Securities

  • September 23, 2024

    Adviser To Pay SEC $1.8M Over Temu Parent Co. Short-Selling

    Private fund adviser Centerline Investment Management on Monday agreed to pay nearly $1.8 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges that it illegally short-sold shares of PDD Holdings Inc., the parent of Chinese e-commerce giant Temu, within a restricted period.

  • September 23, 2024

    CFTC Fines Piper Sandler $2M In Latest Text Messaging Action

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission both announced settlements Monday in their ongoing probe into the financial industry's use of personal devices to discuss company business, with the CFTC issuing a fine against a subsidiary of Piper Sandler & Co. while the SEC said that a cooperative investment adviser would not have to pay anything. 

  • September 23, 2024

    DOJ Adds AI Risk To Corporate Compliance Program

    The U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division is now weighing how companies manage risk related to artificial intelligence and potentially stymie whistleblowers, one of several updates to the division's policies on evaluating corporate compliance programs announced by a senior official on Monday.

  • September 23, 2024

    SEC Scores $12M Judgment In Unregistered Dealer Case

    A Minnesota federal judge has ordered financial firm Carebourn Capital LP, its founder and an affiliated company to pay more than $12 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest over U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims they made millions selling securities as unregistered dealers.

  • September 23, 2024

    Vanguard Agrees To Settle Investors' Tax Liability Suit

    Vanguard agreed to settle a proposed class action by investors who accused the company of violating its fiduciary duties when it triggered a sell-off of assets that left them with massive tax bills, according to a Pennsylvania federal court order Monday.

  • September 23, 2024

    Auto AI Co.'s $30M Settlement With Investors Gets Initial Nod

    An automotive software company's $30 million settlement to end an investor fraud class action won initial approval from a Boston federal judge on Monday.

  • September 23, 2024

    Investor Claims Ford Execs Hid Warranty Costs

    Directors and executives of Ford Motor Co. have been hit with a shareholder derivative suit alleging they covered up problems with the company's quality assurance procedures and made misleading statements about how much money was in warranty reserves, leading the company to overpay about $115 million when it bought back its own stock at artificially inflated prices.

  • September 23, 2024

    Frontier Must Face 401(k) Suit Over Verizon Investments

    Frontier Communications Corp. can't dodge a proposed class action alleging its employee 401(k) plan was overinvested in Verizon Wireless and other telecommunications stocks, a Connecticut federal judge ruled, saying the existence of other investment options in the plan couldn't defeat the case.

  • September 23, 2024

    Davis Polk Vows Ex-Clerk Won't Touch Crypto Merger Suit

    Local counsel for Galaxy Digital Holdings Inc. has told a Delaware vice chancellor that Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP will ensure that an incoming associate who clerked for the state's Supreme Court won't share information with attorneys defending the digital assets company in a merger suit that the state's highest court revived in May.

  • September 23, 2024

    Autism Played Role In Bankman-Fried Case, 2nd Circ. Told

    A group of experts on neurodiversity told the Second Circuit that Sam Bankman-Fried, who has said he has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, may have been hurt at trial by a "cognitive and communication style" that at times frustrated the trial judge.

  • September 23, 2024

    Raymond James Pushes Ex-VP's Sex Bias Suit Into Arbitration

    A Florida federal judge kicked a fired Raymond James and Associates executive's sex bias suit to arbitration Monday, concluding that a federal law prohibiting mandatory arbitration of sex misconduct claims didn't apply because her harassment allegations lacked "plausibility."

  • September 23, 2024

    Tempur Sealy Sets Divestiture Plan Ahead Of FTC Court Battle

    Tempur Sealy International Inc. said Monday that it plans to sell 176 stores and seven distribution centers to Mattress Warehouse if it is able to close its planned $4 billion purchase of Mattress Firm Group Inc., in an effort to appease the Federal Trade Commission in its continued efforts to block the deal.

