Class action lawsuit settlements

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One of the characteristics of “opt-out” class actions in the U.S. is that class members retain the option of opting out of the class settlements. A new study shows that in recent years, opt-outs are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon in securities class action settlements, particularly in connection with securities cases having certain traits. The Cornerstone Research study, entitled “Opt-Outs in Securities Class Action Settlements: 2019-H1 2022” can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s October 25, 2023, press release about the report can be found here.Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Securities Suit Opt-Outs Increasingly Frequent in Large, Complex Cases

In what is a notable development in the emerging SPAC-related securities class action litigation scene, the parties to a SPAC-related securities suit involving the streaming media company Akazoo company have reached a partial settlement in the aggregate amount of $35 million. The deal is a partial settlement because claims remain pending against other defendants. As discussed below, the settlement has a number of interesting features. It is, in any event, a noteworthy data point for the discussion about SPAC-related litigation exposures.
Continue Reading Akazoo SPAC-Related Litigation Partially Settled for $35 Million

cornerstoneThe number of securities class action settlements as well as the aggregate, average, and median securities class action settlement values all increased in 2016 compared to the prior year, according to the latest annual report from Cornerstone Research. The report, entitled “Securities Class Action Settlements: 2016 Review and Analysis can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s March 15, 2017 press release regarding the report can be found here.
Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Securities Class Action Settlement Values Increased in 2016

merckIn my recent review of the past year’s top D&O stories, I noted the current trend toward increased numbers of securities class action lawsuits involving smaller companies, and also towards smaller securities suit settlements. In the midst of this era of generally smaller cases and settlements has now come a huge settlement reminiscent of earlier time – perhaps because it involves a lawsuit that is itself a vestige of another era. On January 15, 2016, Merck announced that it had reached an $830 million settlement of the long-running Vioxx-related securities class action lawsuit. This case, whose extended procedural history included a trip all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to address statute of limitations issues, has been pending since November 2003. The proposed settlement is subject to court approval. Merck’s January 15, 2016 press release about the settlement can be found here.
Continue Reading Merck Agrees to Settle Long-Running Vioxx-Related Securities Class Action Lawsuit for $830 Million

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…