Securities

  • May 10, 2024

    SEC Opposes Quick Appeal Of 'Crystal Clear' Coinbase Order

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday urged a Manhattan federal court to reject Coinbase's bid for a Second Circuit review of an order allowing an agency enforcement action to proceed, saying the company's cries of uncertainty over how securities laws apply to crypto assets ignore the "crystal-clear" order it is trying to contest.

  • May 10, 2024

    EV Startup Says California Settlement Covers Stockholder Suit

    Backers of a transaction that took electric vehicle startup Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. public with a $1 billion value in 2021 have asked Delaware's Court of Chancery to block discovery in a stockholder challenge to the deal, citing pending settlement of a similar federal action in California.

  • May 10, 2024

    Pa. Man To Cop To Dick's Sporting Goods Insider Trading

    A Pennsylvania man intends to plead guilty to insider trading on Dick's Sporting Goods securities in which he made nearly $825,000 based on tips unwittingly passed to him from an acquaintance who worked for the retail chain, according to federal court filings.

  • May 10, 2024

    Zeekr's US Debut Could Spur More IPOs From China

    Electric-vehicle maker Zeekr's robust initial public offering sent an encouraging signal to Chinese companies considering whether to tap U.S. markets after a long lull, despite continued risks stemming from fractured U.S.-China relations, experts said Friday.

  • May 10, 2024

    Ex-Manager Of Lindberg-Tied Co. Sues Over Abrupt Ouster

    The former head of a European IT business with ties to beset insurance mogul Greg Lindberg has claimed in a case now in the North Carolina Business Court that he was suddenly sacked, denied a payout and stripped of his shares based on bogus allegations of bad job performance and unprofessional conduct.

  • May 10, 2024

    SEC Asks For Win Following Ex-Apple Atty's Guilty Plea

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission moved for summary judgment Friday on insider trading claims against a former senior attorney at Apple Inc., arguing there is no need to relitigate claims since the lawyer already pled guilty to criminal charges related to a lucrative insider trading scheme.

  • May 10, 2024

    Solar Co. Stockholders Claim Execs, Board Caused Losses

    SunPower's current and former leadership was accused in a derivative shareholder suit of sending the residential solar power company into a financial tailspin by revising financial statements multiple times and causing the stock value to drop.

  • May 10, 2024

    Kraken Says SEC's Crypto Theory Would 'Gut Howey'

    Crypto exchange Kraken told a California federal judge that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's theory of why token sales on public exchanges offend securities laws could lead to a "significant reordering of the U.S.'s financial regulatory structure" if the agency's enforcement action against its parent companies is upheld.

  • May 10, 2024

    Texas Man Gambled Away Hemp Biz Investments, SEC Claims

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed suit in Colorado against a Texas man and his purported hemp industry investment businesses, alleging he spent over half of nearly $1.3 million raised from investors over three years on sustaining a lifestyle involving full-time gambling.

  • May 10, 2024

    Guess? Sued To Stop Founders' Alleged Pending Equity Grab

    A pension fund stockholder of Guess? Inc. has sued the company, its founders, and its board in Delaware's Court of Chancery, alleging "a covert attempt to strip the company's public stockholders of their contractual right to equal treatment" in connection with a merger or sale of Guess.

  • May 10, 2024

    FINRA Fines Merrill Lynch $825K Over Supervisory Failures

    Merrill Lynch has agreed to be censured and pay an $825,000 fine to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to resolve claims that it failed to establish and maintain certain supervisory procedures and comply with recordkeeping requirements.

  • May 10, 2024

    Prudential Investor Attys Seek $9M Fees For Settlement

    Attorneys representing investors in a settlement with Prudential Financial Inc. over claims that the insurer misrepresented certain trends affecting its life insurance reserves have asked a New Jersey federal judge to grant final approval of the deal and nearly $9 million in fees.

  • May 10, 2024

    SEC Targets Fatburger's Parent Co. In $27M Loan Scheme

    The restaurant company that owns Fatburger and Fazoli's made illegal loans to its director and former chief executive, who spent $27 million in company money on himself while skirting taxes and leaving the company struggling, the Securities and Exchange Commission told a California federal court Friday. 