  • September 23, 2024

    Letterman Enjoys Jury Service, But Not Picked For Fraud Trial

    David Letterman was excused from a Manhattan federal jury pool Monday ahead of the trial of a businessman accused of defrauding NBA athletes including former Los Angeles Laker Dwight Howard, after a lawyer said his son had interacted with the late-night television legend.

  • September 20, 2024

    3rd Circ. CFPB Ruling Threatens Securitization, Justices Told

    Two major trade groups for the securities industry have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Third Circuit decision allowing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to exercise enforcement authority over a collection of student loan securitization trusts, slamming the ruling as wrong and dangerous.

  • September 20, 2024

    Domino's Execs Concealed Store Closure Woes, Investor Says

    Domino's is facing a proposed class action filed Friday in Michigan federal court by an investor who says the pizza chain overhyped plans to launch more than 1,100 stores across the globe over a four-year period while concealing that a major franchisee faced significant hurdles with store openings and closures.

  • September 20, 2024

    EV Battery Co. Hit With $207M Default Loss For Lack Of Attys

    Shareholders of electrical vehicle battery maker Romeo Power Inc. have secured a $206.8 million default win against the company after it failed to retain new counsel in a proposed class action alleging it concealed its acute shortage of high-quality battery cells before going public via a merger with a blank check company.

  • September 20, 2024

    SEC To Seek Sanctions For Musk Deposition 'Gamesmanship'

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission plans to seek sanctions against Elon Musk for not showing up to a scheduled deposition over his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter and instead flying to Florida to oversee a SpaceX launch, telling a California federal judge Friday that his excuse "smacks of gamesmanship."

  • September 20, 2024

    Judge Won't Toss Fraud Suit Against Crypto-Forex Co. Execs

    A Florida judge decided that the CEO and a founding shareholder of purported foreign exchange currency broker FxWinning Ltd. have sufficient ties to Florida to keep them among the defendants of a suit alleging the business and its operators perpetrated a multimillion-dollar fraud.

  • September 20, 2024

    SEC Fines Investment Adviser $750K For Cherry-Picking

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed settled charges against a former trader for a previously registered investment adviser who allegedly cherry-picked profitable trades to favored clients, fining him $750,000.

  • September 20, 2024

    NFT Buyers Bring Securities Suit Against Crypto Co. OpenSea

    Two Florida users of OpenSea hit the nonfungible token marketplace with a proposed securities class action claiming the assets the users bought on the platform are unregistered investment contracts in light of recent court decisions and regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • September 20, 2024

    Del. Justices Uphold Toss Of AmerisourceBergen Syringe Suit

    Delaware's Supreme Court upheld with little comment Friday a lower court dismissal of a nearly 5-year-old shareholder derivative suit accusing AmerisourceBergen Corp. directors of failing to investigate and stop illegal repackaging of cancer drugs.

  • September 20, 2024

    'Con Man' Who Faked Atty Emails In Biz Scam Gets 30 Mos.

    A Manhattan federal judge hit a former investment analyst with 30 months in prison Friday for stealing $2.4 million from backers who thought he planned to invest in a retail startup, tricking them in part by impersonating an unnamed New York City lawyer.

  • September 20, 2024

    Fed's Surprise Rate Cut Gives M&A Markets Needed Relief

    Mergers and acquisitions activity is inextricably linked to borrowing costs, which means the Federal Reserve's larger than expected half-point interest rate cut could provide just the type of relief dealmakers need for a significant rebound, attorneys say.

  • September 20, 2024

    JPMorgan Chase Sued Again Over Cash 'Sweep' Program

    JPMorgan Chase & Co. was hit with another proposed class action in California federal court claiming the bank's cash sweep investment program funnels customer funds into low-interest bearing accounts at its affiliate Chase Bank, a move that benefits the financial giant while depriving customers of the chance to earn the market-rate interest.

