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It is no secret that the SEC under the Trump Administration is taking a very different approach to cryptocurrency than the agency did under the Biden Administration. Indeed, a detailed December 2025 New York Times article (here) made it clear – if there were any doubt — that the administration’s more restrained approach to crypto starts at the very top. But what does the more restrained crypto approach mean in practical terms? A January 22, 2026, report from Cornerstone Research, which can be found here, spells out in detail what it means, both in terms of reduced numbers of crypto-related enforcement actions and in diminished crypto-related recoveries.Continue Reading SEC: Less Crypto Enforcement, Lower Crypto Recoveries

In a recent post, I noted the significant downturn in the amount of SEC enforcement activity during the 2025 fiscal year (ended September 20, 2025). What was true FY 2025 with respect to SEC enforcement activity in general was also true in particular with respect to SEC enforcement activity involving publicly traded companies. According to a new report, SEC enforcement activity against public companies and their subsidiaries also declined significantly during FY 20225. The report, written by Cornerstone Research in conjunction with the Securities Enforcement Empirical Database (SEED) of the NYU Pollack Center for Law & Business, contains a number of interesting observations about the level of enforcement activity in the agency’s final days under outgoing SEC Chair Gary Gensler, compared to the activity levels under the agency’s current Chair, Paul Atkins.Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: SEC Public Company Enforcement Actions Decline

For those who, like me, watch bankruptcy filing developments for signs about the current and possible future state of the economy, recent data may be worrisome. Just Monday, the Wall Street Journal cited two recent auto parts companies’ bankruptcy filings as evidence of potential trouble in the U.S. credit markets, saying the developments and raising concerns that “something more profound is ailing American borrowers.” Consistent with these concerns, a recent report from Cornerstone Research shows that large company bankruptcy filings are indeed trending upward, with the largest increases in the most recent period. Signs are that these trends will continue going forward, as well.Continue Reading Worrying Signs in Bankruptcy Statistics?

It is frequently the case that securities class action lawsuits are accompanied by a parallel shareholder derivative lawsuit involving substantially similar allegations. But what happens to the derivative lawsuits when the related securities class action lawsuit is settled? An August 2025 study from Cornerstone Research analyzes the settlements of these parallel derivative lawsuits during the period 2019 through 2024. The Cornerstone Research report can be found here.Continue Reading Settlement of Parallel Derivative Actions

The number of securities class action lawsuits filed in the first six months of 2025 was roughly level with the number of securities suits filed in the second half of 2024, according to a new report from Cornerstone Research. The number of suits filed in the first half of 2025 is also roughly level with the historical semiannual average number of filings. The July 30, 2025, report, which Cornerstone Research produced in conjunction with the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse, is entitled “Securities Class Action Filings: 2025 Midyear Assessment,” can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s July 30, 2025, press release regarding the report can be found here.Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Securities Suit Filings Steady in Year’s First Half

The number of securities class action lawsuit filings involving accounting allegations increased slightly in 2024 compared to 2023, but the 2024 accounting-related filings remained below the long-term annual average number of such filings, according to the latest annual report from Cornerstone Research. The number of accounting-related settlements in 2024 remained steady compared to 2023, while the median, average, and total settlement values all decreased compared both to 2023 and long-term values.Continue Reading Accounting-Related Securities Suit Filings Increased, Settlement Values Decreased

The number of securities class action lawsuit settlements increased in 2024 compared to the year prior, but the median, total, and average settlement amounts decreased during the year, according to a new report from Cornerstone Research. Cornerstone Research’s March 26, 2025 press release about the report can be found here. The report itself, which is entitled “Securities Class Action Settlements — 2024 Review and Analysis,” can be found here.Continue Reading More Securities Suit Settlements in 2024, Settlement Amounts Decline

According to the latest report from Cornerstone Research, the number of federal and state securities class action lawsuits filed increased in 2024 for the second year in a row, to the highest level since 2020, even though the overall number of liability actions filings under the ’33 Act declined to the lowest level in the last ten years. As discussed below, a more detailed analysis of the 2024 securities class action lawsuit filing figures suggests that the 2024 filing activity was elevated compared to both recent and longer-term historical levels. The January 29, 2025, report, which was written in conjunction with the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse, and which is entitled “Securities Class Action Filings: 2024 Year in Review,” can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s January 29, 2025 press release about the report can be found here.Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Securities Suit Filings Increased in 2024

The number of securities class action lawsuit filings involving accounting allegations increased in 2023 compared to 2022, but the 2023 accounting-related filings remained below the long-term annual average number of such filings, according to the latest annual report from Cornerstone Research. The number of accounting-related settlements decreased during 2023, as did the median settlement value, though the aggregate and average value of accounting related settlements increased. The Cornerstone Research Report, which is entitled “Accounting Class Action Filings and Settlements: 2023 Review and Analysis,” can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s April 3, 2024, press release about the report can be found here.Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Accounting-Related Securities Suit Filings Increased in 2023

The number of securities class action lawsuit filings involving accounting allegations increased slightly in 2022 compared to 2021, but the number of 2022 accounting-related securities suit filings remained below the long-term annual average of such filings, according to the latest annual report from Cornerstone Research. At the same time, the total number, aggregate total value, and median and average values of accounting-related securities suit settlements increased in 2022 compared to the 2021. The Cornerstone Research report, which is entitled “Accounting Class Action Filings and Settlements: 2022 Review and Analysis,” can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s April 12, 2023, press release about the report can be found here.Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Accounting Related Case Filings and Settlements Increased in 2022