In my year-end analysis of the 2009 securities class action lawsuit filings, I noted a number of filing trends that developed in the second half of the year, including the incidence of new filings against leveraged Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and the surprising numbers of belated securities suit filings where the filing date came
Securities Lawsuits “Down Sharply” According to 2009 Cornerstone Report
Securities class action lawsuit filings were "down sharply" according to the annual study of securities class action litigation released jointly today by the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse and Cornerstone Research. The full report can be found here and the January 5, 2010 press release accompanying the report can be found here.
NERA Releases 2009 Securities Litigation Study
On December 15, 2009, NERA Economic Consulting released its annual study of securities class action litigation trends. The study, entitled "Recent Trends in Securities Class Action Litigation: 2009 Year-End Update," and written by my friends Stephanie Plancich and Svetlana Starykh, can be found here. The study concludes that, notwithstanding the decline in credit
NERA Releases SEC Settlement Trends Update
On December 7, 2009, NERA released its most recent update on trends in the numbers and values of settlements of SEC enforcement actions. The latest study, which is as of September 30, 2009 and complete through the end of the SEC’s 2009 fiscal year, shows that the number of settlements during the year declined for
Bankruptcy Filings Continue to Surge
Bankruptcy cases filed in the U.S. federal courts continued to surge in the twelve months ended September 30, 2009, according to statistics released on November 25, 2009 by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The statistical release, which can be found here, shows that for year ending on September 30, 2009, there
ETFs: The Hot New Securities Lawsuit Targets?
Where securities class action lawsuits are concentrated tends to vary over time. At various times over the past several years, companies in the high tech sector, telecommunications category and, more recently, in the financial services industries, have found themselves for a period to be the most popular targets for plaintiffs’ securities class action attorneys. However
A Single New Securities Lawsuit, Many Current Trends
It is always useful to look at aggregate securities lawsuit filing data to try to determine what trends and themes can be discerned, but occasionally it is also useful to look at a single new filing whether it might suggest anything. To choose one example, a closer look at a new securities class action lawsuit
Advisen Releases Third Quarter Securities Litigation Report
Lawsuits alleging violations of the securities laws showed a strong comeback in the third quarter of 2009, according to an Advisen report released on October 14, 2009 (here). The report, the latest in a quarterly series from Advisen, reports that securities lawsuit filings were up "solidly" in the third quarter after a relative
Securities Suit Filings Rebound in Third Quarter
After a brief lull during the second quarter, securities class action lawsuit filings during the third quarter were closer to historical norms, although the filings levels did drop again during September.
By my count, there were 49 new securities class action lawsuits during the third quarter. For reasons discussed below, my count could
Subprime-Related Securities Litigation: An Interim Update
It is now over two and a half years since the first subprime-related securities class action lawsuit was filed in February 2007, yet many of the cases filed as part of the ensuing litigation wave are still only in their earliest stages. But there have been some important developments recently – for example, the Eighth Circuit’s