Securities

  • March 17, 2025

    Meta Facing Investor Suit Over €1.2B EU Data Privacy Fine

    A pair of pension funds on Monday filed suit against Meta Platforms Inc. in Delaware's Court of Chancery, accusing the company of repeatedly violating data privacy laws, a pattern that the funds say led to the company being fined €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) by European authorities.

  • March 17, 2025

    PVC Pipe Co. Faces Investor COVID-Era Antitrust Claims

    PVC pipe maker Atkore Inc. and three current and former executives face a proposed investor class action over the company's alleged involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices for PVC pipes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • March 17, 2025

    Judge Axes Bid To Recoup Short-Swing Profits In Novel Ruling

    A New York federal judge has ruled in a matter of first impression that sporting goods company Clarus Corp. cannot recoup $57 million in short-swing profits a trading firm made from a series of transactions because the high-volume trades fit an exemption for market-making activities.

  • March 17, 2025

    DOJ Dismisses BitClout Crypto Fraud Case, Court Filings Say

    Federal prosecutors have dropped their fraud case against the founder of crypto project BitClout accused of ripping off a venture capital firm, while the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is engaged in talks about a possible end to its own civil action against him, court documents show.

  • March 17, 2025

    Singaporean Tech Co. Inks $46M Investor Settlement

    Singaporean tech conglomerate Sea Ltd. has reached a $46 million settlement to end a putative securities class action over investor statements that allegedly downplayed massive losses to its video game and e-commerce divisions, according to a filing in Arizona federal court.

  • March 17, 2025

    Toyota Seeks Exit From Investors' Emission Tests Fraud Suit

    Toyota Motor Corp. has asked a California federal judge to dump a proposed class action alleging it deceived investors by failing to thoroughly investigate reports of falsified vehicle certification data, saying the plaintiffs have twisted executives' public statements to inflate their securities fraud claims.

  • March 17, 2025

    Del. Corporate Law Rework Has Roots In 2 Academic Papers

    A proposed overhaul of Delaware's corporations law that has rocked the First State's legal world has its origins in two works published in 2021 and 2001, written by some of the same jurists who helped draft legislation driven by alarm over corporate charter exits and shareholder suits.

  • March 17, 2025

    Exxon Committed 'Straightforward Fraud,' Investors Say

    Exxon Mobil Corp. investors told a Texas federal court that the energy giant's antics surrounding its operations in Kearl Lake amount to a "straightforward fraud," and that the court should reject Exxon's bid for judgment as a matter of law.

  • March 17, 2025

    Amazon Beats Investor Suit Over Third-Party Seller Practices

    A Washington federal judge on Monday tossed a consolidated proposed securities class action claiming Amazon and its top brass duped investors about the company's fulfillment capacity and third-party seller practices, finding the lawsuit doesn't sufficiently allege the executives were deliberately reckless or motivated to deceive shareholders.

  • March 17, 2025

    4 Suits Benefits Attys Should Watch As ESG Pressures Persist

    A New York City pension fund recently escaped a proposed class action challenging its decision to divest nearly $4 billion in fossil fuel stocks, but experts say potential liability related to environmental, social and governance investment factors in retirement plan investment decisions is on the rise. Here are four suits involving challenges to employee retirement plan investing and ESG that attorneys say they're watching after New York City escaped a suit from its workers.

  • March 17, 2025

    Bowman Is Trump's Pick For Supervision Chief At Fed

    President Donald Trump on Monday tapped Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle "Miki" Bowman to take over as the central bank's vice chair for supervision, a role that would position the former community banker to shape key policymaking on bank capital, mergers and more.

  • March 17, 2025

    Execs Stole $5.4M In Fla. Trucking Co. Investments, SEC Says

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has brought a Florida federal lawsuit against three principal members of a trucking company over securities violations, alleging that they raised at least $5.4 million after falsely promising investors significant profits but returned only a fraction of the money.

  • March 17, 2025

    SEC Says Ex-CFO Cooked Pot Co. Acreage's Books

    The former chief financial officer of cannabis company Acreage faces U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that he covered up the company's attempt to inflate its 2019 cash balance with a so-called round-trip transaction involving an affiliate.

  • March 17, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Won't Halt Federal Workers Reinstatement Order

    A divided Ninth Circuit panel on Monday denied President Donald Trump's administration an immediate administrative stay of a California district court order requiring reinstatement of some probationary federal workers fired from six agencies, the majority saying a pause "would disrupt the status quo and turn it on its head."

  • March 17, 2025

    SEC's Acting Chair Uyeda Promises To Slow Rulemaking

    Acting U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mark Uyeda said Monday that he has directed staff to reassess a number of finalized and proposed regulations championed by the Biden administration, including those targeting mutual fund disclosures and the handling of crypto assets, as he championed a "smoother regulatory course" for the agency.

  • March 17, 2025

    $4.4B Alteryx Sale Was Lowball Offer, Investors Tell Del. Court

    Former stockholders of cloud-based enterprise analytics platform Alteryx Inc. have challenged the venture's allegedly lowball, $4.4 billion sale in 2024 to two private equity buyers, claiming breaches of fiduciary duty in Delaware Chancery Court that include undisclosed conflicts among directors and key officers.

  • March 17, 2025

    Auto Mogul Says $150M Note Changes Were For Co.'s Survival

    An auto parts manufacturer and its leader have urged a Michigan federal judge to find that they didn't fraudulently change promissory notes worth $150 million to cheat Alter Domus LLC out of payment, telling the court the amendments were made to help the company survive the COVID-19 pandemic.  

  • March 17, 2025

    Crypto Firm Stole $28M In 'Pig Butchering' Scam, Suit Says

    An Alabama resident has filed a proposed class action against two cryptocurrency firms and their CEO, accusing them of running a $28 million "pig butchering" scam that defrauded victims by laundering stolen cryptocurrency through a complex network of wallets.

