Securities

  • March 29, 2024

    What's Next On Courts' Crypto Docket After Bankman-Fried

    The 25-year prison sentence for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried left the crypto industry one step closer to putting the fallout of "crypto winter" behind it, but there are still other cases with broad implications for the industry set to take over Manhattan courtrooms soon.

  • March 29, 2024

    GEO Group Brass Agree To Reforms To End Derivative Suit

    Shareholders who claimed executives of private prison contractor GEO Group Inc. lied about financing deals with major banks told a Florida federal judge that the company has agreed to a host of corporate reforms to end the derivative suit, which will include the appointment of a chief compliance officer.

  • March 29, 2024

    SEC Wins Extended Asset Freeze Against Biotech Co.

    A Colorado federal judge on Friday granted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's request to make permanent a restraining order freezing a biotech company's assets while the case proceeds, finding that the regulator is likely to prevail in the suit.

  • March 29, 2024

    HJ Sims Honoring Books And Records Settlement, Court Told

    The daughter of a seven-decade employee of Herbert J. Sims & Co. Inc. has withdrawn a books and records suit against the investment bank and its owner, The Teksys Corp., telling a Connecticut state court that she is now satisfied that the defendants have abided by the terms of a November settlement.

  • March 29, 2024

    Liberty Sues SEC Again Over Climate Disclosure Regs

    Liberty Energy Inc. filed a complaint against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Texas federal court, marking the company's second attempt at challenging the agency's corporate climate disclosure regulations after its previous Fifth Circuit petition was transferred to the Eighth Circuit.

  • March 29, 2024

    Innoviz's $1.4B SPAC Deal 'Abysmal,' Investor Tells Chancery

    A former stockholder of the special purpose acquisition company that took autonomous vehicle software provider Innoviz public has sued the architects behind the $1.4 billion merger in Delaware's Court of Chancery, accusing them of unjust enrichment and breaches of fiduciary duty and calling the transaction "abysmal" for investors.

  • March 29, 2024

    Nikola Says Convicted Ex-CEO Plotting Illegal Board Takeover

    Electric truck manufacturer Nikola Corp. sued its former CEO and convicted felon Trevor Milton in Arizona federal court Friday, accusing him of scheming with unqualified loyalists to regain control of the company by flouting securities laws, infringing Nikola's trademarks and breaching agreements.

  • March 29, 2024

    Hedge Fund Beats Vaxart Investor's 'Short-Swing' Profits Suit

    A New York federal judge has granted a win to hedge fund Armistice Capital LLC and its managing member in a derivative suit brought by a shareholder of biotechnology company Vaxart Inc., which sought disgorgement of short-swing profits that allegedly were wrongfully obtained by the investment adviser.

  • March 29, 2024

    FuboTV Exits Investor Suit Over Sports Betting Biz, For Now

    A New York federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from investors of sports streaming service FuboTV Inc. accusing it of misleading them about its attempt to enter into the sports betting business, saying that claims in short seller reports, which the investors say damaged share prices, are only opinions, not actionable facts.

  • March 29, 2024

    Up Next After Bankman-Fried Sentencing: FTX Cooperators

    Now that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for an $11 billion fraud on the collapsed crypto exchange, it's time for the three top lieutenants who testified against him at trial to face their own judgments — and experts say the cooperators are well positioned to avoid jail time.

  • March 29, 2024

    Retirement Advisers Back Biden Admin's ESG Rule In 5th Circ.

    Supporters of a Biden administration rule allowing retirement advisers to consider environmental, social and governance issues when making decisions for clients rose to defend the policy in the Fifth Circuit, arguing the move aligns with fiduciary duties to minimize risks and maximize returns for clients.

  • March 29, 2024

    Cannabis Co. Consultant Barred From Penny Stock Trading

    A Florida federal judge has barred a self-designated consultant for a cannabis company from penny stock trading for life, finding that he knowingly put out statements claiming the company had deals to do business in countries where it was not legally allowed to sell cannabis products.

  • March 29, 2024

    Biotech Co. Inflated Gene Therapy Prospects, Investors Claim

    Massachusetts-based biotechnology company Bluebird Bio Inc. misled investors by understating the safety concerns of a gene therapy for sickle cell, causing damages when stock prices dropped, according to a proposed class action suit filed Thursday in Massachusetts district court.

  • March 28, 2024

    Disney Shareholder Demands To See Books Amid Board Row

    An affiliate of Walt Disney Co. shareholder Blackwells Capital on Thursday asked Delaware's Court of the Chancery to force Disney to open its books and records as the investor looks into potential wrongdoing and mismanagement stemming from the entertainment giant's dealings with ValueAct Capital.

  • March 28, 2024

    Morgan Stanley, Goldman Get Archegos Suits Tossed

    A New York federal judge on Thursday dismissed a group of lawsuits by investors accusing Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs of illegally avoiding billions of dollars in trading losses by acting on nonpublic information about now-defunct Archegos Capital Management.

  • March 28, 2024

    Judge Doubts NBA NFT Licensors Belong In Meta Privacy Suit

    The developer of non-fungible token marketplace NBA Top Shot must face a proposed class action claiming it violated state and federal laws aimed at protecting video consumers, with the National Basketball Players Association and NBA Properties Inc., which handles the NBA's merchandising and licensing, escaping the suit for now.

  • March 28, 2024

    8th Circ. Won't Revive Fannie, Freddie Investors' FHFA Suit

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday refused to revive Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investors' suit alleging the Federal Housing Finance Agency's leadership and financial deals violated the U.S. Constitution, saying the investors failed to show how they were harmed by the now-upended restrictions on removing the agency's director.

