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Securities
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July 19, 2024
Capital One Critics Lobby To Block 'No Good' Discover Deal
Critics of Capital One's planned $35 billion purchase of Discover Financial Services urged federal regulators on Friday to withhold approval for the tie-up, rejecting a landmark community benefits pledge for the merger as a fig leaf for what they said is really a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad" megadeal.
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July 19, 2024
Heartland Investor Looks To Block $2B UMB Bank Takeover
A Heartland Financial USA investor sued the lender and several members of its top brass, along with UMB Financial Corp., in Colorado state court seeking to block UMB's $2 billion acquisition of Heartland, arguing that the deal undervalues Heartland by roughly $1.5 billion.
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July 19, 2024
Berkshire Bank Says It's Not At Fault For $90M Ponzi Scheme
Berkshire Bank asked a New York federal judge to toss a proposed class action seeking to hold it liable for providing financial services to a bankrupt local business person whom the investor accused of operating a $90 million Ponzi scheme, saying the investor does not show Berkshire did anything more than provide routine banking services.
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July 19, 2024
SEC Sues Brokers Linked To Alleged $112M Truck Co. Fraud
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued two Florida men connected to a Ponzi-like scheme involving a trucking and logistics business, saying the pair illegally sold most of the $112 million worth of unregistered company securities to victims in a fraud targeting the Haitian-American community.
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July 19, 2024
Judge Tosses Traders' Counterclaims In Trade Secrets Case
A Manhattan federal judge has ruled that Millennium Management LLC and two of its employees cannot yet use the federal trade secrets law to claim attorney fees with their allegation that investment firm Jane Street Group LLC sued them in bad faith over a proprietary trading strategy.
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July 19, 2024
Judge Won't Consider CFTC Sanctions Spat In Gemini Case
The New York federal judge overseeing the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's claims that Gemini Trust Co. misled the regulator on a proposed bitcoin futures contract said Friday that he will not consider whether the regulator is taking contradictory positions as it defends its own alleged misstatements in another enforcement suit.
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July 19, 2024
Investors Want Merrill, UBS Back In $364M Libor-Rigging Suit
Investors who were allegedly harmed by the manipulation of a widely used interbank lending interest rate have appealed a final judgment that ended claims against major banks and financial services companies in protracted litigation that has garnered settlements totaling $364.5 million.
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July 19, 2024
Chancery Dismisses Kraft Heinz-3G Stock Drop Suit
Shareholders of The Kraft Heinz Co. lost their Chancery Court lawsuit over a $1.2 billion stock sale by 3G Capital Inc. after the Delaware court deemed concerns about board conflicts "meaningless, given the dearth of well-pleaded allegations."
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July 19, 2024
House AI Report Is 'Blueprint' For Coming Committee Action
The House Financial Services Committee is poised to take on a "leading role" in regulating the use of artificial intelligence in financial services, according to a new congressional report highlighting the importance of antidiscrimination and data privacy guardrails.
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July 19, 2024
Guo Trustee Reboots Civil RICO Case After NY Conviction
The Chapter 11 trustee overseeing the Connecticut bankruptcy of Chinese exile Miles Guo has filed a notice that lifts a March stay on civil RICO and alter ego claims after the debtor's criminal conviction this week on racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering charges in the Southern District of New York.
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July 19, 2024
FTC Eyes Mid-Nov. Texas Hearing Against Mattress Merger
The Federal Trade Commission's case against Tempur Sealy's $4 billion planned Mattress Firm purchase is set to kick off in Texas federal court Nov. 14, the parties told an agency in-house judge Friday during a scheduling hearing.
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July 19, 2024
Two Class Atty Teams Challenge EngageSmart Deal In Del.
A new and an amended stockholder complaint have taken aim in Delaware's Court of Chancery at the $4 billion January take-private acquisition of customer engagement and payments venture EngageSmart Inc. by interests of Vista Equity Partners, following a Thursday deadline for consolidated complaint and lead attorney and plaintiff proposals.
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July 19, 2024
Greenberg Traurig Adds Former SEC Regional Director In SF
A former regional director for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Salt Lake City office has left the public sector to join Greenberg Traurig LLP in San Francisco.
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July 19, 2024
Chancery Keeps Masimo Meeting Date, Speeds Up Politan Suit
Masimo Corp. will not have to reschedule its Sept. 19 annual meeting in response to a lawsuit from Politan Capital Management LP, but will need to respond to some of the activist investor's concerns before the meeting takes place, a Delaware Chancery Court judge said Friday.
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July 19, 2024
Galaxy's CryptoManufaktur Buy Boosts Assets To $3.3B
New York-based blockchain business Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd. said Friday it has acquired blockchain node operator CryptoManufaktur LLC, with CryptoManufaktur's $1 billion in Ethereum assets under stake boosting Galaxy's total to $3.3 billion.
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July 19, 2024
Cannabis Co. Gets Investor Fraud Suit Thrown Out
A New York federal judge has thrown out a consolidated class action alleging Canopy Growth Corp. misled investors about the financial prospects of a newly acquired subsidiary, saying the complaint fails to show that the company knew it was misleading investors.
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July 19, 2024
Judge OKs $47.5M QuantumScape Shareholder Deal
A California federal judge granted preliminary approval to a $47.5 million deal ending class action allegations by QuantumScape investors that the company made misleading statements about the quality of its batteries.
