The information in this post was last updated on September 10, 2008

The purpose of this blog post is to track options backdating related litigation. All of the companies that have been sued — and of which the The D & O Diary is aware — have been listed below. The D & O Diary will update this information as additional companies are sued, or as loyal readers advise The D & O Diary of any omissions. The D & O Diary will note at the top and bottom of this post the date on which the information was most recently updated, and will indicate in red which information has been most recently added. Readers interested in keeping up to date on the number of lawsuits will want to check back frequently. The running tallies below are meant to include a listing of any company that has been sued based on allegations of options timing manipulations, regardless whether the allegations are based on options backdating, options springloading, or hiring-related options timing.

Securities Fraud Class Actions (Total as of latest update = 39):

1. American Tower
2. Amkor Technology (see discussion of this case here)
3. Apple Computer
4. Apollo Group
5. Aspen Technology
6. Broadcom
7. Brocade Communications
8. Brooks Automation
9. Comverse Technology
10. Cyberonics
11. Hansen Natural Corporation
12. HCC Insurance Holdings
13. Jabil Circuit
14. Juniper Networks
15. KLA-Tencor
16. Marvell Technology Group
17. Maxim Integrated Products
18. Meade Instruments
19. Mercury Interactive
20. Michaels Stores
21. Monster Worldwide

22. MRV Communications
22. Newpark Resources (see discussion of this case here)
24. Openwave Systems
25. PainCare Holdings (see discussion of this case here).
26. Quest Software
27. Rambus
28. SafeNet
29. Semtech
30. Sonic Solutions
31. Sunrise Senior Living
32. TeleTech Holdings
33. The Children’s Place Retail Stores
34. Vitesse Semiconductor
35. United Health Group
36. UTStarcom
37. Wireless Facilities
38. Witness Systems
39. Zoran (see discussion of this case here).

 Shareholders Derivative Lawsuits (current total as of latest update = 168)

1. Actel
2. Activision
3. Adobe Systems
4. Affiliated Computer Service
5. Affymetrix
6. Agile Software
7. Alkermes
8. Altera
9. American Tower
10. Amkor
11. Analog Devices
12. Apollo Group
13. Apple
14. Applied Micro Circuits
15. Arthrocare
16. Aspen Technology

17. Asyst

18. Atmel
19. Autodesk
20. Barnes and Noble
21. BEA Systems
22. Bed Bath and Beyond

23. Biomet
24. Black Box

25. Blue Coat
26. Boston Communications Group
27. Broadcom
28. Brocade Communications
29. Brooks Automation
30. CA, Inc.
31. Cable Vision Systems

32. Cardinal Health
33. Caremark Rx

34. Ceradyne
35. Cheesecake Factory

36. Children’s Place Retail Stores
37. Chordiant Software

38. Cirrus Logic
39. Cisco Systems

40. Citrix Systems
41. Clorox

42. CNET Networks
43. Coherent
44. Computer Sciences Corp.
45. Comverse Technology
46. Corinthian College
47. Countrywide Financial Corp.

48. Costco Wholesale Corp.
49. Crown Castle International

50.Cyberonics
51. Delta Petroleum
52. Dean Foods

53. Digital River
54. Ditech Networks
55. Eclipsys
56. Electronic Arts

57. Electronics for Imaging
58. Embarcadero Technologies
59. EMCORE

60. Epiq Systems
61. ePLUS
62. Equinix
63. F5 Networks
64. Family Dollar
65. Finisar
66. Flir Systems
67. Flowserve
68. Fossil
69. Foundry Networks

70. Getty Images
71. Glenayre Technologies
72. Hain Celestial Group
73. HCC Insurance Holding

74. Home Depot

75 Hansen Natural Corp.
76. Hot Topic
77. Hovnanian Enterprises
78. i2 Technologies
79. Basis
80. Infosonics
81. Insight Enterprises

82. Integrated Silicon Solutions

83. Intuit
84. J2 Global Communications
85. Jabil Circuit
86. Juniper Networks
87. Jupitermedia Corp.
88. KB Homes
89. Keithley Instruments
90. KLA-Tencor

91. Kopin Corp.
92. KV Pharmaceutical
93. L-3 Communications Holding
94. Lehman Brothers Holdings
95. Linear Technology
96. M-Systems (see note below)
97. Marvell Technology
98. Mattel
99. Maxim Integrated
100. McAfee
101. Meade Instruments
102. Medarex
103. MercuryInteractive
104. Michael’s Stores
105. Microtune
106. MIPS Technologies
107. Molex
108. Monster.com
109. MSC Industrial Direct
110. Nabors Industries

111. Network Appliance

112. Newpark Resources
113. Novell
114. Novellus
115. Nvidia
116. Nyfix
117. Openwave
118. Par Pharmaceuticals
119. Pediatrix
120. Peet’s Coffee & Tea
121. Pool Corp.

122. PMC Sierra

123. Power Integrations
124. Progress Software
125. Quest Software
126. QuickLogic
127. Redback Networks
128. Rambus

129. Research in Motion
130. RSA Security
131. Safenet
132. Sanmina-SCI
133. Sapient
134. ScanSource
135. SecureLogic Corp.
136. Semtech
137. Sepracor
138. Sharper Image
139. Sigma Designs
140. Silicon Storage Tech
141. Sonic Solutions
142. Sonus Networks

143. SPSS
144. Staples

145. Sunrise Senior Living
146. Superior Industries International

147. Sycamore Networks
148. Take-Two Interactive
149. Tetra Tech
150. The First American Corp.
151. THQ
152. Trident Microsystems
153. TriQuint Semiconductor
154. Tyson Foods
155. Ultratech
156. Ulticom

157. United Healthcare
158. UTStarcom
159. Valeant

160. Verisign
161. Vitesse Semiconductor
162. Waste Connections
163. Western Digital Corp.
164. Westwood One
165. Wind River Systems
166. Witness Systems

167. Xilinx
168. Zoran Corp

 

ERISA or 401(k) Litigation (Total as of latest update = 5):

1. United Health Group

 

2. Affiliated Computer Services
3.
Analog Devices
4. KB Homes
5. The Home Depot

In addition to these lawsuits, SanDisk Corporation has been sued in connection with its proposed acquisition of M-Systems. The defendants include not only SanDisk, but M-Systems and certain directors and officers of M-Systems. The lawsuits allege that the terms of the deal are not fair to M-Systems shareholders. In addition, the plaintiffs allege that the M-Systems officers and directors breached their fiduciary duty to M-Systems shareholders by backdating stock options and sought to further their own interests by approving the merger. A description of the lawsuit may be found here. Special thanks to Adam Savett of the Lies, Damned Lies blog for bringing this lawsuit to the attention of The D & O Diary.

Also, Sycamore Networks has been named in a lawsuit brought by a former employee, in which the former employee alleges that his employment contract was terminated because he complained about the company’s stock option practices. A Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) describing the lawsuit can be found here.

The information in this post was last updated on: August 4,  2008.