Securities

  • August 07, 2024

    Marathon Digital Wants Investors' Accounting Suit Tossed

    Crypto miner Marathon Digital Holdings Inc. has asked a Nevada federal judge to dismiss a proposed class action alleging it misstated its revenue as a result of ineffective financial controls, arguing the suit "attempts to convert a routine correction of two discrete technical accounting issues" into a securities fraud claim.

  • August 07, 2024

    BREAKING: Ripple Ordered To Pay $125M Penalty In SEC Case

    A New York federal judge ordered Ripple Labs Inc. to pay a $125 million civil penalty on Wednesday in a long-awaited order addressing remedies for the blockchain company's failure to register institutional sales of its XRP token with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • August 07, 2024

    2 Chainz Snared By Pot Shop Investment Scam, Suit Says

    An investment company representing rapper 2 Chainz is suing a former cannabis company executive and others, alleging they scammed the rapper into investing in a dispensary without intending to pay back what was promised.

  • August 06, 2024

    Convicted Mango Markets Crypto Trader Wants Acquittal

    The crypto trader who was convicted of fraudulently draining more than $100 million from trading platform Mango Markets told a Manhattan federal judge that he should be fully acquitted on the grounds that federal prosecutors failed to prove at trial that he violated the law. 

  • August 06, 2024

    2nd Circ. Says Citi Whistleblower Can't Get Cut Of $400M Fine

    The Second Circuit on Tuesday upheld a lower court's dismissal of a Citibank executive's whistleblower lawsuit seeking a piece of a $400 million fine the bank paid, finding that she failed to allege a valid False Claims Act claim and therefore has no right to a portion of financial recovery.

  • August 06, 2024

    Baby Sock Co. Can't Beat Investor Suit, But SPAC Brass Can

    Digital baby monitoring device manufacturer Owlet Inc. cannot escape a suit accusing it of misleading investors about approvals required from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell its "smart socks," but brass at a blank check company that it merged with will be allowed to exit the suit.

  • August 06, 2024

    KKR & Co., 2 Founders Sued In Del Over $500M Exit Deal

    A union pension fund has sued KKR & Co. Inc. founders Henry Kravis and George Roberts and 14 others in connection with no-tax share conversion payment rights lined up in connection with the company's October 2021 switch from an umbrella partnership "C" company into a regular corporation.

  • August 06, 2024

    Lumen Top Brass Sued Over Slow Internet Fiber Rollout

    A Lumen Technologies shareholder has filed suit against the company's top brass, alleging they misled investors and the public about Lumen's plans to roll out a high-speed internet fiber network and how much the company was investing in its consumer fiber business.

  • August 06, 2024

    Piper Sandler Says It Will Pay $16M In Recordkeeping Fines

    Piper Sandler Cos. disclosed Tuesday that it has reached tentative agreements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to end investigations into off-channel business communications for a total of $16 million.

  • August 06, 2024

    Investment Adviser Must Face Union Fund's $30M ERISA Suit

    A union pension fund has carried its $30 million Employee Retirement Income Security Act lawsuit against an investment advisory firm past the motion-to-dismiss phase on its second try, with a California federal judge holding that the fund qualified for an extension to its deadline to sue over pre-2016 conduct.

  • August 06, 2024

    Pharma Co. Founder Beats Suit Over Short-Swing Trading

    The founder of Y-mAbs Therapeutics Inc. beat back a suit alleging he realized more than $2.5 million in so-called short-swing profits after he exchanged his Y-mAbs stock for those of another company, with a New York federal judge saying in a ruling of first impression that the founder does not need to return the gains he received.

  • August 06, 2024

    Cannabis Co. Sued For Docs On Insider-Tied Note, Sale Plans

    A stockholder of cannabis sourcing company Eaze Technologies Inc. — now facing a foreclosure auction — sued in Delaware's Court of Chancery Tuesday for books and records surrounding a founder- and insider-controlled note purchase and security agreement and alleged "take-under" sale scheme.

  • August 06, 2024

    Ex-Pfizer Worker Who Traded On Paxlovid Secrets Gets 9 Mos.

    A Manhattan federal judge sentenced a former Pfizer Inc. statistician from New Jersey to nine months in prison Tuesday after a jury convicted him of insider trading on secrets about his former company's COVID-19 therapy trials for an illegal $272,000 profit.

  • August 06, 2024

    SEC Decries Coinbase's 'Sweeping' Discovery Demand

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has urged a New York federal judge to deny crypto exchange Coinbase's "additional, sweeping" request for all documents and communications the regulator may have made surrounding how securities laws apply to digital assets, arguing most of the documents are privileged or irrelevant to the case.

  • August 06, 2024

    SEC Defends Climate Disclosure Rules At 8th Circ.

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday cited the U.S. Supreme Court's decision axing Chevron deference and the agency's 50-plus year history of considering additional environmental-related disclosures in an effort to defend its recently adopted climate disclosure rules.

  • August 06, 2024

    39 Law Firms Call On 6th Circ. To Reverse FirstEnergy Ruling

    Dozens of law firms have signed on to an amicus curiae brief urging the Sixth Circuit to reverse a decision in a FirstEnergy shareholder litigation, the latest voices in the legal, insurance and business communities to call on the appellate court to reverse an Ohio federal judge's ruling they warn will threaten attorney-client privilege.

  • August 06, 2024

    Funko Settles Derivative Litigation In Delaware, California

    Pop culture lifestyle brand Funko Inc. has agreed to resolve derivative claims in multiple stockholder suits in California federal court and Delaware's Court of Chancery by implementing corporate governance reforms and paying up to $2.15 million to plaintiffs' attorneys, the company has announced.

