider the generic nature of a misrepresentation when assessing price impact in securities-fraud suits and that defendants bear the burden of persuasion to prove a lack of...more
6/28/2021
/ Arkansas Teacher Retirement System v Goldman Sachs Group ,
Basic v Levinson ,
Burden of Persuasion ,
Burden of Proof ,
Certiorari ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Goldman Sachs ,
Investors ,
Presumption of Reliance ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Litigation ,
Shareholders
Two circuit courts have now rejected the Second Circuit's "predominantly foreign" exception to Morrison's "domestic transactions" test, which raises the prospect of inconsistent decisions and increases the likelihood of...more
The Second Circuit reemphasized that conclusory allegations that a transaction took place in the United States will not pass muster under Morrison.
On March 4, 2021, the Second Circuit issued a Summary Order affirming...more
The Situation: In 2010, in Morrison v. National Australia Bank Ltd., the Supreme Court held that Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 applies to (i) "transactions in securities listed on domestic exchanges";...more
2020 was another active year for securities litigation in the United States. Federal securities class actions continued to be filed at record levels notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, a number of those newly...more
2/8/2021
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Corporate Counsel ,
D&O Insurance ,
Derivative Suit ,
Forum Selection ,
Loss Causation ,
Pleading Standards ,
Scienter ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Short-Swing Trading ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
The Situation: A number of shareholder derivative lawsuits in federal court have been filed seeking to hold directors and officers of major companies accountable for alleged failures to uphold their commitment to diversity....more
9/17/2020
/ Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Caremark claim ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Derivative Suit ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Material Misstatements ,
Proxy Statements ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Shareholder Litigation
The Situation: Stockholders sought appraisal—judicial determination of the "fair value" of their stock—in connection with a merger. The Delaware Court of Chancery found that the fair value was equal to the company's...more