  • May 10, 2024

    5th Circ. Upholds SEC Proxy Rule On ESG Disclosures

    The Fifth Circuit on Friday threw out a legal challenge to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requirement that will make it easier for investors to identify ESG issues on corporate ballots, saying that suing states like Texas haven't proven that they'll be financially harmed by the measure.

  • May 10, 2024

    Financial Tech Co. Wants New Trial In $7.8M Breach Suit

    A financial technology company ordered to pay more than $7.8 million to an Atlanta-area capital recruiting firm for violating an agreement to pay the recruiter to connect it with investors has asked a Georgia federal judge for either a new trial or judgment as a matter of law.

  • May 10, 2024

    CFTC Floats Ban On Election Betting Contracts

    A divided U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved a proposed rule Friday that would ban trading on the outcome of elections, further solidifying its contested position that such activities constitute illegal "gaming" and threaten to thrust the agency into the role of an "election cop."

  • May 10, 2024

    Ex-Pryor Cashman Securities Chair Joins Alston & Bird

    Alston & Bird LLP announced Thursday that it hired an experienced trial attorney who previously chaired Pryor Cashman LLP's securities practice as a partner based in New York.

  • May 09, 2024

    SEC Says Bogus Billion-Dollar Co. Ran Stock Offering Fraud

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday accused a man previously convicted of wire and tax fraud of conducting a fake stock offering on misrepresentations that he ran a diversified energy, health care, technology and real estate company that would net billions in revenue when in fact it tallied less than $15,000 in sales.

  • May 09, 2024

    Hedge Fund Manager Says Partner Cut Him Out Of Company

    A hedge fund manager accused his business partner in Texas state court of wrongfully cutting him out of a Dallas-based wealth management company, saying the partner tried to strong-arm him into transferring his ownership interest.

  • May 09, 2024

    Ex-Minor Leaguer Settles With SEC Over Del Taco Deal Tip Off

    A former minor league baseball player has agreed to pay more than $58,000 to resolve U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission insider trading allegations involving burger chain Jack in the Box's $575 million acquisition of its fellow chain Del Taco.

  • May 09, 2024

    Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher Drive EV Maker's $441M IPO

    Chinese electrical vehicle maker Zeekr on Thursday priced an upsized $441 million initial public offering, represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and underwriters' counsel Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, marking the largest U.S. IPO by a China-based company since 2021.

  • May 09, 2024

    SEC Sues 3 Penny Stock Firms Over Failure To Register

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed suit against a Long Island man and his three companies, accusing them of violating registration provisions of federal securities law in connection with a $75 million penny stock scheme.

  • May 09, 2024

    Attys Want $102M In Fees In Stock Loan Antitrust Deal

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC attorneys asked for $102 million in fees for settling claims from investors that major banks colluded to avoid modernizing the stock loan market, saying the long and complex nature of the case warrants the payout.

  • May 09, 2024

    US Bank Sees Unauthorized Account Suit Tossed For Good

    A New York federal judge has permanently thrown out a proposed class action against U.S. Bancorp alleging shareholders were harmed after the bank paid a $37.5 million fine to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in connection with allegations its bankers secretly opened accounts in customers' names.

  • May 09, 2024

    Investor Seeks Del. TRO To Block Treasure Hunter Co. Vote

    A marine treasure hunting and salvage company stockholder urged Delaware's Court of Chancery to block a June 3 shareholder meeting called by the company's founder and purported majority shareholder, arguing in part that most of Marine Exploration Inc.'s claimed shares are void.

Expert Analysis

  • How Corp. Transparency Act Can Unmask Crypto Owners

    Author Photo

    With the federal Corporate Transparency Act in effect as of Jan. 1, litigants may now have a less burdensome path toward determining the identities of owners behind convoluted corporate entities, and, by extension, any digital assets they own that could be subject to a potential judgment, says Brett Sager at Ehrenstein Sager.

