Thirteen of the 100 all-time largest securities class action lawsuit settlements were finalized in 2016, the highest number of settlements during any one year period, according to a recent report from Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). Two of the 2016 settlements among the top 100 were among the eleven largest of all times. The report, which also ranks the plaintiffs’ law firms by the number of top 100 settlements in which they were involve, entitled “The Top 100 U.S. Settlements of All Time,” can be found here.
Continue Reading Record Number of Settlements Added to Top 100 Securities Suits Settlement List in 2016
Long-Running Halliburton Securities Suit Settles for $100 Million
According to the company’s December 23, 2016 press release (here), Halliburton has reached an agreement to settle the long-running securities class action pending against the company and certain of its directors and officers for $100 million. During its 14-year existence, the storied case had made two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court and three trips to the Fifth Circuit. The settlement is subject to court approval. Nate Raymond’s December 23, 2016 Reuters article about the settlement can be found here.
Continue Reading Long-Running Halliburton Securities Suit Settles for $100 Million
Securities Class Action Settlement Opt-Outs: Statistics and Trends
One of the more interesting story lines in the world of securities class action litigation over the past several years has been the rise of class settlement opt outs, whereby various claimants representing significant shareholder ownership interests select out of the class suit and separately pursue their own claims – and settlements. The class action opt-out litigation emerged as a significant phenomenon in the litigation arising out of the era of corporate scandals a decade ago. In an October 6, 2016 report entitled “Opt-Out Cases in Securities Class Action Settlements” (here), Cornerstone Research and Latham & Watkins LLP take a look what the statistics show about securities class action opt-outs. This recent report updates the findings in their 2013 study, based on updated data reflecting case settlements during the period 2012 to 2014. Cornerstone Research’s October 6, 2016 press release regarding the report can be found here.
Continue Reading Securities Class Action Settlement Opt-Outs: Statistics and Trends
PwC Report Reviews 2014 Securities Suit Filings and Settlements, Analyzes Trends Likely to Drive Future Suits
On April 10, 2015, PwC released the latest in what is now a series of annual securities class action litigation reports. PwC’s report is generally consistent with the reports previously published by Cornerstone Research and NERA. What makes the PwC report noteworthy is its commentary on the trends the report’s authors believe could contribute to
Cornerstone Research: Average and Aggregate Securities Suit Settlements Plunged in 2014
The aggregate amount of all securities class action settlements during 2014 declined to the lowest level in years and there also was a “dramatic” decrease in the average securities suit settlement amount during the year, according to a March 24, 2014 report from Cornerstone Research. The report, which is entitled “Securities Class Action Settlements: 2014
Cornerstone Research Releases 2013 Securities Class Action Settlements Analysis
Owing to a number of larger settlements, the average securities class action settlement amount in 2013 rose, while at the same time the media settlement amount declined, according to a study of the securities suit settlements from Cornerstone Research. The study also reports that the number of settlements and the aggregate dollar value of all
Securities Suit Based on Environmental Disclosures Settled
According to papers filed in the Southern District of New York on August 3, 2012, the parties to the Tronox securities litigation have agreed to settle the case for a total of $37 million. As I noted at the time that this suit was first filed back in July 2009 (here), the case
Predicting Securities Suit Case Outcomes
A great deal of the analysis of securities class action lawsuit settlements revolves around measures of aggregate, average and median settlement amounts. These data, while useful, are relatively unhelpful in trying to anticipate the outcome of any particular case, particularly at the outset. To try to develop a way to predict likely case outcome at
National City Corporation Subprime Securities Suit Settles for $168 Million
In the latest eye-popping subprime-related securities class action lawsuit settlement, the parties to the National City Corporation securities class action lawsuit have agreed to settle the case for $168 million. The proposed settlement is subject to court approval. The August 8, 2011 press release of the New York Comptroller, acting on behalf of the New
NERA Releases Year-End 2010 Securities Class Action Litigation Study
On December 14, 2010, NERA Economic Consulting released its annual year-end study of securities class action lawsuit filings and settlements. The report, entitled "Trends 2010 Year-End Update," can be found here. Among other things, the NERA study reports that class action filings "picked up substantially" in the second half of 2010, and that median