Securities

  • August 29, 2024

    Texas' Anti-ESG Law Is Unconstitutional, Green Biz Org Says

    A sustainability-focused business group on Thursday sued Texas state officials in federal court seeking to block a law that restricts state investments with financial firms and businesses that want to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

  • August 29, 2024

    Starbucks Overpromised On 'Reinvention' Plan, Investor Says

    Coffee chain Starbucks faces a proposed investor class action alleging it misled the markets about prospects for its so-called Triple Shot Reinvention strategy, hurting investors after trading prices for its shares slid when it announced disappointing quarterly results in April 2024.

  • August 29, 2024

    SEC Says PE Firm Ran $3.3M Real Estate Investment Scam

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a suit in California federal court accusing a private equity firm and its managing partner, who was previously convicted of financial crimes, of fraudulently raising $3.3 million through a Ponzi-like real estate investment scheme.

  • August 29, 2024

    SEC Slams Crypto Co.'s Bid To Curb Its Enforcement Powers

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has moved to rid itself of a lawsuit that aims to limit its ability to oversee the crypto industry, telling a Texas federal judge that there is no evidence that the agency's staff was even aware of the startup that is suing to head off a non-existent enforcement action.

  • August 29, 2024

    Ex-SPAC Agrees To Face 'Springing Penalty' In SEC Case

    Former blank check company National Energy Services Reunited Corp. has agreed to pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $400,000, with a potential additional penalty of $1.2 million if it doesn't undertake certain remediation efforts, over alleged financial reporting and controls failures stemming from its acquisition of 2 companies.

  • August 29, 2024

    Schwab's 'Cash Sweep' Paid For TD Ameritrade Buy, Suit Says

    The Charles Schwab Corp. has been hit with a proposed class action in California federal court by three customers alleging that the investment bank obtains "outsized benefits" from its cash sweep programs and used a significant amount of the cash to finance its $26 billion acquisition of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. several years ago.

  • August 29, 2024

    Nigerian Fintech Ex-CEO Hit With $32M Fine In SEC Fraud Suit

    A New York federal judge has levied a nearly $32 million penalty against a Nigerian businessman whom the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has accused of fraudulently inflating the value of his food and agriculture technology businesses, while also ordering him and various affiliated businesses to cough up hundreds of millions of dollars in disgorgement and prejudgment interest.

  • August 29, 2024

    Class Attys Seek Chancery Doc Sanctions In Santander Suit

    An attorney for Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. stockholders urged a Delaware vice chancellor Thursday to exercise the court's "common law" document retention enforcer role during arguments for sanctions against the big auto lender's board, controller and parent for deleting messages before a $2.5 billion minority squeeze-out merger.

  • August 29, 2024

    GAO Suggests IRS Improve Retirement Account Oversight

    The Internal Revenue Service needs to beef up its oversight of conflicts of interest between fiduciaries and individual retirement account investors, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report.

  • August 29, 2024

    JPMorgan Says Ex-Adviser Poached Clients Worth $13M

    JPMorgan Chase has accused a former adviser of attempting to solicit clients for Wells Fargo, an effort JPMorgan alleged has so far been successful in converting 16 clients worth $13 million to its competitor.

  • August 29, 2024

    Feds Say Ex-BigLaw Atty Can't Shake OneCoin Conviction

    Federal prosecutors have told the Second Circuit that former Locke Lord LLP partner Mark S. Scott has "greatly exaggerate[d]" the importance of testimony from a government witness, some of which was later shown to be perjury, in a bid to have his money laundering conviction reversed.

  • August 29, 2024

    Nasdaq To Pay $22M CFTC Fine Over Incentive Program

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission slapped Nasdaq Futures Inc. with a $22 million fine Thursday based on allegations that the now-shuttered derivatives exchange failed to disclose an incentive program for high-volume traders.

  • August 28, 2024

    Calif. Assembly OKs 1st-Of-Its-Kind AI Safety Bill

    California lawmakers on Wednesday approved a groundbreaking proposal that would set safety and security standards for large artificial intelligence models.

  • August 28, 2024

    TikTok Moderation Co. Can't Beat Investor Suit Over Exposés

    A Florida federal judge ruled Wednesday that TikTok content moderation company Teleperformance must face a pension fund's proposed class action alleging that investors were harmed after investigative reports were published claiming that the company was working its staff into the ground and forcing them to watch harmful content with no support.

  • August 28, 2024

    SEC Says Repeat Offenders Ran Medical Co. Investment Scam

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has reached a settlement with one of two men it accused of inflating the price of a healthcare company before an initial public offering with a shell company, saying he has violated a trading bar from the agency's previous suit against him.

  • August 28, 2024

    BofA Units Fined $3M Over Trade Surveillance Compliance

    Two Bank of America units have agreed to pay $3 million to settle the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's claims that they did not sufficiently safeguard against potentially manipulative trading by customers.

  • August 28, 2024

    Capital One Says Merger's Pending Approval Tanks Challenge

    Capital One urged a Virginia federal judge to toss or pause a lawsuit challenging the bank's proposed $35 billion acquisition of Discover Financial Services, saying the suit's claims are too speculative and contingent on unknown future events since they depend entirely on the acquisition receiving regulatory and government approval.

  • August 28, 2024

    SEC To Embattled NC Insurance Exec: Show Us The Money

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking to force a convicted insurance mogul at the center of an alleged $57 million fraud to tell it what happened to the money he's accused of stealing from the insurance companies he ran, arguing in a North Carolina federal court that his answers thus far don't add up and that he shouldn't be allowed to rely on them at his upcoming trial.

