When SEC Chair Gary Gensler expressed concerns last December about the possibility of reporting companies engaging in “AI-washing,” he was referring company disclosures that overstate or mislead investors as to their true AI capabilities or the extent to which the company has incorporated AI into their operations or products. Since the time of those remarks, there have in fact been several AI-washing based SEC enforcement actions (as discussed, for example, here), and even several securities class action lawsuits based on AI washing allegations (for example, here). Late last week, In the latest example of an AI- washing-based securities class action lawsuit, a plaintiff shareholder filed a securities class action lawsuit against Israeli-based cosmetics internet platform Oddity Tech Ltd., based on allegations that the company overstated the extent to which AI processes and tools enhanced its delivery of consumer services. A copy of the July 19, 2024, complaint can be found here.Continue Reading Cosmetics Platform Hit with AI-Washing-Related Securities Suit

In my recent mid-year review of the year-to-date securities lawsuit filings, I noted that certain factors that had contributed significantly to the number of securities suits filed in 2022 were less of a factor in the first six months of 2023. Among these diminished factors was the number of SPAC-related lawsuit filings. But while the number of SPAC-related suit filings has been down so far this year, SPAC-related suits are nonetheless still being filed. The latest example of a SPAC-related filing this year is the suit filed on July 6, 2023, against the Israeli company, Hub Cyber Security, Ltd., which became a Nasdaq-listed company following the February 2022 merger of its predecessor operating company with a SPAC.  The new lawsuit illustrates the ways in which litigation can arise against companies that are the product of completed SPAC mergers.Continue Reading Israeli Firm Hit with SPAC-Related Securities Suit

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

The D&O Diary is on assignment overseas this week with a lengthy itinerary including multiple stops. The first stop on my schedule was in Israel, where I had business meetings in Tel Aviv. My timetable while I was in Israel also allowed an opportunity for a first-time ever visit to Jerusalem. As reflected in the pictures below, the Jerusalem stopover was a truly extraordinary experience.
Continue Reading Jerusalem and Tel Aviv