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July 18, 2024
5th Circ. Remands ESG Rule Row Citing Chevron's End
The Fifth Circuit on Thursday instructed a Texas federal court to reconsider a Biden administration rule allowing retirement plan advisers to consider environmental, social and governance factors when choosing investments, pointing to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have "upended" the legal landscape.
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July 18, 2024
Bizlato Founder Avoids More Time For Illicit Crypto Deals
The founder of Bitzlato Ltd. on Thursday was spared further incarceration for using the cryptocurrency exchange to process what prosecutors say was over $700 million in criminal proceeds, the latest case among many where judges factor in the vile conditions at Brooklyn's notorious federal jail, the Metropolitan Detention Center, as a reason for leniency.
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July 18, 2024
Crypto Law Firm's SEC Challenge Met With Doubt At 9th Circ.
A Ninth Circuit panel appeared skeptical Thursday of a law firm's quest for a judgment that its use of the crypto asset ether doesn't offend securities laws, questioning whether the firm has shown it faces enough of a threat from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to keep its case against the regulator alive.
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July 18, 2024
4 Men Cop To $2M 'Instant Deposit' Robinhood Fraud
Four men have pled guilty in New York federal court to being involved in a scheme to steal millions of dollars from trading firm Robinhood by exploiting a program that gave them access to cash advances.
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July 18, 2024
Chancery Awards $6M Stockholder Atty Fee In Moelis Suit
A Delaware vice chancellor granted a $6 million fee request on Thursday from attorneys who won a Chancery Court strike-down of a stockholder agreement granting Moelis & Co. founder Ken Moelis expansive control over the global investment bank's decisions.
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July 18, 2024
LPL Reaps Benefits From Forced Cash Sweep, Suit Says
LPL Financial was hit with a putative class suit by a customer who claims the broker-dealer automatically moves customers' uninvested cash into its cash sweep programs, primarily benefiting the firm at the expense of its clients.
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July 18, 2024
Feds Collar Would-Be 'Smart Ring' CEO For Investor Fraud
Los Angeles federal prosecutors have charged a Florida woman with securities and wire fraud with allegations detailing a $2 million investment scheme involving a purported "smart ring" company.
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July 18, 2024
Investor Signs $897K Settlement Over R. Kelly Show Funding
After security and credit agreements for the promotion of a concert series at the Foxwoods Resort Casino headlined by R&B artist R. Kelly fell apart, an investor has signed a roughly $900,000 deal in a Connecticut state court to recover an out-of-state settlement.
Expert Analysis
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Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers
BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.
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4 Tips For Drafting Earnouts To Avoid Disputes
Amid slowed merger and acquisition activity, buyers and sellers are increasingly turning to earnout provisions to get deals done, but these must be carefully drafted to avoid interpretative differences that can lead to later disputes, say attorneys at Cooley.
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Series
Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.
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What DOL Fiduciary Rule Means For Private Fund Managers
Attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss how the U.S. Department of Labor's recently released final fiduciary rule, which revises the agency's 1975 regulation, could potentially cause private fund managers' current marketing practices and communications to be considered fiduciary advice, and therefore subject them to strict prohibitions.
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Best Practices For Chemical Transparency In Supply Chains
A flurry of new and forthcoming regulations in different jurisdictions that require disclosure of potentially hazardous substances used in companies' products and processes will require businesses to take proactive steps to build chemical transparency into their supply chains, and engage robustly and systematically with vendors, says Jillian Stacy at Enhesa.
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What 11th Circ. Fearless Fund Ruling Means For DEI In Courts
The Eleventh Circuit's recent backing of a freeze on the Fearless Fund's grants to women of color building new companies marks the latest major development in litigation related to diversity, equity and inclusion and may be used to question other DEI programs targeted at providing opportunities to certain classes of individuals, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence
As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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Unpacking The Latest Tranche Of Sanctions Targeting Russia
Hundreds of new U.S. sanctions and export-control measures targeting trade with Russia, issued last week in connection with the G7 summit, illustrate the fluidity of trade-focused restrictions and the need to constantly refresh compliance analyses, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Considerations For Cooperation Contracts In Loan Trades
Significant challenges to settling trades can arise when lenders of syndicated bank loans enter into defense-oriented cooperation agreements, which are growing in popularity, but working through these issues on the front end of a trade can save hours down the road, says Robert Waldner at Crowell & Moring.
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Emerging Trends In ESG-Focused Securities Litigation
Based on a combination of shareholder pressure, increasing regulatory scrutiny and proposed rulemaking, there has been a proliferation of litigation over public company disclosures and actions regarding environmental, social, and governance factors — and the overall volume of such class actions will likely increase in the coming years, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Next Steps After 5th Circ. Nixes Private Fund Adviser Rules
The Fifth Circuit's recent toss of key U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding private fund advisers represents a setback for the regulator, but open questions, including the possibility of an SEC petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, mean it's still too early to consider the matter closed, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Takeaways From Nat'l Security Division's Historic Declination
The Justice Department National Security Division's recent decision not to prosecute a biochemical company for an employee's export control violation marks its first declination under a new corporate enforcement policy, sending a clear message to companies that self-disclosure of misconduct may confer material benefits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.