  • August 06, 2024

    Aztec Fund Files For Ch. 11 With $100M In Liabilities

    The Aztec Fund Holding Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court, listing at least $100 million in liabilities.

  • August 05, 2024

    Elon Musk Can't Beat Twitter Investors' Suit Over Bot Claim

    A California federal judge on Monday denied Elon Musk's bid to escape a shareholder suit alleging he misled Twitter investors by claiming the company had to provide information on an alleged bot problem before he could move forward with his $44 billion acquisition, saying Musk leaned on already-rejected arguments.

  • August 05, 2024

    Pluralsight's $20M Settlement With Investors Gets Initial OK

    A Utah federal judge has given his preliminary blessing to Pluralsight Inc.'s proposed $20 million settlement with a certified class of investors accusing the cloud-based and video training courses provider of securities fraud, according to an order issued Friday.

  • August 05, 2024

    Coinbase Broke Campaign Finance Laws, Crypto Critics Say

    Crypto exchange Coinbase violated campaign finance laws when it donated $25.5 million to political action committees while negotiating a federal contract, prominent crypto critics told a federal election watchdog — a claim the firm's legal chief has staunchly denied.

  • August 05, 2024

    Morgan Stanley Says SEC Eyeing Its Cash Sweep Policies

    Morgan Stanley told investors on Monday that it is fielding enforcement inquiries from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about its investment account cash sweep policies.

  • August 05, 2024

    SEC Nabs $1M Default Win Against Fuel Tech Co.

    A fuel and gas company previously known as Taronis Technologies Inc. must pay a $1 million civil penalty after disregarding U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations it touted nonexistent or exaggerated customer relationships with big customers, including Turkey's government and food processor Smithfield.

  • August 05, 2024

    Indivior Accused Of Overstating Prospects Of 3 Opioid Drugs

    Drugmaker Indivior PLC has been hit with a proposed investor class action in Virginia federal court over claims it overstated the financial prospects of its drugs used to treat opioid use disorders and the company's ability to forecast such financial projections.

  • August 05, 2024

    SEC, Other Regulators Propose Joint Data Standards

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and six other regulators are crafting joint standards required by bipartisan legislation aiming to modernize the collection and publication of those agencies' financial data, the SEC announced Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • How 3 Recent High Court Rulings Could Shape Fintech Policy

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decisions in Jarkesy, Loper Bright and Corner Post provide fintech companies with new legal strategies to challenge regulatory actions, but agency reactions to these rulings and inconsistent judicial interpretations could bring compliance challenges and uncertainties, says Amy Whitsel at FS Vector.

  • 2nd Circ. Case Reinforces Need For Advance Notice Bylaws

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    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Nano Dimension v. Murchinson illustrates that Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act is a square peg for a round hole, and that advance notice bylaws are far better at protecting against undisclosed coordination among activist shareholders, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Cos. Should Note In DOJ's New Whistleblower Pilot

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    After the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a new whistleblower pilot program last week — continuing its efforts to incentivize individual reporting of misconduct — companies should review the eligibility criteria, update their compliance programs and consider the risks and benefits of making their own self-disclosures, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Autonomy Execs' Acquittal Highlights Good Faith Instruction

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    The recent acquittal of two former Autonomy executives demonstrates that a good faith jury instruction can be the cornerstone of an effective defense strategy in white collar criminal cases, in part because the concept of good faith is a human experience every juror can relate to, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • SolarWinds Ruling Offers Cyber Incident Response Takeaways

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    The New York federal court's dismissal of all charges related to the 2019 Sunburst cyberattack is a devastating blow to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cybersecurity case against SolarWinds, but the well-reasoned opinion provides valuable lessons that may improve companies' defensive posture in the wake of a major cybersecurity incident, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • 3 Ways To Lower Insider Trading Risk After First 10b5-1 Case

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    In light of the U.S. Department of Justice's insider trading prosecution against the former CEO of Ontrack based on alleged abuse of a Rule 10b5-1 safe harbor plan — designed to allow executives to sell their companies' securities without liability — companies and individuals should take steps to avoid enacting similar plans in bad faith, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Evolving Regulatory Oversight For AI And Asset Management

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    Attorneys at K&L Gates discuss the evolving regulatory and legislative landscape for artificial intelligence in the asset management industry, as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Congress consider how to address potential investor protection and systemic risks associated with AI.

  • 3rd Circ. Ruling Shows Benefits Of IP Licenses In Bankruptcy

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    The Third Circuit’s recent ruling in Mallinckrodt’s Chapter 11 filing, which held that Mallinckrodt could sever its obligations to pay Sanofi royalties on sales of an autoimmune disease drug, highlights the advantages of structuring transactions as nonexclusive licenses for developers of intellectual property, say Gregory Hesse and Kaleb Bailey at Hunton.

  • Series

    A Day In The In-House Life: Block CLO Talks Problem-Solving

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    Amid the busy summer months, Block Inc. Chief Legal Officer Chrysty Esperanza chronicles a typical Wednesday where she conquered everything from unexpected fintech regulatory issues and team building to Bay Area commutes and school drop-off.

  • Analyzing Advance Notice Bylaws On 'Clear' Or 'Cloudy' Days

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    In Kellner v. AIM ImmunoTech, the Delaware Supreme Court recently clarified the framework for judicial review of advance notice bylaws adopted, amended or enforced on "clear" or "cloudy" days, underscoring the responsibility of boards to ensure that their scope does not overreach or prevent the possibility of a contested election, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

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    The intersection of ESG goals and antitrust laws presents a complex challenge for businesses and their counsel — but by creating clear frameworks for collaboration, adhering to established guidelines and carefully considering the competitive implications of their actions, companies can work toward sustainability while mitigating legal risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

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