A number of trends that had predominated in recent years diminished during 2010 while new trends emerged, according to PwC’s 2010 Securities Litigation Study, which can be found here. 2010 may also mark “the start of a new era” as a consequences of a new regulatory and enforcement environment take effect, which “could lead
Number of Bank Failures Finally Starting to Decline?
When the FDIC released its Quarterly Banking Profile for the fourth quarter 2010, it included a statement from FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair that the agency believes “the number of failures peaked in 2010.” However, at least through the end of February 2011, the evidence was to the contrary, as the number of bank failures during
Catching up on Rulings in Key Subprime-Related Securities Cases
Over the last few days, there have been a series of rulings in high-profile lawsuits arising out of the subprime meltdown and credit crisis. As discussed below, just in the past week there were dismissal motion rulings in cases involving Freddie Mac, Wachovia/Wells Fargo, and AIG. Though some or all of the claims in these cases
A Closer Look at Life Sciences Companies and Securities Litigation
In my year-end securities litigation survey, I noted that while a number of new trends emerged during 2010, one securities lawsuit filing trend had remained constant during the year – that is, life sciences companies remained a favored securities class action lawsuit target. The heightened exposure that life sciences companies face is fully detailed
Identifying Chinese Characters: Accounting Fraud Lawsuits Against Chinese Companies Surge
With four more securities suits involving Chinese or China-linked companies this past Friday, the phenomenon of securities class action lawsuits against these firms has emerged as one of the most distinct securities litigation trends so far this year. The filing trend actually first emerged in the second half of 2010, but it has continued