  • March 28, 2024

    Wells Fargo Sued Over Role In Texas Atty's Carbon Tech Scam

    Wells Fargo and an advisory group including an attorney and accountant from California facilitated a yearslong Ponzi scheme that deceived investors to put money into a fraudulent gas industry carbon capture technology venture, according to a proposed class action filed in Texas federal court.

  • March 28, 2024

    FTX Investors To Settle With Ex-Execs, Crypto Promoters

    Investors who launched a multidistrict litigation over cryptocurrency exchange FTX's collapse have reached a set of settlements with the former inner circle of founder Sam Bankman-Fried as well as seven promoters who, together, have agreed to pay over $1.3 million to resolve claims that they boosted a massive fraud scheme at the company.

  • March 28, 2024

    Investors' Compliance Class Action Falls Short, Discover Says

    Allegedly misleading statements on compliance and risk management protocols from Discover Financial Services' top brass were "aspirational" remarks about general practices, the company argued Thursday in seeking to end a proposed securities class action in Illinois federal court.

  • March 28, 2024

    Accused 'Shadow Trader' Can't Recall Why He Bought Stock

    A California federal jury considering regulators' claims that an ex-Medivation executive engaged in "shadow trading" of a rival's stock heard video-recorded testimony Thursday from the executive, who said he couldn't recall why he purchased the securities just minutes after learning Pfizer was close to acquiring his own company.

  • March 28, 2024

    Feds Say Ex-OneCoin Atty Should Serve 'Substantial' Time

    Manhattan federal prosecutors have requested a "substantial" amount of prison time for a Bulgarian woman who worked on the legal team at the fraudulent OneCoin cryptocurrency exchange, but said the sentence should fall below the guidelines range of 10 years.

  • March 28, 2024

    SEC Settles Suit For Docs Over Potential Crypto Conflicts

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and government watchdog Empower Oversight have agreed to end a suit that sought to force the regulator to hand over documents the watchdog claimed may provide insight into potential conflicts of interest affecting the SEC's digital asset dealings.

  • March 28, 2024

    PwC Fined $3M Over Auditor Controls, Australia Probe

    The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board leveled a pair of fines totaling more than $3 million against PwC on Thursday, accusing the Big Four accounting firm of failing to maintain policies to ensure auditor independence and of waiting years to inform the U.S. regulator that it was being investigated in Australia.

  • March 28, 2024

    Calif. Looks To Sink Chamber's Climate Disclosure Challenge

    The state of California says a challenge by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups to its recently enacted corporate climate disclosure laws should be tossed, arguing the groups cannot sue since enforcement of the law has not begun and the groups cannot plead an injury.

Expert Analysis

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

  • Precise Advance Notice Bylaws May Help Prevent Disputes

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    While the Chancery Court's December decision in Kellner v. AIM Immunotech shows that Delaware courts won't always uphold advance notice bylaws, and its willingness to selectively enforce or invalidate individual provisions doesn't create an incentive for companies to be surgical in their drafting, companies should nonetheless be precise when drafting such bylaws to avoid unnecessary disputes, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Canada

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    In Canada, multiple statutes, regulations, common law and industry guidance address environmental, social and governance considerations, with debate over ESG in the business realm potentially growing on the horizon, say attorneys at Blakes.

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • How US Companies Can Wield The New Foreign Bribery Law

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    U.S. companies operating in high-risk markets can use the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act that passed last month to their advantage both in preventing bribe demands and in negotiating with the Justice Department to prevent prosecution or to receive cooperation credit, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • What To Expect From High Court In Corp. Disclosure Case

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    Oral argument in Macquarie v. Moab Partners — a case with the potential to significantly alter corporate disclosures and private securities litigation liability — suggests that the U.S. Supreme Court is focused on answering the narrow question presented, say Elizabeth Gingold Clark and Madeleine Juszynski Davidson at Alston & Bird.

  • New Tech, Old Tricks: How GCs Can Fight White Collar Crime

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    As emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency provide bad actors with new avenues to commit classic crimes, general counsel should develop a strategy to future-proof their organizations against such threats and prepare for regulatory scrutiny, say directors at FTI Consulting.

  • Unpacking PCAOB's Sanctions Against China-Based Auditors

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    Following the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's first major enforcement actions against audit firms located in China and Hong Kong for violating quality control standards, China-based U.S. issuers should be prepared for more rigorous audits in the upcoming cycle, and for continuing strict scrutiny from the regulator, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • FERC Actions Signal Concern Over Investors' Utility Stakes

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    Two recent orders and a notice of inquiry from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the subject of whether large investors are asserting control of public utilities signal increasing regulatory scrutiny of the investment community's influence over the electric power industry, say attorneys at Day Pitney.

  • 10 Global Antitrust Trends To Anticipate In 2024

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    Proactive navigation of the antitrust enforcement environment remains crucial this year as legal policy and tools evolve to meet intensifying global economic complexity, including geopolitical tensions, trade realignment, market volatility and inflation, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • NY CRE Lenders Need Clarity On Foreclosure Standing

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    Recent contradictory New York case law regarding issues of standing in commercial real estate litigation creates confusion for borrowers and lenders alike, and should be addressed by courts in advance of the anticipated onslaught of commercial mortgage-backed securities foreclosures, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Rosenberg & Estis.

  • ERISA Litigation Faces New Frontiers In 2024

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    As plaintiffs firms explore novel theories for recovery and the Department of Labor attempts to broaden the definition of an investment advice fiduciary, 2024 could see new types of Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation after just 100 class actions were filed last year, say attorneys at Groom Law.

  • Del. Ruling Guides On Advance Notice Bylaw Amendments

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    The Delaware Chancery's Court's recent denial of investment fund Paragon Technologies' injunction motion against Ocean Power Technologies underscores the importance of carefully crafting and enforcing corporate advance notice bylaw amendments, especially in light of universal proxy rules, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

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