  • March 14, 2025

    4th Circ. Lets White House Anti-DEI Efforts Proceed

    The Fourth Circuit on Friday lifted a temporary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's administration from implementing the bulk of his executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, though each judge on the panel had differing views on the matter. 

  • March 14, 2025

    Fannie, Freddie Can't Avoid $612M Investor Win, Judge Rules

    A D.C. federal judge on Friday upheld a $612.4 million jury verdict against the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, ruling that the jury was provided with "ample evidence" that reasonably led to its conclusion that FHFA improperly amended stock purchase agreements related to the companies.

  • March 14, 2025

    Qatari Sheikh's Billions Invoked In $1M Scam, SEC Claims

    A purported wealth management company and its managing member face U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fraud allegations over a pair of $1 million dollar schemes, including one involving an elaborate ruse invoking ties to the wealth of the royal family of Qatar.

  • March 14, 2025

    Texas Judge Rejects Ex-GloriFi CEO's Bid To Stop Claims Sale

    A Texas federal judge shot down an alleged attempt by the former CEO of bankrupt conservative-centered fintech startup GloriFi to preserve the ability to sue investors like Ken Griffin's Citadel LLC and Vivek Ramaswamy, saying Friday the bankruptcy judge got it right.

  • March 14, 2025

    Newsmax Says It Shelled Out $40M To End Smartmatic Suit

    Newsmax Media Inc. paid $40 million in last year's settlement with Smartmatic USA Corp. to put to rest the election technology company defamation suit ahead of trial, according to a disclosure recently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • March 14, 2025

    'Pig Butchering' Crypto Site Must Pay $2.5M, Judge Says

    A purported crypto trading platform has been ordered to pay nearly $2.5 million after failing to respond to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission claims that it was at the heart of a so-called pig-butchering scheme — or a scam that sees victims fleeced by fictitious, chatty social media users.

  • March 14, 2025

    BNY Sued Over $17.7B Unregistered Barclays-Issued Notes

    A trio of investors has filed a proposed class action against The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. for allegedly failing to properly authenticate several exchange-traded note offerings from Barclays, leading to the sale of $17.7 billion in unregistered securities.

Expert Analysis

  • With Precautions, AI Can Help With Suspicious Activity Filings

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    While artificial intelligence can enhance suspicious activity report processes, financial services firms should review applicable expectations and areas of deficiencies that can lead to enforcement actions before using AI to help write SARs, say attorneys at Jenner.

  • How Crypto Cos. Can Take Advantage Of 'Mini-IPOs'

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    Against the backdrop of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement in the crypto space, mini-initial public offerings, with less burdensome requirements than full registration, can serve as an alternative way for token issuers to raise funds, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • Nvidia Supreme Court Case May Not Make Big Splash

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    The skeptical tenor of the justices' questioning at oral argument in Nvidia v. Ohman Fonder suggests that the case is unlikely to alter the motion to dismiss pleading standard in securities class actions, as some had feared, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • How D&O Coverage Can Aid Against Increased AI Scrutiny

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    The recent increase in regulatory enforcement and securities class actions stemming from corporate use of artificial intelligence should prompt companies to ensure that their directors and officers liability insurance coverage is appropriately tailored to AI-related risks, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Crypto Cos. Add New Play In Their Offense Against SEC

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    Consensys and Crypto.com have adopted a novel strategy of preempting U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions by moving to crypto-friendly Texas and filing declaratory lawsuits challenging the SEC's jurisdiction to regulate crypto-assets — an aggressive approach that may pay off, say attorneys at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • How To Safely Leverage AI In The Digital Assets Industry

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    Digital asset businesses that use or plan to implement artificial intelligence should assess their risk management frameworks to ensure that AI-related business areas, including customer support and fraud detection, are in compliance with applicable laws and regulatory guidance from the last year, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • $3B TD Bank AML Settlement Is A Wake-Up Call For All Banks

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    TD Bank’s historic settlement over anti-money laundering violations, resulting in over $3 billion in penalties, reminds banks of all shapes and sizes why they need to take financial crime compliance seriously, and highlights three areas that may be especially vulnerable to enforcement, says Jack Harrington at Bradley Arant.

  • What Trump Presidency May Mean For Climate Reporting

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    While the Trump administration will likely take a hands-off approach to climate-related disclosures and rescind regulations promulgated under the Biden administration, state and international ESG laws mean the private sector may not reverse course on such disclosures, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • SEC Action Indicates Continued Focus On ESG Disclosures

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently settled enforcement action against Invesco Advisers provides a road map for how regulatory agencies will continue to focus on ESG-related disclosures going forward, and underscores a focus on greenwashing, say attorneys at V&E.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • The AI Consumer Class Action Threat Is Not A Hallucination

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    As regulators scrutinize whether businesses can deliver on claims about their artificial intelligence products and services, the industry faces a wave of consumer fraud class actions — but AI companies can protect themselves by prioritizing fundamental best practices that are often overlooked, say Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein and Richard Torrenzano at the Torrenzano Group.

  • What's Next For The CFTC After The Election

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    While much of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's enforcement actions in line with its traditional priorities will continue as usual in the near term, postelection leadership changes at the CFTC and new congressional priorities may alter the commission's regulatory framework in 2025 and beyond — particularly its oversight of crypto, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Del. Dispatch: Clarifying Charter Amendment Vote Obligations

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery recently held in Gunderson v. The Trade Desk that only a majority stockholder vote is needed to approve a company's proposed reincorporation from Delaware to Nevada through a corporate conversion, which bodes well for other companies also considering leaving the First State, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

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