In a series of posts, I have been exploring the "nuts and bolts" of D&O insurance. In this post, the fifth in the series, I examine D&O insurance issues of particular concern to private companies. Both the potential liability exposures and the available insurance solutions for private companies and their directors and officers are quite
When is a Securities Suit Stale?
When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling earlier this year in the Merck case pertaining to the question of what triggers the running of the statute of limitations in securities cases, there was some speculation that the decision might encourage an influx of cases involving events from the distant past. There really have not
Morrison Precludes Claims Based on Non-U.S. Purchased Shares, Even if Company Shares “Listed” in U.S.
On September 14, 2010, in another ruling that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Morrison v. National Australia Bank precludes claim by "f-squared" claimants – that is, U.S. residents who purchased shares of a Non-U.S. company on a foreign exchange – Southern District of New York Judge Victor Marrero dismissed the claims of investors who
Dismissal Motion in ING Bondholders Subprime Suit Granted – Except for One Part
A lawsuit brought by investors who had purchased securities in three ING Group bond offerings in 2007 and 2008 was largely dismissed in a ruling issued Tuesday, although some allegations regarding the company’s June 2008 offering disclosures did survive.These rulings appeared in a September 14, 2010 order written by Southern District of New York Judge
Another Loan Loss Reserve Disclosure Case Dismissal
In the latest ruling to address the pleading adequacy of a securities suit based on a financial institution’s loan loss reserve disclosures, a federal judge has found that the plaintiffs’ allegations in the SunTrust Trust Preferred Securities lawsuit were not sufficient to state a claim under the securities laws. Northern District of Georgia Judge William
Auction Rate Securities Lawsuit Claims Survives Dismissal, In Part
Even though substantial parts of the case have been knocked out, at least one part of the auction rate securities case filed against Raymond James Financial and related entities has survived a renewed dismissal motion, making it the first of the auction rate securities cases to survive the preliminary motions – even if it only
D&O Insurance: Executive Protection – The Policy Application
In a series of posts, I have been exploring the "nuts and bolts" of D&O insurance. In this post, the fourth in the series, I examine issues surrounding the application for D&O insurance and the surrounding application process. Although this might seem like a pretty straightforward topic, there are actually quite a few issues involving
What to Watch Now in the World of D&O
Every fall since I first started writing this blog, I have assembled a list of the current hot topics in the world of directors’ and officers’ liability. This year’s list is set out below. As should be obvious, there is a lot going on right now in the world of D&O, with further changes just
The “Back-to- School” Issue
If the number of out of office messages sent back when I sent out new blog post email notifications during August are any indication, many readers have been away for some or all of the past few weeks. I hope you saved the little paper umbrella from the fruity drink that you and your spouse
Guest Post: The Professors Respond
A recent article by three academics raising the question whether corporate securities lawsuit defendants underperform financially after their case settles has generated significant commentary on this site. In this post, the professors respond to the commentary.
The article in question is a March 18, 2010 paper entitled "Lying and Getting Caught: An Empirical Study