One factor that contributed significantly to the total number of securities class action lawsuits filed in 2021 and 2022 was the proliferation of SPAC-related securities suit filings. Although diminished in number this year relative to the two prior years, and while the filing pace has declined as the year has progressed, SPAC-related securities suits continue to be filed in 2023. In the latest example of this continuing trend, last week a plaintiff shareholder filed a securities suit against the executives and sponsor of a SPAC that merged with a health monitoring technology company that later went bankrupt. The named defendants include officers of the bankrupt company. While the suit is interesting as an example of the continuing threat of SPAC-related litigation, it may be even more important as an illustration of the way that geopolitical risk increasingly can translate into securities litigation.Continue Reading SPAC-Related Suit Shows How Geopolitical Risk Can Translate into Securities Litigation

As I have previously noted on this site, several international trade regulatory regimes have become increasingly important for companies and their executives. These regulatory regimes include U.S. sanctions, export controls, anti-money laundering (AML), and anti-bribery and corruption laws. Recent developments, such as the War in Ukraine, trade tensions with China, and issues involving digital assets have heightened these concerns. Violations of these regimes can result in regulatory enforcement actions as well as in related civil litigation.

The latest example of a civil action following in the wake of a trade regulation enforcement action is the lawsuit filed earlier this week against data storage company Seagate Technology Holdings plc, after the company was hit with a U.S. Department of Commerce administrative penalty for violation of Export Administration Regulations (EAR) pertaining to the Chinese technology company, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. The recently filed securities suit shows how international trade regulation and enforcement can translate into corporate and securities litigation. A copy of the July 10, 2023, Seagate complaint can be found here.Continue Reading Trade and Export Control Enforcement Leads to Securities Class Action Suit

With the news about the coronavirus outbreak dominating the headlines, other important stories have faded into the background — though they definitely have not gone away. Among these important continuing stories is the U.S. trade war with China. The frontlines of this trade war are on the battlefield of economic competition, which these days includes, among other things, export and import controls and other coercive measures. As one commentator has put it, the “highest-profile example of the United States’ use of targeted coercive measures against China is its yearlong campaign against Huawei, China’s national-champion telecommunications company.” And as a recently filed lawsuit demonstrates, among the implications of the two countries’ competition – and specifically, the U.S. measures targeting Huawei – is a risk that affected companies can be exposed to government investigations and also to D&O claims.
Continue Reading Semiconductor Company Hit with China Trade War-Related Securities Suit