In the following guest post, Sarah Abrams, Head of Claims Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty, reviews the latest developments in SPAC-related Delaware Chancery Court proceedings, in light of the recent resurgence in SPAC transactions in the financial marketplace. I would like to thank Sarah for allowing me to publish her article as a guest post on this site. Here is Sarah’s article.Continue Reading Guest Post: Delaware Court Allows Core De-SPAC Fiduciary Duty Claims to Proceed
In the following guest post, Sarah Abrams, Head of Claims Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty, takes a look at the recent dismissal of a securities class action lawsuit arising out of a failed merger, and considers the implications for the dismissal, particularly with respect to securities suits involving SPAC transactions. I would like to thank Sarah for allowing me to publish her article on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this site’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Sarah’s article.Continue Reading Guest Post: Standing, Scienter, and SPAC Exposure
Over recent years, many companies have pursued paths for going public as an alternative to a traditional IPO, including, for example, through a reverse merger, and or a SPAC transaction. In the following guest post, Sarah Abrams, Head of Claims Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty, takes a look at these alternatives, and considers what these kinds of transactions may mean in terms of potential D&O liability exposure. I would like to thank Sarah for allowing me to publish her article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this site’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Sarah’s article.Continue Reading Guest Post: Backing Into an IPO
The number of securities class action lawsuits filed in the first six months of 2025 was roughly level with the number of securities suits filed in the second half of 2024, according to a new report from Cornerstone Research. The number of suits filed in the first half of 2025 is also roughly level with the historical semiannual average number of filings. The July 30, 2025, report, which Cornerstone Research produced in conjunction with the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse, is entitled “Securities Class Action Filings: 2025 Midyear Assessment,” can be found here. Cornerstone Research’s July 30, 2025, press release regarding the report can be found here.Continue Reading Cornerstone Research: Securities Suit Filings Steady in Year’s First Half
New securities class action lawsuits in the first half of 2025 were filed at a pace that projects to a year-end total number of filings level with 2024’s full-year total.Continue Reading First Half Securities Suit Filings on Pace to Match Last Year’s Filings Total
In recent weeks, the business pages have been full of stories concerning the genomic testing company 23andMe, in particular with respect to privacy issues and the company’s bankruptcy. In the following guest post, Sarah Abrams, Head of Claims Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty, considers potential D&O liability issues that recent developments involving the company could raise. I would like to thank Sarah for allowing me to publish her article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this site’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Sarah’s article.Continue Reading Guest Post: 23andMe and D&O Liability
In the wake of the SPAC IPO frenzy in 2021, SPAC activity cratered. However, as detailed in the following guest post from Sarah Abrams, there are signs that SPAC IPOs may be making a comeback, a revival that may raise certain concerns. Sarah is Head of Claims, Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty. I would like to thank Sarah for allowing me to publish her article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this site’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Sarah’s article.Continue Reading Guest Post: SPACs are Back
After the 2021 peak of the SPAC IPO frenzy, many SPACs wound up liquidating, while another significant tranche of the SPACs (or the SPACs post-merger successor companies) wound up in litigation. The post-frenzy glut of SPAC-related lawsuits has since been making its way through the courts ever since, and some have made it to the settlement stage. In recent days, the parties to two of these SPAC-related lawsuits have reached noteworthy settlements. As discussed below, the two settlements – the Alta Mesa SPAC-related lawsuit settled for $126.3 million and the Grab Holdings SPAC-related lawsuit settled for $80 million – are among the largest ever SPAC-related lawsuit settlements and could potentially set standards for future SPAC lawsuit settlements. The two settlements are subject to court approval.Continue Reading Record-Setting Settlements in Two SPAC-Related Securities Suits
The directors’ and officers’ liability environment is always changing, but 2024 was a particularly eventful year, with important consequences for the D&O insurance marketplace. The past year’s many developments also have significant implications for what may lie ahead in 2025 – and possibly for years to come. I have set out below the Top Ten D&O Stories of 2024, with a focus on future implications. Please note that on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM EST, my colleagues Marissa Streckfus, Chris Bertola, and I will be conducting a free, hour-long webinar in which we will discuss The Top Ten D&O Stories of 2024. Registration for the webinar can be found here. I hope you can join us for the webinar.Continue Reading The Top Ten D&O Stories of 2024
The number of federal court securities class action lawsuit filings increased in 2024 for the second year in a row, to the highest level since 2020. The increased number of federal court securities suit filings during the past year is due to several factors, including continuing filings relating to ongoing trends such as new lawsuit filings relating to SPACs, COVID-related suits, and cryptocurrencies, as discussed further below.Continue Reading Federal Court Securities Class Action Lawsuit Filings Increased in 2024