One of the more interesting recent developments in the D&O liability arena has been the emergence of issues surrounding fee-shifting bylaws. As readers will recall, in May 2014, the Delaware Supreme Court in the ATP Tours case upheld the validity of a non-stock corporation’s bylaw imposing attorneys’ fees on an unsuccessful claimant in an intra-corporate
IPO Companies
The Pre-IPO Company and “Failure to Launch” Claims
Due to a combination of favorable circumstances, the number of companies completing initial public offerings is currently at the highest level in years. According to a recent study from Cornerstone Research (here), with the 112 IPOs in the first half of 2014, IPO activity is on pace to increase for the third consecutive …
Now Trending: Initial Public Offerings and IPO-Related Securities Suits
Led by Twitter’s successful offering earlier this year, IPO activity in the U.S. during 2013 has been at its highest levels since 2007. While the listing activity seems to bode well for the general economy as well as for the financial markets, the increased number of IPOs has also led to an uptick in IPO-related…
The JOBS Act After One Year
A year ago, President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, a legislative product of rare bipartisan collaboration that was intended to improve employment and make it easier for smaller firms to raise private equity. (For an overview of the Act’s provisions, refer here.) Twelve months later, many of the rules needed…
Guest Post: D&O Insurance for Initial Public Offerings — What Every Director Needs to Know
I am pleased to publish below a guest post written by Paul A. Ferrillo of the Weil Gotshal and Manges law firm. Paul’s guest post identifies the liability exposures that IPO companies and their directors and officers face, and describes the insurance considerations the companies should address in confronting those exposures. Paul’s article was first printed …