Securities

  • August 15, 2024

    Investing Website Isn't An Investment Adviser, Court Says

    A New York federal judge ruled Thursday that an exclusion to the Investment Advisers Act applies to the investing analysis website Seeking Alpha, dismissing a proposed class action from subscribers who accused the site of serving as an unregistered investment adviser and unlawfully collecting subscription fees.

  • August 15, 2024

    Collin County Gets Win In Ken Paxton Prosecution Fee Fight

    A Texas appeals court handed Collin County a victory Thursday in a long-running fight over how much special prosecutors should get paid for the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, ordering the trial court to vacate its past orders awarding attorney fees to the prosecutors.

  • August 15, 2024

    2nd Circ. Won't Revive Platinum Investors' Ch. 7 Challenge

    A New York bankruptcy court correctly refused to overturn the approval of a $2.5 million settlement in the bankruptcy of a founder of defunct hedge fund Platinum Partners, the Second Circuit ruled Thursday, finding that the approved deal was superior to an alternative offer.

  • August 15, 2024

    SEC Nabs $5.75M Judgment Against Unregistered Broker

    A Florida man and his business have agreed to pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $5.75 million to end claims they operated as unregistered broker-dealers for at least four years.

  • August 15, 2024

    Zymergen Investors Can't Beat Suit Over Pre-IPO Statements

    Three of the largest investors of biotechnology company Zymergen cannot escape a suit accusing them of misleading shareholders ahead of the company's initial public offering by approving misstatements about the company's commercial product pipeline.

  • August 15, 2024

    Intel Hit With Del. Derivative Suit After Stock, Revenue Drop

    An Intel Corp. stockholder has sued the chip giant for derivative damages tied to the company's more-than 27% stock drop and $7 billion production unit loss in 2023 following separation of the company's chip production and design operations, despite prior upbeat forecasts.

  • August 15, 2024

    Shift4 Beats Suit Over 'Questionable' Accounting Practices

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has dismissed a proposed class action accusing payment processing company Shift4 Payments Inc. of engaging in questionable accounting practices to keep its stock price afloat, ruling that the plaintiffs had not proven that the company knowingly lied, among other things.

  • August 15, 2024

    Judge Gives Plaintiffs' Attys $1M In Fees For Derivative Row

    A Massachusetts federal judge sliced 60% off a request for attorney fees in a shareholder derivative lawsuit Wednesday, awarding plaintiffs' counsel $1 million for their work on the case, which led to a noncash settlement.

  • August 15, 2024

    SEC Defendants Fight Ex-Latham Atty For Whistleblower Docs

    A credit reporting agency at the center of a $73 million U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit is seeking to force a retired Latham & Watkins LLP partner to hand over his discussions with a pair of SEC whistleblowers, arguing that the attorney's work for the tipsters isn't privileged.

  • August 15, 2024

    'What Is An NFT?': 9th Circ. Mulls Novel Bored Ape TM Fight

    A Ninth Circuit judge considering whether a trial court correctly found artists owe millions for ripping off trademarks on the Bored Ape Yacht Club nonfungible token collection questioned Thursday whether the NFT market is comparable to typical consumer markets, rhetorically asking, "What are we even talking about? What is an NFT?"

  • August 15, 2024

    No Harm In SEC Releasing More Info On Breach, Judge Told

    A conservative civil liberties group questioned the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's claims that releasing additional materials related to its handling of an internal firewall breach would harm the public interest Thursday, telling a D.C. federal judge in court that so much was already out, more sunlight couldn't hurt.

  • August 15, 2024

    Levi & Korsinsky To Lead Hertz EV Cost Shareholder Suit

    Levi & Korsinsky LLP will represent a proposed class of investors in car rental giant Hertz Global Holdings Inc. in litigation alleging it exaggerated demand for electric cars, then took a $200 million earnings hit as it worked to offload those cars.

  • August 14, 2024

    Synopsys Escapes Exclusivity Breach Suit At Chancery

    Delaware's Chancery Court on Wednesday dismissed private equity firm Sunstone Partners' lawsuit accusing Synopsys Inc. of breaching an exclusivity provision for a potential sale of its security testing services business, saying Sunstone failed to adequately allege Synopsys solicited proposals from other potential buyers.

  • August 14, 2024

    SEC, CFTC To Collect $474M In Latest Texting Probe Fines

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Wednesday announced settlements totaling nearly $474 million with several broker-dealers, investment advisers and other registered firms over failures to maintain and preserve text messages and other electronic communications as required under federal law.

  • August 14, 2024

    FINRA Fines Morgan Stanley $400K Over Transaction Records

    A Morgan Stanley wealth management unit will pay the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority $400,000 to settle claims it left required information off of approximately 550,000 trade confirmations for certain municipal securities.

  • August 14, 2024

    Temu Parent Faces Investor Suit Over Security, Labor Claims

    Chinese retail company PDD Holdings Inc., the owner of online merchandiser Temu, was hit with a proposed securities class action in New York federal court alleging it concealed from investors that it actively sought to put malware on its users' phones and sold goods that were likely made by forced labor.

  • August 14, 2024

    Exxon Can't Beat Investor Suit Over Permian Basin Claims

    A Texas federal judge kept a proposed investor class action against Exxon Mobil intact, saying in an opinion that the investors' allegations claiming Exxon overvalued its Permian Basin holdings by billions of dollars and fudged its public statements were strong enough for the case to move forward.

