Securities

  • June 27, 2024

    Cannabis Co. Settles Lender Suit After Regulator Delays

    Troubled cannabis company Parallel settled a suit with three lenders who alleged a "self-dealing scheme" within the company after spending about a year trying to finalize the agreement and clear regulatory hurdles in various states.

  • June 27, 2024

    Justices Limit SEC's Use Of In-House Courts

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday curtailed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's use of its in-house court system, saying the accused have a right to a jury trial when financial penalties are on the table.

  • June 26, 2024

    BlackRock Can't Escape Saba Capital's Voting Bylaws Suit

    A New York federal judge Tuesday refused to toss Saba Capital Management's lawsuit claiming a BlackRock Inc. environmental, social and corporate governance trust has illegal shareholder voting bylaws, but also refused to block BlackRock from applying the bylaws at issue to the current election.

  • June 26, 2024

    5th Circ. Says SEC Must Reconsider Axing Proxy Regulations

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday vacated the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's decision to rescind a portion of Trump-era rules requiring proxy advisory firms to notify companies about their advice to investors, ruling that the agency didn't adequately explain the abrupt change.

  • June 26, 2024

    SEC Crypto Stance May Shift With Election, Rulemaking Suits

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is likely to shift its cryptocurrency posture to some degree if a new chair is installed after the coming presidential election, but firms not content to wait for a change in the guard can consider challenging the agency's rulemaking process, experts said Wednesday.

  • June 26, 2024

    Ex-Outcome CEO Gets 7½ Years For Fraud Conviction

    Former Outcome Health CEO Rishi Shah was sentenced to 7½ years in prison Wednesday for engaging in a massive fraud through which he grew the health advertising company by lying to investors, lenders and customers about its value and capabilities.

  • June 26, 2024

    Conn. Trader's Brother Cops Plea In $30M Brazilian Oil Plot

    A Connecticut man has pled guilty to helping to bribe officials at Brazil's state-owned oil company, Petróleo Brasileiro SA, also known as Petrobras, allegedly to help his commodities trader brother earn more than $30 million in ill-gotten profits from deals with the oil giant, according to federal court documents.

  • June 26, 2024

    Judge Trims 2nd Attempt At Crypto Lender Loan Suit

    A California federal judge has again dismissed crypto lender Nexo Capital's affiliates from an amended suit over claims they fraudulently induced customers to take out risky loans, but found the new suit plausibly alleges Nexo distributed a nonexempt, unregistered security.

  • June 26, 2024

    Umpqua Bank Can't Undo Class Cert. In $300M Ponzi Suit

    Oregon-headquartered Umpqua Bank has lost its bid to partially decertify a class of investors suing it over claims that it aided and abetted a $300 million Ponzi scheme, and it also can't block those same investors from later seeking prejudgment interest in the case, a San Francisco federal judge has determined.

  • June 26, 2024

    SEC Fines Ex-Tech Co. Controller In Insider Trading Matter

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that an electronic security solutions company vice president and controller will pay over $435,000 to settle claims that he sold shares of the company based on financial results that were not publicly available at the time.

  • June 26, 2024

    Chamber Backs 9th Circ. Call To Nix SEC's 'Gag Rule'

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is among those calling on the Ninth Circuit to overturn a long-standing U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission policy that settling parties not be allowed to deny the allegations against them, saying that the so-called gag rule threatens the free speech rights of the accused.

  • June 26, 2024

    Crypto App Pledges More Refunds In Multistate Settlement

    Cryptocurrency platform Abra has agreed to return millions of dollars in digital assets to U.S. customers after getting busted for running a mobile application for crypto transactions without the required money transmitting licenses, a coalition of state financial regulators announced on Wednesday, with Washington state taking the lead.

  • June 26, 2024

    IP Co. Breaching Investment Laws, Shareholder Alleges In Del.

    A shareholder of patent developer Network-1 Technologies Inc. has sued the company in Delaware's Court of Chancery, saying he needs to see the company's books and records to investigate, among other things, whether it is "operating as an unregistered investment company, contrary to the Investment Company Act of 1940."

