The D&O Diary was in Palo Alto, California this week for the annual Directors’ College at the Stanford Law School (depicted to the left). The keynote speaker on Tuesday morning was SEC Commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher, who recently announced that he will be stepping down from the Commission when his successor has been confirmed.
Next Up: A Home Depot Data Breach-Related D&O Lawsuit?
After claimants filed shareholders’ data breach-related derivative suits against the boards of Target (here) and Wyndham Worldwide (here), a number of commentators (including me) asked whether we could see a wave of cybersecurity related D&O lawsuits. Interestingly, since these two lawsuits were filed more than a year ago, there have been
São Paulo Scenes
The D&O Diary was on assignment in São Paulo last week, for meetings and for a little bit of a look around. I had never before been to Brazil, or for that matter, to South America. São Paulo turned out to be a bit of a revelation. For one thing, São Paulo, the financial capital
Guest Post: New York’s Highest Court Brings Finality to RMBS Repurchase Claims
On June 11, 2015, in a closely watched case, the New York Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, decided when the statute of limitations begins to run for claimants alleging breaches of the representations and warranties provisions in residential mortgage backed securities.
As Robert Fumerton and Alexander Drylewski of the Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher
Criminal Proceedings, D&O Insurance and Corporate Indemnities
Here’s the scenario: A former company CEO faces criminal charges for alleged bribery in which he was involved while he was at the company. The company’s D&O insurance provides funding for his defense, but the amount of the insurance available proves to be insufficient to take him through trial. The officer then seeks to have
Year-to-Date Securities Suit Filings Disproportionately Involve Non-U.S. Companies
Historically, non-U.S. companies listed on U.S. exchanges were sued in securities class action lawsuits less frequently than were listed U.S. companies. For several years now, according to NERA, non-U.S. firms have represented about 16% of all companies listed on the U.S. exchanges, but according to Cornerstone, for the period 1997-2013, the average percentage
Delaware Legislature Passes Fee-Shifting Bylaw Prohibition — What Questions Remain?
In a late night session on June 11, 2015, the Delaware House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed S.B. 75, which prohibits Delaware stock corporations from adopting “loser pays” fee-shifting bylaws and which confirms that Delaware corporations may adopt bylaws designating Delaware courts as the exclusive forum for shareholder litigation. The bill, which previously passed the state’s
Here’s Something Really Big: Insurance in China
As I learned during my recent visit to the country, just about everything about China is big. It is the world’s most populous country. China leads the world’s economic growth by size and speed. It is also one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing insurance markets. According to a June 10, 2015 Law 360
D&O Insurance: Debtor-in-Possession Claims and the Insured vs. Insured Exclusion
The traditional Insured vs. Insured exclusion found in many D&O insurance policies is a frequent source of claims disputes, particularly in the bankruptcy context. As its name suggests, the Insured vs. Insured exclusion precludes coverage for claims brought by one Insured against another Insured. The typical Insured vs. Insured exclusion includes a provision (often
A Credit Crisis-Era Vestige: Fourth Circuit Affirms Bank Executives’ Criminal Conviction
Federal prosecutors have come in for considerable criticism over their failure to press criminal charges against executives of financial institutions whose stumbles led to the global financial crisis. As Southern District of New York Judge Jed Rakoff pointed out in his blistering January 9, 2014 opinion column in The New York Review of Books (