Securities

  • October 01, 2024

    Big Banks Urge Panel To Toss NJ Bond Marketing Claims

    A New Jersey state judge erred when he applied a recent change in state law to deny a bid by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and other big banks to toss a suit accusing them of a scheme to inflate the interest rates of certain bonds, the banks argued Tuesday before a state appellate panel.

  • October 01, 2024

    Ex-Interior Dept. Deputy's Oil Stocks Violated Ethics Laws

    The onetime deputy secretary of the Interior, Tommy Beaudreau, who moved into private practice last year and now co-leads WilmerHale's energy practice, violated government ethics laws by failing to recuse himself from drilling-related matters while knowingly holding petroleum stocks, according to an internal watchdog's ethics report released Tuesday.

  • October 01, 2024

    Bybit Adds Ex-Binance Atty As Legal And Compliance Chief

    Crypto exchange Bybit has added a Binance and ByteDance alum to head its legal and compliance operations, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • October 01, 2024

    SEC Fines Marathon Asset Over Nonpublic Info Policies

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Marathon Asset Management LP will pay $1.5 million to settle allegations that the debt investment firm failed to have adequate policies and procedures to prevent the misuse of nonpublic information in relation to its business of analyzing debtors' financial obligations.

  • October 01, 2024

    Jenner & Block Welcomes Davis Wright's Chicago Head

    Jenner & Block LLP announced the addition of the former Chicago office leader at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP on Tuesday, touting the longtime financial litigator's skills in litigation and regulatory counseling.

  • September 30, 2024

    AI Safety Bill Veto Shows Calif. Taking Regulatory 'Baby Steps'

    The California governor's rejection of sweeping legislation to ensure the safe deployment of large-scale artificial intelligence models — and his simultaneous embrace of more targeted proposals to regulate the technology — is likely to result in the wider creation of regimes that favor "baby steps" over broad strokes, experts say. 

  • September 30, 2024

    SEC Says Ex-Church & Dwight CEO Misled On Independence

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday that Church & Dwight Co.'s former CEO and chairman has agreed to settle claims that he had an undisclosed close friendship with a high-ranking company executive while serving as an independent director of the maker of the Arm & Hammer brand and other consumer products.

  • September 30, 2024

    9th Circ. Partly Revives Crypto Investor's Suit Against AT&T

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday partially revived a cryptocurrency investor's suit accusing AT&T of failing to protect his information amid a fraudulent SIM swap that cost him $24 million, finding there to be a triable question whether AT&T gave hackers access to his proprietary information through the scheme.

  • September 30, 2024

    SEC Fines Moloney Securities, Sues Ex-Broker In Reg BI Case

    A Missouri broker-dealer and three of its representatives have agreed to pay more than $438,000 to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims that they violated Regulation Best Interest with high-risk debt securities, while the regulator sued another ex-representative for related allegations.

  • September 30, 2024

    MoneyGram Beats Investor Suit Over Anti-Fraud Compliance

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday tossed a proposed securities class action accusing MoneyGram International of lying about its anti-fraud compliance, finding that the suing investors did not adequately plead any misleading statements or that MoneyGram's executives acted with an intent to deceive.

  • September 30, 2024

    TD Securities To Pay $28M In Treasuries Spoofing Settlements

    Brokerage firm TD Securities has agreed to pay nearly $28 million to avoid prosecution and end regulatory investigations into its role in a spoofing scandal that will soon see the former head of its U.S. Treasuries trading desk brought before a jury, government officials announced Monday.

  • September 30, 2024

    Bristol-Myers Beats Celgene Investors' Drug Delay Suit

    A New York federal judge on Monday tossed UMB Bank's claims that Bristol-Myers Squibb improperly delayed U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a cancer treatment to avoid paying shareholders $6.4 billion owed from a 2019 acquisition of Celgene Corp., saying the bank lacked standing to sue.

  • September 30, 2024

    Google Investors' Attys Snag $66.5M In $350M Privacy Deal

    A California federal judge on Monday gave final approval to Alphabet's $350 million deal settling a Google data breach securities suit and awarded $66.5 million for attorney fees amid objections, calling the deal "an excellent result" and noting the 19% cut was below the benchmark for similar cases.

  • September 30, 2024

    Big Banks Get Brazilian Pollution Suit Booted From NY

    A New York federal judge on Monday dismissed an effort by a Brazilian city and residents to hold several big banks liable for allegedly financing environmentally ruinous mining operations in their region, ruling the matter would be more appropriately heard in Brazil.

  • September 30, 2024

    SEC Says Accountant Aided Tingo Group's Fintech Fraud

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday sued a Nigerian accounting firm for allegedly helping the operator of the Tingo fintech businesses conceal fake audit reports that inflated the value of the firms to further the "massive" fintech fraud.

  • September 30, 2024

    Chancery Sidelines Squarespace Merger Doc Suit For Now

    A Delaware Court of Chancery action to compel stockholder access to website builder Squarespace Inc.'s corporate records remained under a stay Monday, after a court finding that the suit aimed to preserve future review rights focused on a proposed $7.2 billion company take-private deal.

  • September 30, 2024

    CoinShares Group General Counsel Steps Down

    CoinShares International's general counsel stepped down Monday "to pursue other opportunities" beyond the European cryptocurrency asset manager, the firm said in a statement.

