Prior observers have already noted that in 2017 the value of securities class action lawsuit settlements plunged to lows not seen in years, largely due to from a shortage of large or even moderate settlements. These observations about the lack of larger settlement are underscored by the latest large securities suit settlement report from ISS … Continue Reading
Most informed observers know that IPO companies are more susceptible to securities class action litigation than are more seasoned companies. IPO companies usually have short operating histories and so their post-offering performance can be unpredictable and may include unexpected developments. When IPO companies stumble out of the blocks, they can attract a securities suit just … Continue Reading
In the Bard’s timeless words, what’s past is prologue. And in that same vein, many of the last year’s most pronounced securities class action lawsuit filing trends are already showing signs of strong continuity in the early days of the New Year. As shown in my recent annual securities class action lawsuit filings analysis, by … Continue Reading
Largely driven by a surge in the number of federal court merger objection class action lawsuits, the number of securities class action lawsuit filings during 2016 reached record high levels. The number of filings in 2016 accelerated as the year increased, with a significantly greater number of filings in the year’s second half, compared to … Continue Reading
As I have noted in prior posts (most recently here), in recent months a number of Brazilian companies have been hit with a wave of U.S. securities class action lawsuits. These suits have followed in the wake of corruption scandals and environmental disasters in Brazil. Now yet another Brazilian company has been hit with a … Continue Reading
Largely as a result of the number of suits filed against smaller companies, the number of securities class action lawsuits filed in 2015 increased for the third year in a row, to the highest level since 2008, according to a new report from PwC. The April 2016 report, entitled “Small Companies, Big Targets: 2015 Securities … Continue Reading
Every year just after Labor Day, I take a step back and survey the most important current trends and developments in the world of Directors’ and Officers’ liability and D&O insurance. This year’s survey is set out below. Once again, there are a host of things worth watching in the world of D&O.… Continue Reading
Historically, non-U.S. companies listed on U.S. exchanges were sued in securities class action lawsuits less frequently than were listed U.S. companies. For several years now, according to NERA, non-U.S. firms have represented about 16% of all companies listed on the U.S. exchanges, but according to Cornerstone, for the period 1997-2013, the average percentage of securities … Continue Reading
Continuing an recent downward trend, corporate and securities litigation filings during the third quarter declined, both compared to the prior quarter and compared to the third quarter last year, according a new report from Advisen, the insurance information firm. In its report, entitled “D&O Claims Trends: Q3 2014” (available here), Advisen reports that corporate and … Continue Reading
On July 30, 2014, when a plaintiff shareholder filed a securities class action lawsuit against the company and certain of its directors and officers, Galectin Therapeutics became the latest company to be hit with a securities suit following press reports that the company had used a stock promotion firm to try to boost its share … Continue Reading
For a brief period in the 2010-2012 time frame, U.S. securities lawsuits filings against U.S.-listed Chinese companies surged as investors filed a wave of lawsuits against Chinese companies that obtained U.S.-listings by way of a merging with a publicly traded shell. The Chinese reverse merger lawsuit filing wave eventually subsided – yet filings against U.S.-listed … Continue Reading
It is nothing new for private securities litigation to follow in the wake of a company’s announcement that it is the target of an SEC investigation. Similarly, civil litigation following after a company’s announcement of the existence of an FCPA investigation is a phenomenon I have frequently noted on this blog. A number of these … Continue Reading
The changing mix of corporate and securities litigation is a recent phenomenon on which I have frequently commented on this blog. While identifying the fact of the change is relatively straightforward, explaining it is more challenging. According to a January 11, 2012 article in The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation entitled “Shareholder Litigation After … Continue Reading
As a result of legal changes taking place in many countries around the world, as well as U.S. Supreme Court case law developments, questions involving the possibility of securities litigation outside the U.S. has become an increasingly high profile issue. In a guest post, Robert F. Carangelo, Paul A. Ferrillo and Catherine Y. Nowak of … Continue Reading
During 2011, elevated levels of M&A related litigation and the surge of litigation involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies offset declining numbers of credit crisis-related lawsuits, leading to overall levels of securities class action lawsuit filings consistent with recent years, according to a annual securities litigation study of NERA Economic Consulting. NERA’s December 14, 2011 report, entitled … Continue Reading
Securities class action lawsuit filings continued to accumulate during the third quarter of 2011, and the filing levels remain on pace for an above average year of securities class action litigation. As was the case in earlier quarters this year, the third quarter filing level was significantly buoyed by merger-related litigation and by lawsuits involving … Continue Reading
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. … Continue Reading
One of the more interesting securities class action lawsuit filing patterns that has developed as 2009 has progressed is the number of securities suits that have been filed long after the end of the purported class period cut-off date, as I have previously noted here. A November 21, 2009 National Law Journal article entitled "Securities … Continue Reading
One interesting thing about the most recently filed securities class action lawsuits is what they have in common – that is, that while the companies sued are drawn from a surprising diversity of industries, none of them are in the financial services sector. The absence of new securities suits against financially related companies is quite … Continue Reading
By now, it is well-established that the recent heightened securities lawsuit filing activity has been largely concentrated in the financial sector. However, litigation involving companies in other sectors has by no means gone away. In addition, recent filings suggest that while the plaintiffs’ lawyers have been concentrating on the financial sector, a backlog of actions … Continue Reading
On March 11, 2009, Cornerstone Research released its report of 2008 securities lawsuit settlements entitled "Securities Class Action Settlements: 2008 Review and Analysis" (here). Cornerstone previously released its review of 2008 securities class action filings, which can be found here. Among other things, the newly released Cornerstone Report concludes that "the value of cases settled … Continue Reading
On February 23, 2009, Advisen released its Report of 2008 securities litigation entitled "Securities Litigation in 2008: Implications for the D&O Market in 2009 and Beyond" (here, $ required). The Advisen Report’s numerical securities litigation analysis is directionally consistent with prior reports of the 2008 lawsuits, although the Report also contributes its own unique observations … Continue Reading
The numbers are unambiguous – there were more securities lawsuits filed in the second half of 2008 than there were in the first half. Nevertheless commentators and observers continue to repeat the mistaken conclusion that there were fewer lawsuits filed in the second half, and even to try to discern some significance from a decline … Continue Reading
On January 6, 2008, Cornerstone Research and the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse released their report on the 2008 securities class action lawsuit filings entitled "2008: A Year in Review." The Report can be found here and the accompanying press release can be found here. According to the Cornerstone Report, through December … Continue Reading
