Securities

  • June 06, 2024

    White Collar Boutique Sued By Ex-Client Over Representation

    White collar boutique Clark Smith Villazor LLP and one of its name partners is facing a lawsuit from a former client, a convicted securities fraud defendant who claims the firm caused him to be arrested by the FBI and face millions of dollars in fines.

  • June 06, 2024

    Calif. Judge Pauses Wells Fargo Investor Row Over State Case

    A California federal judge has paused a pension system's proposed class action accusing top Wells Fargo & Co. officers of enabling a "culture of lawlessness," making way for a state court suit that alleges similar wrongdoing.

  • June 06, 2024

    SEC Sued For Info On Text Message Sweeps

    The American Securities Association sued the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Florida federal court on Thursday, pushing for the disclosure of evidence it says could shed light on how the regulator came to impose billions of dollars' worth of fines against firms whose employees communicate business-related information over unmonitored texting and chat apps.

  • June 06, 2024

    Pharma Co. Misled Investors On Seizure Drug Trial, Suit Says

    Marinus Pharmaceuticals has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging that the company understated the risks of an epilepsy drug trial and did not warn investors that trial enrollment would be suspended when it failed to meet certain criteria.

  • June 06, 2024

    Investors Say Fund Preyed On Alums For RICO Scheme

    A group of Chinese and American investors alleged this week that they were ripped off to the tune of millions of dollars by a group of fraudsters who, through a series of fraudulent bank loans, bogus tax filings and false advertising, induced them into putting their money into a Los Angeles real estate project.

  • June 06, 2024

    NY AG Says $1B Crypto Pyramid Scheme Targeted Immigrants

    The New York Attorney General's Office on Thursday accused a digital assets trading firm, its founders and an affiliated crypto mining firm of running a billion-dollar pyramid scheme that defrauded hundreds of thousands of investors, many of whom are members of Haitian and other immigrant communities.

  • June 06, 2024

    Kwok's 'Whole Movement Is A Scam,' Ex-Fundraiser Tells Jury

    A former top deputy in exiled Chinese billionaire Ho Wan Kwok's anti-Chinese Communist Party movement testified in Manhattan federal court this week that she raised millions of investor dollars out of a deep belief in the cause, but has since realized the entire enterprise was a "scam."

  • June 06, 2024

    Ex-Autonomy CEO, VP Both Cleared In HP Criminal Fraud Trial

    A California federal jury on Thursday acquitted former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch and former finance Vice President Stephen Chamberlain of criminal fraud and conspiracy charges following an 11-week trial over allegations that the two conned HP into overpaying billions for the British tech company.

  • June 06, 2024

    Trump Media SPAC Sponsor Must Post Bond In Chancery Row

    Dissenting members of the LLC sponsor for the blank check company that took Trump Media & Technology Group public in March must post a hefty 10% security for potential losses on more than 1.5 million shares — now trading at $46 — snarled in a sponsor control dispute.

  • June 06, 2024

    Biote Investors Sue Cooley, SPAC After Huge Merger Loss

    Family trust investors in Biote Corp. have sued Cooley LLP and the "hormone optimization" company's top brass over the $700 million merger Biote completed with a special purpose acquisition company, saying the deal was a "disastrous transaction to divert approximately $70 million of merger consideration to themselves and gain control of an enterprise they did not build."

  • June 06, 2024

    Latham Leads Robinhood In $200M Buy Of Crypto Exchange

    Robinhood said on Thursday that it will buy cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp for approximately $200 million, as the electronic trading platform looks to scale up its global services for digital assets.

  • June 05, 2024

    Tokenizing Real Assets Touches Crypto Concerns, Reps Say

    Putting stocks and other real-world assets on the blockchain is markedly different from issuing cryptocurrencies, but federal lawmakers on Wednesday showed that the debate about how to regulate so-called tokenization is decidedly similar when it comes to weighing its potential efficiencies against threats to privacy and consumer protection.

  • June 05, 2024

    Adviser Can't Unfreeze Assets To Pay Atty Fees

    A Connecticut federal judge is standing by his earlier decision refusing to release $50,000 in frozen assets to pay the attorneys of an investment adviser and his wife, who face a $5.9 million fraud suit from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • June 05, 2024

    Bank Shareholders Say Venezuelan Takeover Cost Them $27M

    Shareholders in a small Miami bank told jurors Wednesday that board members working for the Venezuelan government had taken control of the bank and cost shareholders $27 million by engaging with the sanctioned Venezuelan government.