  • ESG Concerns Can No Longer Be Ignored In 2024

    Author Photo

    While the long wait for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ESG rule continues, government attention to regulations, increased litigation efforts and shareholder resolutions seeking transparency highlight the importance of placing an emphasis on ESG considerations, say attorneys at Wollmuth Maher.

  • 2 FCPA Settlements Illuminate Self-Disclosure, Disgorgement

    Author Photo

    Two of last year’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlements — with biomedical company Lifecore and mining company Corsa Coal — suggest that the government will be much more flexible in negotiating disgorgement amounts if an entity voluntarily self-discloses misconduct, say Michael Gilbert and Lucas Amodio at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    Conflicts Abound When Activist Short-Sellers Publish Reports

    Author Photo

    The self-serving relationship between activist short-sellers and plaintiff-side litigators is conflict-ridden and hinders the fact finder's impartiality when a short report forms the basis for lead plaintiffs' allegations, say Nessim Mezrahi and Stephen Sigrist at SAR.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024

    Author Photo

    Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • Bank-Fintech Partnerships Can Thrive Despite A Tough 2023

    Author Photo

    Many banking-as-a-service players experienced regulatory enforcement activities in 2023, including consent orders and more targeted, detailed guidance aimed at bank-fintech partnerships, and while it seems this trend will continue in 2024, savvy banks can use the turmoil of last year as a guide for how to better manage the risks inherent in partnerships, says Justin Steffen at Barack Ferrazzano.

  • 5 Securities Litigation Issues To Watch In 2024

    Author Photo

    There is yet another exciting year ahead for securities litigation, starting with the U.S. Supreme Court hearing argument next week in a case presenting a key securities class action question that has eluded review for the last eight years, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Antitrust And ESG: Maximizing Targets, Ensuring Compliance

    Author Photo

    Jennifer McAlpin at Verizon and Michaela Spero at Amadeus consider the convergence of antitrust and environmental, social and corporate governance factors, providing an executive overview of areas to watch, including mergers and acquisitions, as well as practical implementation tips for general counsel.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: South Africa

    Author Photo

    While South Africa has yet to mandate the reporting of nonfinancial and environmental, social, and corporate governance issues, policy documents and recent legislative developments are likely to have a material impact in the country's transition to a low-carbon economy and in meeting its international obligations, say Glynn Kent at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Securing Financial Transparency In Chapter 11 Reporting

    Author Photo

    As we enter the new year, restructuring professionals would be wise to review Chapter 11 public reporting requirements to navigate what debtors may do to try to minimize public reporting, and what creditors can do to get the public reporting they deserve by striking a balance between financial transparency requirements and tactical moves, say Thomas Moers Mayer and Nancy Bello at Kramer Levin.

  • 4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

    Author Photo

    As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.

  • Corporate Transparency Act Takeaways For Banking Industry

    Author Photo

    As of Jan. 1, the Corporate Transparency Act requires millions of companies to report the identities of their beneficial owners and applicants to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and this groundbreaking change adds compliance obligations and complexity for lenders, borrowers and investors, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.

  • Bribery Settlement Gives Insight On DOJ Policies

    Author Photo

    Chemical company Albemarle’s recent $218 million settlement with the government to resolve foreign bribery claims provides valuable data points for companies on the U.S. Department of Justice’s voluntary self-disclosure policy and its clawback pilot program, say Michael DeBernardis and Tiauna Mathieu at Hughes Hubbard.

  • SEC Case May Expand Scope Of Insider Trading Liability

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's first-of-its-kind enforcement action against an individual in a case involving "shadow trading" demarcates an expansion of insider trading liability to circumstances in which there is a market connection between the source of information and the issuer of the securities traded, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Securities Question Stands After Contradicting Crypto Rulings

    Author Photo

    The debate about the regulation of crypto-assets came to a head in 2023 when two New York federal judges came to opposite conclusions about whether crypto-assets were securities by using the Howey test, highlighting the uncertainty facing the crypto industry as it seeks to resolve definitional questions, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Securities archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!