More than three years have passed since the first blockbuster revelations about corrupt payments at Siemens, yet litigation arising from the scandal continues to emerge. On December 4, 2009, plaintiffs’ lawyers filed a securities class action lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York against Siemens, based on alleged misrepresentations following initial revelations of the
The Unusual Timing of Dell’s $40 Million Securities Suit Settlement
In its December 3, 2009 filing on Form-10-Q (here), Dell disclosed that on November 20, 2009, it had entered a written agreement to pay $40 million to settle the consolidated securities class action lawsuit pending against the company and certain of its directors and officers.
What makes the $40 million Dell settlement
Déjà Vu: The FDIC Asserts Its Receivership Litigation Rights
With 124 failed banks so far in 2009, and more likely to come in the weeks and months ahead, one recurring question has been whether the FDIC will be as aggressive in pursuing claims against directors and officers of failed lenders as it was during the S&L crisis. While we are awaiting the arrival
Big Securities Law Doings in D.C.: Supreme Court, Congress Gear Up
Courts in the financial center of New York and the tech hotspot of California tend to be where much of the headline grabbing securities law action usually takes place. But this week, the most significant action is in Washington, D.C., as the Supreme Court and Congress are weighing into several of the hottest topic under
D&O Insurance: Recent Rulings Relevant to Subprime Claims
In a series of recent rulings in coverage litigation arising out of the 2007 collapse of Brookstreet Securities Corporation, a California-based securities broker-dealer, Central District of California Judge Cormac Carney addressed the claims of several claimants to the proceeds of a professional liability insurance policy that had insured the defunct company. Though the rulings
Will the U.N. Summit Boost Climate Change Disclosure Initiatives?
With the United Nations Climate Change Conference set to begin December 7, 2009 in Copenhagen, activists and observers are dialing up the volume both with calls for reform and with updated reports of the projected risks that global warming threatens. Among the long-standing initiatives advocates are now seeking to advance is the petition before the
Bankruptcy Filings Continue to Surge
Bankruptcy cases filed in the U.S. federal courts continued to surge in the twelve months ended September 30, 2009, according to statistics released on November 25, 2009 by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The statistical release, which can be found here, shows that for year ending on September 30, 2009, there
A Closer Look at the FDIC’s Grim Quarterly Report
The FDIC’s latest Quarterly Banking Profile (here) shows that as of September 30, 2009, the country’s commercial banks are continuing to struggle, and that as a result of the banks’ woes the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) is $8.2 billion in the red. The rising numbers of "problem" institutions suggests both that the
The Securities Lawsuit “Backlog”
One of the more interesting securities class action lawsuit filing patterns that has developed as 2009 has progressed is the number of securities suits that have been filed long after the end of the purported class period cut-off date, as I have previously noted here. A November 21, 2009 National Law Journal article entitled
So What About the Ohio AG’s Lawsuit Against the Rating Agencies?
On November 20, 2009, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray announced (here) the filing of a lawsuit in the Southern District of Ohio on behalf of five Ohio pension funds against Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch. According to his press release, the complaint, which can be found here, charges the rating agencies