  • June 05, 2024

    StarTek Controller Sued In Del. After Public-Share Buyout

    Two public stockholders of global customer experience outsourcing consultant StarTek Inc. sued four company directors and its private equity controller in Delaware's Court of Chancery on Wednesday, alleging an unfair and conflicted $4.30-per-share buyout of the company's remaining public shares.

  • June 05, 2024

    Dems Urge SEC To Double Down On Climate Enforcement

    A group of 38 Democratic lawmakers is urging U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler to step up enforcement of the agency's existing climate disclosure-related guidance, as the agency faces court challenges to its controversial climate rule.

  • June 05, 2024

    Axos Says Money Market Account Suit Should Be Arbitrated

    Axos Bank has urged a California federal judge to either toss or force into arbitration a proposed class action alleging it reclassified customers' high-yield money market accounts into lower-yield investment accounts without informing them, saying federal law allows banks to offer accounts with variable rates that the bank can change at its discretion.

  • June 05, 2024

    Wells Fargo Sued For Allegedly Aiding $300M Ponzi Scheme

    Wells Fargo Bank NA has been hit with a proposed class action in Florida federal court alleging that it aided and abetted a $300 million Ponzi scheme that duped more than 1,000 investors, most of whom were elderly and lost substantial life savings due to the scheme.

  • June 05, 2024

    Nigeria Holding US Binance Exec Hostage, Lawmakers Say

    The White House's hostage negotiator should begin seeking the release of a top executive at cryptocurrency exchange Binance whom the Nigerian government is holding personally liable for tax evasion charges against the company, the House Foreign Affairs Committee's chairman has said.

  • June 05, 2024

    Hertz Hit With Shareholder Suit Over Costs Tied To EVs

    Car rental giant Hertz Global Holdings Inc. and two Hertz executives are facing a proposed investor class action in Florida federal court alleging the company hurt investors by overhyping demand for electric cars only later to announce a nearly $200 million hit to earnings as it worked to offload electric vehicles.

  • June 05, 2024

    SEC Risk Alert Outlines Broker-Dealer Exam Process

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Examinations issued a risk alert Wednesday outlining its process for selecting broker-dealer firms to examine, refining the scope of the exam and the types of documents the division may request.

  • June 05, 2024

    Del. Justices Uphold Chancery's Toss Of Auto Parts Deal Suit

    Delaware's Supreme Court has refused to reverse the Court of Chancery's 2023 dismissal of a stockholder suit accusing Chicago-based factory and automotive parts venture Distribution Solutions Group Inc. of failing to disclose conflicts surrounding and costs of a three-way merger in late 2021.

  • June 05, 2024

    Archegos Ex-Exec Who Sued Fund Testifies At Founder's Trial

    An investment pro who claims in a $50 million suit that he was pressured to defer his Archegos pay testified Wednesday in the $36 billion market manipulation case against fund founder Bill Hwang that Hwang called the shots and was rarely questioned.

  • June 05, 2024

    Truth Social Investors Want Fla. Suit Paused For Del. Claims

    Two early investors in Donald Trump's Truth Social media company urged a Florida judge on Wednesday to pause the company's suit trying to claim their shares while a first-filed suit in Delaware is pending, arguing that the company is forum shopping in an attempt to get around an unfavorable Delaware Chancery Court order.

  • June 05, 2024

    Dorsey & Whitney Adds White Collar Duo In Phoenix, DC

    Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced the hire of two experienced white collar attorneys in Phoenix and Washington, D.C., including the former financial crimes and public corruption chief at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • A Look At Recent Challenges To SEC's Settlement 'Gag Rule'

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    Though they have been unsuccessful so far, opponents of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's so-called gag rule, which prevents defendants from denying allegations when settling with the SEC, are becoming increasingly vocal and filing more challenges in recent years, say Mike Blankenship and Regina Maze at Winston & Strawn.

  • How American Airlines ESG Case Could Alter ERISA Liability

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    Spence v. American Airlines, a Texas federal case over the airline's selection of multiple investment funds in its retirement plan, threatens to upend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's legal framework for fiduciary liability in the name of curtailing environmental, social and governance-related activities, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

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