Securities class action lawsuit filings declined 22% in 2020 compared to the year prior but remained well above long-term annual averages, according to a February 3, 2021 report by Cornerstone Research published in conjunction with the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse. The Cornerstone Research report’s analysis of the 2020 filings is consistent with prior reports on the topic; however, the Cornerstone Research report, unlike prior reports, includes data both for federal and for state securities class action lawsuit filings. The Cornerstone Research report can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s February 3, 2021 press release about the report can be found here.
Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Both Federal and State Securities Suit Filings Declined in 2020
Securities Litigation Against Life Sciences Companies Remained Elevated in 2020
Federal court securities class action litigation filings against life sciences companies declined slightly in 2020 relative to 2019 but remained above long-term historical levels, and remained a significant portion of overall securities class action lawsuit filings during the year, according to a new report from the Dechert law firm. The January 28, 2021 report, entitled “Dechert Survey: Developments in Securities Fraud Class Actions Against Life Sciences Companies 2020 Edition,” can be found here.
Continue Reading Securities Litigation Against Life Sciences Companies Remained Elevated in 2020
First Dismissal of Coronavirus-Related Securities Class Action Lawsuit
As I have noted on this site as the cases have accumulated (most recently here), since March 2020 plaintiffs’ lawyers’ have filed over two dozen coronavirus-related securities class action lawsuits. But even as the plaintiffs’ lawyers appeared eager to pursue these types of claims, the question has remained about how these lawsuits will fare. Now, in first dismissal motion ruling in a coronavirus-related securities suit, the court has granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss, in the coronavirus-related securities suit filed last July against Velocity Financial. A copy of Central District of California Judge Gary Klausner’s January 25, 2021 order can be found here.
Continue Reading First Dismissal of Coronavirus-Related Securities Class Action Lawsuit
NERA: 2020 Securities Suit Filings Down vs. 2019, But Above Long-Term Levels
Federal court securities class action lawsuit filings declined 22% in 2020 compared to 2019, but the 2020 filings were still above the long-term historical average annual numbers of filings, according to NERA Economic Consulting’s annual securities litigation report. The 2020 securities suit filing drop-off reflected a decline in the number of federal court merger objection class action lawsuits filed during the year, offset in part by the number of coronavirus-related securities suits. NERA’s January 25, 2021 report can be found here.
Continue Reading NERA: 2020 Securities Suit Filings Down vs. 2019, But Above Long-Term Levels
Aggregate Securities Class Action Settlements Grew Substantially in 2020
Driven largely by several mega-settlements (that is, settlements of $100 million or greater), the aggregate value of global securities class action settlements in 2020 totaled 61% more than in 2019, according to a new report. The report, entitled “2020 Securities Related Settlements Exceed $5.8 Billion,” and published in a January 18, 2021 post on the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, was written by Jeff Lubitz of ISS Securities Class Action Services. The report can be found here.
Continue Reading Aggregate Securities Class Action Settlements Grew Substantially in 2020
The Top Ten D&O Stories of 2020
The directors’ and officers’ liability environment is always changing, but 2020 was a particularly eventful year, with important consequences for the D&O insurance marketplace. The past year’s many developments also have significant implications for what may lie ahead in 2021 – and possibly for years to come. I have set out below the Top Ten D&O Stories of 2020, with a focus on the future implications. Please note that on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 11:00 AM EST, my colleague Marissa Streckfus and I will be conducting a free, hour-long webinar in which we will discuss The Top Ten D&O Stories of 2020. Registration for the webinar can be found here. I hope you will please join us for the webinar.
Continue Reading The Top Ten D&O Stories of 2020
Securities Suit Filings Declined in 2020 But Remained Above Historical Levels
The number of federal court securities class action lawsuit filings declined in 2020 relative to the most recent prior years, largely due to short-term filing lulls during the second and fourth quarters of the year. Though the number of filings last year was below the record-setting levels seen during the years 2017 to 2019, the number of 2020 filings was still well above historical annual averages.
Continue Reading Securities Suit Filings Declined in 2020 But Remained Above Historical Levels
Guest Post: Event Driven Securities Litigation: The New Driver in Class Action Growth
One of the most distinctive and interesting securities class action litigation phenomena in recent years has been the rise of event driven litigation. In the following guest post, Jeffrey Lubitz, Executive Director at ISS Securities Class Action Services, and Elisa Mendoza, Vice President of Operations at ISS Securities Class Action Services, take a detailed look at the event driven securities litigation phenomenon, which they describe as a new driver in the growth of securities suit filings. A complete version of this ISS SCAS white paper with footnotes, endnotes, and sources is available on the ISS website. I would like to thank Jeff and Elisa for allowing me to publish their article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this blog’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would l like to submit a guest post. Here is Jeff and Elisa’s article.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Event Driven Securities Litigation: The New Driver in Class Action Growth
Online Learning Firm Hit with COVID-19-Related Securities Suit
Technology-based education firm K12, Inc., which hoped to be able to profit from the pandemic-related shift to virtual learning , has been hit with a securities class action lawsuit alleging that the company’s share price declined after school systems using its platform to address their online learning needs allegedly experienced disappointing results. A copy of the shareholder plaintiff’s November 19, 2020 complaint can be found here.
Continue Reading Online Learning Firm Hit with COVID-19-Related Securities Suit
Royal Caribbean Hit with COVID-19-Related Securities Suit
In the latest COVID-19-related securities class action lawsuit filing, the cruise ship company Royal Caribbean Cruises has been hit with a securities suit alleging that the as the viral disease spread earlier this year the company attempted to soft-pedal its statements about the outbreak’s impact on its operations and bookings, as well as about the safety threat that the outbreak represented for ship crews. As discussed further below, the new lawsuit against Royal Caribbean reflects several of the key trends in the coronavirus-related lawsuits. A copy of the new complaint against Royal Caribbean can be found here.
Continue Reading Royal Caribbean Hit with COVID-19-Related Securities Suit