  • September 30, 2024

    Missouri Drops Appeal Intended To Save ESG Regulations

    Missouri has asked the Eighth Circuit to dismiss its appeal of a federal judge's decision finding that the state's anti-environmental, social and governance regulations for brokers and advisers violate the First Amendment and are preempted by federal laws.

  • September 30, 2024

    Fla. Judge Tosses NextEra Stock Drop Suit

    A Florida federal judge on Friday dismissed a proposed class action against NextEra that sought to hold the energy company liable for a drop in its share price after political interference allegations emerged against its subsidiary Florida Power and Light Co.

  • September 30, 2024

    SEC Scores Win In $18M Crypto Registration Suit

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was granted an early win Monday in a case alleging that a startup founder illegally sold $18 million in cryptocurrency tokens, after a federal judge said it was "undisputed" that the founder knew that he hadn't registered the tokens.

  • September 30, 2024

    Bed Bath & Beyond Investors Lose Bid For Class Cert.

    A D.C. federal judge has refused to certify a class of Bed Bath & Beyond investors in a suit alleging they were misled by company executives, saying that while the investors met many certification requirements, certification cannot be granted because the market for the company's stock was not efficient during the proposed class period.

  • September 30, 2024

    SEC Fines LA Man In Truth Social-Linked Insider Trading Case

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Eric Hannelius will pay over $365,000 to settle allegations that he traded on inside information ahead of a blank check company's acquisition of the owner of social media platform Truth Social.

  • September 30, 2024

    Morgan Stanley Investment Arm Nabs $750M For Climate Fund

    Morgan Stanley's investment management arm revealed Monday that its climate private equity fund, which is focused on investing in North American and European companies working to avoid or remove one gigaton of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions from the atmosphere, closed at $750 million of equity capital commitments.

  • September 30, 2024

    Schwab Nears Deal In Antitrust Suit Over TD Ameritrade Buy

    Charles Schwab Corp. has reached "an agreement in principle" with retail investors who filed a proposed class action alleging increased transaction costs for trades and other antitrust injury following the Schwab-TD Ameritrade merger, the parties told a Texas federal judge Friday.

  • September 30, 2024

    Popwallet Shareholders Sue Buyer Snap Inc. After Stock-Drop

    Stockholders of virtual payment wallet startup Popwallet Inc. have sued tech company Snap Inc. for fraud and equitable fraud in Delaware's Court of Chancery, accusing Snap of withholding deeply negative news about its own business until after closing on a mostly paid-in-stock merger in late 2021.

Expert Analysis

  • Emerging Trends In ESG-Focused Securities Litigation

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    Based on a combination of shareholder pressure, increasing regulatory scrutiny and proposed rulemaking, there has been a proliferation of litigation over public company disclosures and actions regarding environmental, social, and governance factors — and the overall volume of such class actions will likely increase in the coming years, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age

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    As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Next Steps After 5th Circ. Nixes Private Fund Adviser Rules

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    The Fifth Circuit's recent toss of key U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding private fund advisers represents a setback for the regulator, but open questions, including the possibility of an SEC petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, mean it's still too early to consider the matter closed, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing

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    When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Takeaways From Nat'l Security Division's Historic Declination

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    The Justice Department National Security Division's recent decision not to prosecute a biochemical company for an employee's export control violation marks its first declination under a new corporate enforcement policy, sending a clear message to companies that self-disclosure of misconduct may confer material benefits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Updates To CFTC Large Trader Report Rules Leave Questions

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    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's updated large trader position reporting rules for futures and options is a much-needed change that modernizes a rule that had gone largely untouched since the 1980s, but the updates leave important questions unanswered, say Katherine Cooper and Maggie DePoy at BCLP.

  • Risks And Promises Of AI In The Financial Services Industry

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    Generative artificial intelligence has immense potential to revolutionize the financial services industry, but firms considering its use should first prepare to show their customers and the increasingly divided international regulatory community that they can manage the risks inherent to the new technology, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Series

    Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.

  • Beware Shifting Provisions In Middle-Market Loan Documents

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    In recent years, many credit facility provisions previously considered to be market standard have been negotiated, often turning in favor of borrowers, demanding renewed diligence from workout officers and restructuring counsel operating in the middle market, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • How SEC Could Tackle AI Regulations On Brokers, Advisers

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission held an open meeting of its Investor Advisory Committee on June 6 to review the use of artificial intelligence in investment decision making, showing that regulators are being careful not to stifle innovation or implement rules that will quickly be made irrelevant after their passage, says Brian Korn at Manatt Phelps.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians

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    Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • A Deep Dive Into The Evolving World Of ESG Ratings

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    Attorneys at Mintz discuss the salience of environmental, social and governance ratings in corporate circles in recent years, and consider certain methodologies underlying their calculation for professionals, as well as issues concerning the ESG ratings and products themselves.

  • What TikTok's Race Against The Clock Teaches Chinese Firms

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    The Biden administration's recent divestiture deadline on TikTok parent ByteDance provides useful information for other China-based companies looking to do business in the U.S., including the need to keep products for each market separate and implement firewalls at the design stage, says Richard Lomuscio at Stinson.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

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    As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.

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