I have been fortunate in recent years to be able to travel around the world and to speak to D&O insurance professionals in a wide variety of different countries. One recurring question I get in these meetings has to do with non-U.S. companies that have Level I American Depository Receipts (ADRs) trading in the U.S. The question is usually something along the lines of – “these Level 1 ADR companies don’t have U.S. securities litigation exposure, right?” This question always puzzles me, given the several high profile cases in recent years (discussed below) demonstrating that — while there may be an interesting question between sponsored and unsponsored ADRs — transactions in Level 1 ADRs certainly can be subject to the U.S. securities litigation.
Continue Reading The U.S. Securities Litigation Exposure of Non-U.S. Companies with Level I ADRs
A Closer Look at AIG’s $960 Million Credit Crisis-Related Securities Suit Settlement
AIG has agreed to pay $960 million to settle the consolidated securities class action lawsuit that had been filed against the company and certain of its directors and officers in the wake of the company’s near collapse at the peak of the credit crisis. The settlement, which AIG disclosed in its August 4, 2014 filing
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
AIG’s Subprime Securities Suit Survives Dismissal Motion
In a September 27, 2010 order (here), Judge Laura Taylor Swain denied the dismissal motions in the subprime-related securities class action lawsuit pending against AIG, certain of its former directors and officers, its accountant and its offering underwriters. Andrew Longstreth’s September 27 Am Law Litigation Daily article about the decision can be found
AIG’s Insurers Settle Derivative Action Against Greenberg
As reflected in their agreement filed on August 26, 2010, the parties to the New York and Delaware derivative actions involving former AIG CEO Maurice Greenberg, as well as certain other former AIG directors and officers, have agreed to settle the case for a payment to AIG by its D&O insurers of $90 million.
There’s Just One Little Problem About That $725 Million AIG Securities Suit Settlement
When Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray announced this past Friday that he had entered a massive $725 million settlement on behalf of three Ohio pension funds in the long standing securities class action lawsuit against AIG, he definitely accomplished his objective –his announcement made the front pages of all the newspapers in Ohio (it was
Advisen Releases 2008 Securities Litigation Study
On February 23, 2009, Advisen released its Report of 2008 securities litigation entitled "Securities Litigation in 2008: Implications for the D&O Market in 2009 and Beyond" (here, $ required). The Advisen Report’s numerical securities litigation analysis is directionally consistent with prior reports of the 2008 lawsuits, although the Report also contributes its own
AIG Hit with Canadian Securities Class Action
Questions surrounding the susceptibility of foreign domiciled companies to U.S. securities laws and to the jurisdiction of U.S. court are frequently recurring issues, as I noted most recently here. However, a new case filed in Ontario under Ontario’s securities laws presents an interesting variation on these questions.
The Ontario Action Against AIG
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A Closer Look at the Fed’s $85 Billion AIG Bailout
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening (here), the Federal Reserve announced that it had authorized a loan of up to $85 billion to American International Group. This move is described in detail in a September 17, 2008 Wall Street Journal article entitled "U.S. to Take Over AIG in a $85 Billion Bailout"