As I have often noted (for example, here), a company’s announcement that it is the subject of an FCPA-related investigation frequently leads to the filing of a follow-on civil lawsuit in which investor claimants allege either that the company’s senior officials have violated their oversight duties or that the company’s public disclosure statements were insufficient … Continue Reading
There is no private right of action under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), but plaintiff shareholders nevertheless frequently file follow-on civil actions in the wake of FCPA allegations against a company. Are these follow-on civil actions just an end run around the FCPA’s lack of a private right of action? That is the question … Continue Reading
There is no private right of action under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. However, a company’s announcement of an FCPA investigation or enforcement action frequently will draw a follow-on civil lawsuit in the form of a shareholders’ derivative lawsuit, in which a shareholder plaintiff alleges that the company’s board failed to prevent the company from … Continue Reading
As part of our beat here at The D&O Diary, we regularly monitor new lawsuit filings and try to identify trends and patterns. Over the years, we have noted and commented on this blog about many of the trends and patterns we have identified. More than once we have noted the incidence of director and … Continue Reading
Regular readers of this blog know that the filing of a shareholder lawsuit following the disclosure of a bribery investigation is a well-established phenomenon (as discussed, for example, here). Readers will also recall that in March 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Omnicare decision (about which refer here), there was significant discussion whether … Continue Reading
In an earlier post, I noted that a significant factor driving securities litigation filings so far this year has been the rising number of U.S. securities lawsuits involving non-U.S. companies. A number of different factors are contributing to the filing of these suits, but among the factors is the increasing numbers of U.S.-listed non-U.S. companies … Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Justice’s blockbuster announcement in late May that U.S. prosecutors have indicted fourteen defendants on corruption charges involving activities of the International Federation of Football (FIFA) and related regional member organizations captured news headlines around the world. The story has continued to dominate the news, as new details about the scandal have … Continue Reading
The dramatic pre-dawn arrest in Zurich of nine FIFA officials on bribery-related charges dominated the headlines last week. The FIFA corruption investigation news last week also overshadowed the resolution of an FCPA enforcement action involving different sports-related events – BHP Billiton’s sponsorship-related activities at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Though the SEC’s enforcement action … Continue Reading
For many years, the U.S. was the only country actively seeking to use its laws to fight corruption. However, more recently, a number of other countries have enacted their own anti-bribery laws while other countries have become more active in pursuing anti-bribery enforcement – including not only Germany, South Korea and Britain, but also Brazil … Continue Reading
I was on a panel at a law firm event last week during which I was asked to make some predictions for 2015. Among other things, I said that I thought we would see an increase of securities class action lawsuit filings following in the wake of regulatory investigations, especially bribery investigations. I also said … Continue Reading
I have frequently noted in prior posts that a frequent development after a company announces the existence of an FCPA investigation is the filing of a follow on civil action (refer, for example, here). But while plaintiffs’ lawyers often are eager to file these lawsuits, in many instances they prove to be unsuccessful (as discussed … Continue Reading
One of the most distinctive aspects of the current global regulatory environment has been the increasing willingness of U.S. regulators to try to project U.S. enforcement authority outside the U.S. The cross-border assertion of U.S. regulatory authority has taken place across a broad range of regulatory and compliance issues, including, for example, antitrust, trade sanction, … Continue Reading
There is no private right of action under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), but as I have frequently noted in prior posts, news of an anti-bribery investigation frequently is followed by a shareholder lawsuit based on allegations relating to the investigation. The latest example of this type of follow-on civil action involves the investment … Continue Reading
In my year-end survey of corporate and securities litigation, one of the trends I noted regarding the litigation that had been filed in 2013 was the rise in lawsuit filings following in the wake of governmental investigations and regulatory actions, particularly with respect to investigations and regulatory actions outside the United States. If two recently … Continue Reading
As it has been doing on a monthly basis during the current banking crisis, the FDIC has once again updated the page on its website describing the failed bank litigation that the agency has initiated. According to the latest update, as of April 12, 2013, the agency has now filed a total of 54 failed … Continue Reading
Among the more controversial questions about the U.S.’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been the extent of its reach in enforcement actions against foreign-domiciled individuals. Two recent decisions from the Southern District of New York reached differing conclusions about the statute’s reach. One case rejected the individual’s motion to dismiss the FCPA enforcement action, while … Continue Reading
An overabundance of airplane time and a shortage of Internet access (not the mention my day job’s unrelenting requirements) have kept The D&O Diary on the blogging sidelines despite a host of noteworthy events in recent days. The march of events moves ever onward, but before the sands of time envelop recent notable events altogether, … Continue Reading
Among the many litigation threats companies face, a couple of specific kinds of cases have recently emerged: the civil action following on in the wake of an FCPA investigation or enforcement action, and the shareholder suit following after a negative “say on pay” vote. Many companies involved in an FCPA investigation or experiencing a negative … Continue Reading
The rating agencies must defend against claims for negligent misrepresentation in connection with the ratings the firms assigned to a pair of structured investments vehicles, Southern District of New York Judge Shira Scheindlin has ruled in a pair of May 4, 2012 decisions. Judge Scheindlin did grant the defendants’ motions to dismiss claims for negligence, breach … Continue Reading
SciClone Settles FCPA Follow-on Derivative Suit : In a settlement that involves a company with significant Chinese operations — and that also may represent something of a template for the settlement of FCPA enforcement follow-on civil lawsuits — SciClone Pharmaceuticals and the individual defendant directors and officers have agreed to settle the consolidated derivative lawsuits … Continue Reading
The year-end vacation days are over, the holiday decorations have been taken down, and last year’s wall calendars have been replaced. We are now into the Narnia season (at least here in Cleveland), where it is always winter but never Christmas. The New Year has entered with a bang, and that means more than just … Continue Reading
Although the world of electoral politics may seem distant from the directors’ and officers’ liability arena, there was one development in Tuesday’s elections that potentially could affect the D&O claims environment, and it happened right here in The D&O Diary’s home state of Ohio. It has not drawn much national attention, but Ohio’s activist Attorney … Continue Reading
If you are one of those people who still need persuading that the increasing crack-down on corrupt behavior is a big deal, you will want to take a look at The FCPA Blog’s recent breakdown of the top ten Foreign Corrupt Practice Act settlements, which can be found here. As Dick Cassin, the blog’s author … Continue Reading
Every day seems to bring news of a new or expanded bribery or corruption allegations and enforcement actions. In recent days alone, Avon announced that it was suspending four executives in connection with an internal investigation into alleged bribery in the company’s Chinese operations, and U.S. authorities announced they were joining German and Russian authorities … Continue Reading