  • September 20, 2024

    US Chamber Warns Del. Justices On TC Energy Case Fallout

    The Chamber of Commerce of the United States warned Delaware's Supreme Court Friday of "detrimental and expensive consequences" from an unprecedented, $199 million damages ruling against TransCanada Corp. last year for aiding seller fiduciary breaches in its $13 billion acquisition of Columbia Pipeline Corp.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    FERC Penalty Adjudication Unconstitutional Under Jarkesy

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's holding in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy that the SEC's use of in-house proceedings to adjudicate civil penalties is unconstitutional should equally apply to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's statutory penalty assessment schemes, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Corporate Legal Strategy Must Consider Risk Of PR Snafus

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • Integrating ESG Into Risk Management Programs

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    Amid increasing regulations and reporting requirements for corporate sustainability in the European Union and the U.S., companies might consider how to incorporate environmental, social and governance factors into more formalized risk management, say directors at Alvarez & Marsal.

  • What The SEC Liquidity Risk Management Amendments Entail

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    Fund managers should be cognizant of the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission's recent changes to certain reporting requirements and guidance related to open-end fund liquidity risk management programs, and update their filing systems if need be, says Rachael Schwartz at Sullivan & Worcester.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Calif. Bill, NTIA Report Illustrate Open-Model AI Safety Debate

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    The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s balanced recommendations for preventing misuse of open artificial intelligence models, contrasted with a more aggressive California bill, demonstrate an evolving regulatory debate about balancing democratic access to this powerful new technology against potential risks to the public, say Stuart Meyer and Fredrick Tsang at Fenwick.

  • 5 Lessons From Consulting Firm's Successful DOJ Disclosure

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    The Boston Consulting Group recently received a rare declination of prosecution from the U.S. Department of Justice after self-disclosing a foreign bribery scheme, and the firm’s series of savvy steps after discovering the misconduct provides useful data points for white collar defense attorneys, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • 'Greenhushing': Why Some Cos. Are Keeping Quiet On ESG

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    A wave of ESG-related litigation and regulations have led some companies to retreat altogether from any public statements about their ESG goals, a trend known as "greenhushing" that was at the center of a recent D.C. court decision involving Coca-Cola, say Gonzalo Mon and Katie Rogers at Kelley Drye.

  • 7 Takeaways For Investment Advisers From FinCEN AML Rule

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    With a new FinCEN rule that will require covered investment advisers to implement anti-money laundering programs and comply with extra recordkeeping requirements by 2026, companies should begin planning necessary updates to their policies and procedures by focusing on seven of the rule’s key requirements, identified by attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Del. Dispatch: Drafting Lessons For Earnout Provisions

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in Medal v. Beckett Collectibles provides guidance for avoiding ambiguity in provisions relating to the acceleration of earnout payments under specified circumstances, and provisions mandating good faith negotiations before bringing earnout litigation, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • What VC Fund Settlement Means For DEI Grant Programs

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    An unexpected settlement in American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund, based on specific details of an Atlanta venture capital fund's challenged minority grant program, leaves the legal landscape wide open for organizations with similar programs supporting diversity, equity and inclusion to chart a path forward, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Missouri Injunction A Setback For State Anti-ESG Rules

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    A Missouri federal court’s recent order enjoining the state’s anti-ESG rules comes amid actions by state legislatures to revise or invalidate similar legislation imposing disclosure and consent requirements around environmental, social and governance investing, and could be a blueprint for future challenges, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • New Lessons On Managing Earnout Provision Risks

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    Earnout provisions can be a useful tool for bridging valuation gaps in M&A, particularly in developmental-stage pharmaceutical transactions, but the Delaware Chancery Court’s recent decision in Shareholder Representative Services v. Alexion sheds new light on the inherent risks and best practices for managing them, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls

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    Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How Companies Are Approaching Insider Trading Policies

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    An analysis of insider trading policies recently disclosed by 49 S&P 500 companies under a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule reveals that while specific provisions vary from company to company, certain common themes are emerging, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

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