  • June 26, 2024

    Director Sues Materials Testing Co. In Del. For Withheld Docs

    A shareholder and director of Femtometrix Inc. has sued the California materials testing company in Delaware's Court of Chancery for books and records, saying the company is not giving him sufficient information to function as a director.

  • June 26, 2024

    Ed Tech Co. Can't Beat Investor Suit Over Bot-Inflated Classes

    A New Jersey federal judge has ruled that confidential witness testimonies, among other things, "paint an unmistakable picture" that education tech company GSX Techedu Inc. used "bots" to inflate its online class enrollment numbers, in refusing to dismiss a suit against the company that demands recompense from certain executives for stock price drops.

  • June 26, 2024

    3 Firms Vie For Lead Role In Autodesk Securities Suit

    Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP and The Rosen Law Firm PA have each asked a California federal judge to lead a securities lawsuit against software company Autodesk for allegedly lacking proper internal controls due to issues with its free cash flow and operating margin practices.

  • June 26, 2024

    Tesla Says Musk's Pay OK In Texas Affects Del. Class Fee Bid

    Tesla Inc. has doubled down on arguments that stockholder ratification of Elon Musk's mammoth compensation plan in Texas should sideline a Delaware Court of Chancery hearing on a potential multibillion-dollar class attorney fee tied to the court's earlier voiding of the same pay package.

  • June 26, 2024

    11th Circ. Urged To Toss $62M Order Against Forex Co. CEO

    An imprisoned former CEO of an investment company urged the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday to toss a multimillion-dollar penalty against him obtained by the federal government, saying he never operated foreign exchange commodity pools and didn't invest borrowed funds on behalf of lenders.

  • June 26, 2024

    Judge Denies ConvergeOne Lenders' Bid To Halt Ch. 11 Plan

    A Texas federal judge has rejected a request by a group of ConvergeOne lenders to stay a bankruptcy court's order approving an equity rights offering included in the information technology company's Chapter 11 plan, ending the spurned lenders' challenge to a deal they claimed ran afoul of bankruptcy rules. 

  • June 26, 2024

    Gun Co. Co-Owner Tells Del. Justices That Partner 'Lied'

    A joint owner of a gun manufacturing business who accused his partner of duping him out of his 50% stake told Delaware's Supreme Court on Wednesday that the partner — who won the case — had repeatedly "lied" during Chancery Court litigation, so the trial court's decision should be overturned.

  • June 26, 2024

    Big Banks Cleared Fed's Stress Tests, Despite 'Higher Losses'

    The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that the nation's big banks have enough capital on hand to ride out a simulated recession, giving them passing marks in the latest round of stress tests as regulators debate tougher rules that could raise capital requirements further.

  • June 26, 2024

    Olo Moots Investor's Chancery Suit By Axing Free Takeover

    Directors of New York-based online food-ordering venture Olo have mooted a proposed class challenge to a company stock buyback program by effectively barring moves that would give the company's top investor majority control of the business, Delaware's chancellor ruled on Monday. 

  • June 26, 2024

    Investor Appeals Chancery Toss Of $2.4B SPAC Deal Suit

    A stockholder of the blank-check company that took electric vehicle company Canoo Holdings Ltd. public in March 2021 has appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court the dismissal of his proposed Delaware Court of Chancery class action challenging the $2.4 billion deal.

  • June 26, 2024

    House GOP Gears Up For The End Of Chevron Deference

    A new memo outlines how House Republicans are gearing up for the U.S. Supreme Court to potentially overturn the decades-old precedent that courts defer to agencies' interpretations of ambiguous statutes, as an opportunity to roll back the Biden administration's policies and reclaim Congress' power.

  • June 26, 2024

    Akerman Adds Foley Hoag Corporate Atty In DC

    Akerman hired a competition counsel from Foley Hoag LLP in Washington who spent the past four and half years representing clients in a range of antitrust matters.

