As a result of a spike in second half filings, the number of new securities class action lawsuits increased slightly in 2010 compared to the year before, although the 2010 filing levels remained below historical averages, according to the annual study released jointly by Cornerstone Research and the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse.

Though securities class action lawsuit filings were below historical averages, overall corporate and securities litigation reached "record" levels during 2010, according to a report from the insurance information firm, Advisen. The report, which was released on January 19, 2011 and is entitled "2010 a Record Year for Securities Litigation," can be found here. 

2010 was a year of transition for securities class action lawsuit filings, as a number of trends that have been dominant in recent years diminished as the year progressed, while at the same time other trends emerged. Overall, the number of filings during the year was up slightly from last year, although below long term

The astonishing pace of legislative and judicial changes – just over the last few months alone – underscores how rapidly the liability exposures in the directors and officers arena can be transformed. In the latest issue of InSights (here), I take a look at the current hot topics in the world of directors&rsquo