  • August 28, 2024

    Boston Consulting Group Avoids FCPA Prosecution, Feds Say

    The U.S. Department of Justice has declined to prosecute Boston Consulting Group Inc. for former employees' alleged bribery of Angolan officials because of the management consulting firm's self-disclosure of the misconduct, as well as its cooperation, remediation and disgorgement of more than $14.4 million.

  • August 28, 2024

    Walgreens Brass Hid Pharmacy Division Woes, Suit Says

    Walgreens' directors and officers have been hit with a derivative suit by a shareholder who says the company and its executives inflated stock value by publicly expressing confidence in the pharmacy division's growth while hiding its struggles adapting to industry hurdles.

  • August 28, 2024

    NFT Platform OpenSea Says SEC May Bring Registration Suit

    The CEO of nonfungible token marketplace OpenSea said Wednesday that the firm was ready to "stand up and fight" after it received a notice that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was considering an enforcement action claiming that the "creative goods" on its platform are unregistered securities.

  • August 28, 2024

    Bowl America Board Strikes $2.2M Deal To End Merger Suit

    Bowl America board members have agreed to pay nearly $2.2 million to settle a class action that alleged the company's board of directors acted in bad faith when it approved a merger with Bowlero Corp., according to a proposal submitted to a Maryland federal court.

  • August 28, 2024

    Billionaire Vik Says Deutsche Bank's 'Harassment' Must End

    Deutsche Bank AG's Connecticut state court lawsuit against billionaire Alexander Vik and his daughter is a doomed effort to relitigate issues that were already decided in a 2013 case that likewise sprang from the bank's global legal battle to collect a $243 million foreign judgment, the defendants said in seeking an early win.

  • August 28, 2024

    Conn. Investment Firm Withheld Pay, Commissions, Suit Says

    Six former employees of Connecticut investment advisory firm Excel Wealth Management LLC have sued the company and its members in state court seeking hourly wages or commissions they claimed they were never paid, with some alleging they were terminated for speaking out about their compensation.  

  • August 28, 2024

    SEC Omits 'Swing Pricing' Plan From Fund Disclosure Rules

    A divided U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday agreed to require more detailed and frequent disclosures from mutual funds, though regulators dropped plans — at least for now — to implement a controversial "swing pricing" provision.

Expert Analysis

  • Inside OCC's Retail Nondeposit Investment Products Refresh

    Author Photo

    In addition to clarifying safe and sound risk management practices generally, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's revised booklet on retail nondeposit investment products updates its guidance around certain sales practices in light of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's adoption of Regulation Best Interest, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?

    Author Photo

    A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Why The SEC Is Targeting Short-And-Distort Schemes

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent crackdown on the illegal practice of short-and-distort trades highlights the urgent need for public companies to adopt proactive measures, including pursuing private rights of action, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Series

    Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.

  • A Look At The Regulatory Scrutiny Facing Liquid Restaking

    Author Photo

    Recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions highlight the regulatory challenges facing emerging financial instruments like liquid restaking tokens and services, say Daniel Davis and Alexander Kim at Katten.

  • Del. Dispatch: Director Caremark Claims Need Extreme Facts

    Author Photo

    The Delaware Court of Chancery recently dismissed Caremark claims against the directors of Centene in Bricklayers Pension Fund of Western Pennsylvania v. Brinkley, indicating a high bar for a finding of the required element of bad faith for Caremark liability, and stressing the need to resist hindsight bias, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • 5 Insights Into FDIC's Final Rule On Big-Bank Resolution Plans

    Author Photo

    Although the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recently finalized rule expanding resolution planning requirements for large banks was generally adopted as proposed, it includes key changes related to filing deadlines, review and feedback, and incorporates lessons learned — particularly from last year's bank failures, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Jarkesy Ruling May Redefine Jury Role In Patent Fraud

    Author Photo

    Regardless of whether the U.S. Supreme Court’s Jarkesy ruling implicates the direction of inequitable conduct, which requires showing that the patentee made material statements or omissions to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the decision has created opportunities for defendants to argue more substantively for jury trials than ever before, say attorneys at Cadwalader.

  • 3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture

    Author Photo

    Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Don't Let Loper Lead To Bank Compliance Lull

    Author Photo

    Banking organizations are staring down a period of greater uncertainty over the next few years as the banking agencies and industry navigate the post-Chevron world, but banks must continue to have effective compliance programs in place even in the face of this unpredictability, say Lee Meyerson and Amanda Allexon at Simpson Thacher.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

    Author Photo

    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • How 3 Recent High Court Rulings Could Shape Fintech Policy

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decisions in Jarkesy, Loper Bright and Corner Post provide fintech companies with new legal strategies to challenge regulatory actions, but agency reactions to these rulings and inconsistent judicial interpretations could bring compliance challenges and uncertainties, says Amy Whitsel at FS Vector.

  • 2nd Circ. Case Reinforces Need For Advance Notice Bylaws

    Author Photo

    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Nano Dimension v. Murchinson illustrates that Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act is a square peg for a round hole, and that advance notice bylaws are far better at protecting against undisclosed coordination among activist shareholders, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Cos. Should Note In DOJ's New Whistleblower Pilot

    Author Photo

    After the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a new whistleblower pilot program last week — continuing its efforts to incentivize individual reporting of misconduct — companies should review the eligibility criteria, update their compliance programs and consider the risks and benefits of making their own self-disclosures, say attorneys at Skadden.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Securities archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!