On April 8, 2025, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the US District Court for the District of Maryland’s dismissal of all claims in Defeo et al. v. IonQ, Inc. et al., a securities class action asserting...more
Is a report by a short seller followed by a stock decline enough to plead securities fraud? This month, the Fourth Circuit considered this issue. In Defeo v. IonQ, Inc., a group of investors sued IonQ, a developer of quantum...more
The Nature of Short Selling Attacks and Short Reports - Short selling attacks create unique challenges for boards, management teams and companies. Unlike traditional long activists, whose ultimate goal is to enhance...more
Short sellers make their money by publishing information that attacks a company in order to drive down its share price. How can a company prepare? And what should it not do in the face of a short attack? We offer some tips in...more
Delaware Court of Chancery Awards Attorneys’ Fees After Gilead’s “Glaringly Egregious” Litigation Conduct; S.D.N.Y Grants Plaintiffs’ Partial Summary Judgment in Securities Class Action Against Perrigo; SPAC Investors Launch...more
Temporary Ban on Net Short Positions in Response to Market Turmoil in the Wake of Covid-19 Outbreak - On March 17, 2020, CONSOB, the Italian markets and securities regulator, introduced an outright temporary ban on taking...more
Companies previously considered immune from activist campaigns have come under pressure, driving new public and private deal opportunities for private equity. US shareholder activists are an established presence in Europe....more