Yahoo’s board members may or may not be “doofuses” as departed Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz declared after they sacked her, but the one thing for sure is that the events surrounding her firing, and the more recent CEO turnover at H-P, sure have folks riled up. Whatever else you want to say about these events
“Say on Pay” Lawsuit Survives Dismissal Motion
Only small a small number of companies experienced a negative “say on pay” vote this past proxy season, but many of the companies that did found themselves hit with a shareholder lawsuit in the wake of the negative vote. Cincinnati Bell is one of the companies that with both a negative vote and subsequent shareholder
D&O Insurance: When Can Individuals’ Fraudulent Misconduct be Imputed to the Insured Entity?
The typical D&O insurance policy precludes coverage for loss arising from fraudulent misconduct. But when an insured has been convicted of fraud, whose coverage is precluded? In the second case in recent days to address the consequences for the insured entity of the criminal conviction of one of the entity’s principals, Judge James L. Graham
BP Deepwater Horizon Derivative Suit Dismissed in Favor of English Forum
A wave of litigation followed in the wake of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Among this litigation were several shareholder derivative suits filed against certain directors and officers of BP and of its U.S. subsidiary. At the time these cases first arose, I asked whether or not these suits involving (and ultimately for the
There Ought to be FDIC Lawsuits? Don’t Bother, They’re Here
Turns out that while some of us were wondering when the lawsuits arising out of the current bank wave would really start to accumulate, the FDIC itself was busy filing lawsuits — they just didn’t tell anybody about it, at least not until now. Specifically, the FDIC filed three more lawsuits in August than had previously
Guest Post: Bank Directors and Officers — Civil Money Penalties
I am pleased to present below a guest post by Mike Hogan, Executive Vice President at U.S. Risk Financial Services. I would like to thank Mike for his willingness to publish his article on this site. I am interested in publishing guest posts from responsible commentators on topics of interest to readers of this
D&O Insurance: Coverage for SafeNet Options Backdating Securities Suit Settlement Denied
The options backdating scandal may now be ancient history, but questions surrounding insurance coverage for the scandal’s consequences apparently continue to live on. In a September 9, 2011 opinion applying Maryland law, Southern District of New York Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ruled in a coverage action brought by SafeNet’s excess D&O insurer that, among many
Guest Post: Will the SEC’s Cooperation Initiatives Increase Defense Costs and Spur Battles with Carriers Over Separate Counsel?
I am pleased to present below a guest post by Kara Altenbaumer-Price, Esq., the Director of Complex Claims and Consulting for USI and part of its Management & Professional Services Group in Dallas. I would like to thank Kara for her willingness to publish her article on this site. I am interested in publishing
Failed Bank Battles: Is D&O Insurance Coverage the Real Frontline?
A recent negotiated resolution of an FDIC failed bank lawsuit suggests disputes over D&O insurance coverage may represent the real frontline in the failed bank litigation wars. The compromise was reached in the lawsuit the FDIC only recently filed in the District of Arizona involving the failed First National Bank of Nevada. As discussed below
Fights Worth Watching: Lehman Execs Spar over D&O Insurance, SEC Pursues Chinese Co. Auditor
A group of former executives of a Lehman Brothers subsidiary is seeking to block the bid by senior Lehman executives to use $90 million of the remaining D&O insurance proceeds to settle the cases pending against them. As discussed here, on August 24, 2011, the senior executives filed a motion with the Lehman bankruptcy