  • August 14, 2024

    Class Split Disrupts Hearing On $8.7M Sears Suit Settlement

    A Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores stockholder that saw its share appraisal case tanked by the company's bankruptcy in late 2022 won Court of Chancery clearance Wednesday to intervene with a novel, alternative claim for recovery through a separate, ongoing SHOS class damages suit.

  • August 14, 2024

    Supply Chain Automation Co. Symbiotic Faces Investor Suit

    Symbotic Inc., a supply chain automation technology company, was hit with a proposed class action Wednesday alleging it misled investors about its growth prospects after announcing a roughly $13 million earnings miss amid unanticipated costs and construction delays for certain projects.

  • August 14, 2024

    NC Judge OKs $15.2M Deal For Medical Device Investors

    A North Carolina federal judge has given the first green light to a $15.25 million settlement that will resolve a securities class action claiming that Bioventus Inc. misled investors about its internal controls and financial health and its readiness to implement new Medicare regulations, leading to inflated stock prices.

  • August 14, 2024

    Del. Justices Affirm $266M Atty Fee Award In Dell Class Suit

    Delaware's Supreme Court on Wednesday backed a Chancery Court decision awarding an almost record-breaking $266.7 million fee for stockholder attorneys who settled a class action against Dell Technologies Inc. for $1 billion, saying the Chancery "did not exceed its discretion in setting the fee percentage."

  • August 14, 2024

    Computer Equipment Co. Hid Demand Decline, Investor Says

    Cloud network equipment company Extreme Networks Inc. misled investors about its financial prospects and declining client demand as its customers' buying habits changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • August 14, 2024

    CFTC Hits Vitol With First-Of-Its-Kind Position Limits Fine

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued its first-ever fine Wednesday against a trader exceeding position limits by holding the same contract across multiple exchanges, penalizing Swiss energy and commodities company Vitol SA for its positions on cattle and crude oil futures.

  • August 14, 2024

    Future Claim Question Clouds Chancery Trampoline Park Deal

    A Chancery Court settlement that would assure founding investors in a chain of trampoline parks a fair stake in the company despite a controller's allegedly self-interested loans stopped just short of approval Wednesday, with a vice chancellor seeking assurances that the deal will pass state Supreme Court muster.

  • August 14, 2024

    Judge Blocks Missouri's Anti-ESG Rules, Handing SIFMA Win

    A Missouri federal judge found Wednesday that the state's anti-ESG rules for brokers and advisers violate the First Amendment and are preempted by federal laws, handing the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association an early win in its suit against state officials.

Expert Analysis

  • Comparing Corporate Law In Delaware, Texas And Nevada

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    With Elon Musk's recent decision to reincorporate his companies outside of Delaware, and with more businesses increasingly considering Nevada and Texas as corporate homes, attorneys at Baker Botts look at each jurisdiction's foundation of corporate law, and how the differences can make each more or less appealing based on a corporation's needs.

  • Management Incentives May Be Revisited After PE Investment

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    As the economic climate shifts, key parties in private equity investment transactions may become misaligned, and management incentive plans could become ineffective — so attentive boards may wish to caucus with management to evaluate continued alignment, say Austin Lilling and Nida Javaid at Morgan Lewis.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Calif. Verdict Showcases SEC's New 'Shadow Trading' Theory

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    Last week's insider trading verdict, delivered against biopharmaceutical executive Matthew Panuwat by a California federal jury, signals open season on a new area of regulatory enforcement enabled by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's shadow trading theory, say Perrie Weiner and Aaron Goodman at Baker McKenzie.

  • Climate Disclosure Mandates Demand A Big-Picture Approach

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    As carbon emissions disclosure requirements from the European Union, California and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission take effect, the best practice for companies is not targeted compliance with a given reporting regime, but rather a comprehensive approach to systems assessment and management, says David Smith at Manatt.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • ESG Challenges In Focus After Sierra Club Opposes SEC Rule

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    The Sierra Club's recent objection to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate-related disclosures for investors presents an unusual — pro-disclosure — legal challenge and an opportunity to take a close look at the varying critiques of ESG regulations, say Colin Pohlman, and Jane Luxton and Paul Kisslinger at Lewis Brisbois.

  • Opinion

    High Court Should Settle Circuit Split On Risk Disclosures

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    The U.S. Supreme Court should grant the petition for writ of certiorari in the Facebook case to resolve a growing circuit split concerning when risk disclosures can be misleading under federal securities laws, and its decision should align with the intent of Congress and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, says Richard Zelichov at DLA Piper.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Bankruptcy Courts' Role In Shaping Crypto's Legal Framework

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    Massive financial and criminal liability has led to the recent collapse of major cryptocurrency companies and put bankruptcy courts in the spotlight, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive regulatory framework, say Tara Pakrouh and Eric Monzo at Morris James.

  • Private Capital Considerations Amid Market Revival

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    As improved market conditions position traditional financing to regain lost market share, it's also worth considering the pace and structure of private credit and other forms of private capital, especially when seeking to set unique terms or build new corporate relationships, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • Intent-Based Theory Of Liability In Hwang Creates Ambiguity

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    A case against Archegos Capital founder Bill Hwang alleging that he participated in a securities manipulation scheme, which goes to trial next month in New York federal court, highlights the need for courts to clarify the legal standard defining "market manipulation," says Edward Imperatore at MoFo.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

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