The number of securities class action lawsuit filings involving accounting allegations increased in 2023 compared to 2022, but the 2023 accounting-related filings remained below the long-term annual average number of such filings, according to the latest annual report from Cornerstone Research. The number of accounting-related settlements decreased during 2023, as did the median settlement value, though the aggregate and average value of accounting related settlements increased. The Cornerstone Research Report, which is entitled “Accounting Class Action Filings and Settlements: 2023 Review and Analysis,” can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s April 3, 2024, press release about the report can be found here.Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Accounting-Related Securities Suit Filings Increased in 2023
The number of securities class action lawsuit filings in the first half of 2022 was up slightly compared to the number of filings in the second half of 2021, according to a new report from Cornerstone Research. The report, which is entitled “Securities Class Action Filings: 2022 Midyear Assessment,” contains extensive analysis of the first half 2022 filings, including in particular some interesting discussion about SPAC-related securities litigation. The report itself can be found 
Securities class action lawsuit filings “plummeted” in 2021 compared to recent prior years, largely as a result of declines in M&A litigation and in the number of “core” Rule 10b-5 lawsuits, according to the latest annual report from Cornerstone Research. According to the report, entitled “Securities Class Action Filings: 2021 Year in Review,” the number of new federal and state securities class action lawsuit filings decline 35% compared to 2020, but nevertheless remained “in line” with the 2012-2016 average. The report can be found 
Federal court securities class action lawsuit filings declined in the first half of 2021 to the lowest semiannual levels in several years. Several factors contributed to this relative decline, most significantly the shift by plaintiffs’ lawyers toward filing federal court merger objection lawsuits as individual actions rather than as class actions. In addition, as discussed further below, other factors contributed to the relative decline. The filing levels in the year’s first six months puts the filing for the full year 2021 on pace for the lowest annual filing levels since 2015, after several intervening years in which filings were at historically high levels.
There were a record number of securities class action lawsuits filed against tech companies in 2019, according to a new report from Cornerstone Research. The report, entitled “Tech Company Securities Class Action Filings and Settlements: 2015-Q1 2020 Review and Analysis” (
Securities class action lawsuit filings remained at elevated levels in 2019, but the mix of cases changed during the year, according to the recently published annual report from NERA Economic Consulting. According to the report, which is entitled “Recent Trends in Securities Class Action Litigation: 2019 Full-Year Review,” there were relatively fewer merger objection lawsuits during the year, and relatively more standard securities suits. NERA’s January 21, 2020 press release about the report can be found 
The number of federal court securities class action lawsuit filings during 2019 was consistent with the heightened number of filings in each of the two prior years. The total number of suits during 2019 was significantly increased by the number of federal court merger objection lawsuit filings, but even just with respect to the traditional suit filings, the number of securities suit filings in 2019 was well above historical levels. The 2019 federal court securities litigation rate (that is, the number of lawsuits relative to the number of listed companies) was at an all-time high.