Expert Analysis

  • Chancery's Carvana Suit Toss Shows Special Committee Value

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    The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent dismissal of a stockholder complaint against Carvana illustrates how special litigation committees can be a powerful tool for boards to regain control after litigation alleging a breach of fiduciary duty, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

  • 7th Circ. Mootness Fee Case May Curb Frivolous Merger Suits

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    On April 15, the Seventh Circuit in Jorge Alcarez v. Akorn Inc. mapped out a framework for courts to consider mootness fees paid to individual shareholders after the voluntary dismissal of a challenge to a public company merger, which could encourage objections to mootness fees and reduce the number of frivolous merger challenges filed, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • What 3rd Circ. Trust Ruling Means For Securitization Market

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    Mercedes Tunstall and Michael Gambro at Cadwalader break down the Third Circuit's March decision in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. National Collegiate Master Student Loan Trust, as well as predict next steps in the litigation and the implications of the decision for servicers and the securitization industry as a whole.

  • Tips For Balanced Board Oversight After A Cyberincident

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cybersecurity disclosure rules, as well as recent regulatory enforcement actions bringing board governance under scrutiny, continue to push boards toward active engagement in relation to their cyber-oversight role, despite it being unclear what a board's level of involvement should be, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Breaking Down DOJ's Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently announced pilot program aims to incentivize individuals to voluntarily self-disclose corporate misconduct they were personally involved in, complementing a new whistleblower pilot program for individuals not involved in misconduct as well as the government's broader corporate enforcement approach, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Reverse Veil-Piercing Ruling Will Help Judgment Creditors

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    A New York federal court’s recent decision in Citibank v. Aralpa Holdings, finding two corporate entities liable for a judgment issued against a Mexican businessman, shows the value of reverse veil piercing as a remedy for judgment creditors to go after sophisticated debtors who squirrel away assets, says Gabe Bluestone at Omni Bridgeway.

  • Address Complainants Before They Become Whistleblowers

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    A New York federal court's dismissal of a whistleblower retaliation claim against HSBC Securities last month indicates that ignored complaints to management combined with financial incentives from regulators create the perfect conditions for a concerned and disgruntled employee to make the jump to federal whistleblower, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Ensuring Nonpublic Info Stays Private Amid SEC Crackdown

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    Companies and individuals must take steps to ensure material nonpublic information remains confidential while working outside the office, as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission continues to take enforcement actions against those who trade on MNPI and don't comply with new off-channel communications rules in the remote work era, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • What Cos. Are Reporting Under New SEC Cybersecurity Rule

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    Four months after its effective date, 14 companies have made disclosures under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting rule, and some early trends are emerging, including a possible rush to file, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 10 Tips For ESG Disclosure Compliance In Private Funds

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As regulators increase scrutiny of misleading claims about environmental, social and governance investments, private fund sponsors should consider several practical tips for communicating accurately with potential investors, drafting comprehensive disclosures and establishing internal policies that can keep pace with evolving compliance requirements, says Jonathan Rash at Ropes & Gray.

  • Binance Ruling Spotlights Muddled Post-Morrison Landscape

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    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Williams v. Binance highlights the judiciary's struggle to apply the U.S. Supreme Court's Morrison v. National Australia Bank ruling to digital assets, and illustrates how Morrison's territorial limits on the federal securities laws have become convoluted, say Andrew Rhys Davies and Jessica Lewis at WilmerHale.

  • What FERC's Disclosure Demands Mean For Cos., Investors

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    Two recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission orders reflect the commission's increasingly meticulous approach to reviewing corporate structures in applications for approval of proposed consolidations, acquisitions or changes in control — putting the onus on the regulated community to track and comply with ever-more-burdensome disclosure requirements, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Corp. Transparency Act Could Survive 11th Circ. Several Ways

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    If the Eleventh Circuit upholds an Alabama federal court’s injunction against the Corporate Transparency Act, the anti-money laundering law could persist as a narrower version that could moot some constitutional challenges, but these remedies would likely generate additional regulatory or statutory ambiguities that would result in further litigation, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

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