The growing problem of M&A-related litigation has been well-documented on this site (refer for example here ). The prevalence of M&A litigation has grown to the point that virtually every M&A transaction involves litigation, and often involving multiple lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions...

On November 1, 2012, in what is the first lawsuit the FDIC has filed as part of the current bank failure wave against a failed bank's accountants, the FDIC, as receiver for the failed Colonial Bank, has filed an action in the Middle District of Alabama against Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Crowe Horwath...

One of the more interesting story lines in the securities class action litigation arena in recent years has been the emergence of substantial class action opt-out litigation , whereby various claimants representing significant shareholder ownership interests select out of the class suit and separately...

When H-P announced on November 20, 2012 that it was taking an $8.8 billion charge after it discovered "accounting improprieties, misrepresentations and disclosure failures" at its Autonomy unit (which H-P acquired in October 2011 for $11.1 billion), there was a great deal of speculation that...

In what is by far the largest settlement in the current wave of securities litigation involving Chinese companies, Ernst &Young, which served as the outside auditor for Sino-Forest, has agreed to pay C$117 million to settle the securities suit that Sino-Forest investors filed in Ontario against the...

New securities class action lawsuit filing levels were comparable to historical norms during 2012, but the number of settlements and of dismissals were both down for the year, according to the analysis and projections of NERA Economic Consulting in their December 11, 2012 publication "Flash Update...

Largely as a result of a slowdown in new filings during the fourth quarter, 2012 securities class action lawsuit filings were below the filing levels of recent years and below historical averages. Filing levels remained elevated in the natural resources, life sciences and computer services industries...

In a January 22, 2013 opinion ( here) , Southern District of New York Judge J. Paul Oetken has dismissed one of the many securities class action lawsuits that were filed against U.S.-listed Chinese companies in 2011. Though the primary interest in the case may be that it involves U.S. securities suit...

In last week's Advisen webinar on 2012 D&O claims trends, one of the audience questions related to the growth and relevance of litigation funding in the U.S. In responding to the question I noted, among other things, the rise of litigation funding outside the U.S., particularly in Australia and...

By Kevin M. LaCroix, Esq., Executive Vice President, OakBridge Insurance Services On February 5, 2013, in a detailed opinion exploring the nuances of a D&O policy's extended reporting period provisions, Western District of North Carolina Judge Henry Herlong Jr. determined that the directors...

After entity coverage began to be added to the D&O insurance policy a couple of decades ago, a recurring problem in the bankruptcy context was whether or not the D&O policy proceeds were property of the estate under Bankruptcy Code Section 541 (a) and subject to the automatic stay under Bankruptcy...

In what may be the largest settlement ever in securities class action litigation involving a pharmaceutical company, Merck has agreed to a combined settlement of $688 million to settle two related securities class action cases. The company's February 14, 2013 press release announcing the settlements...

The first wave of "say on pay" litigation involved lawsuits brought by shareholders following a negative advisory say on pay vote under the Dodd-Frank Act. The second wave of say on pay litigation , which picked up in 2012, involved plaintiffs' efforts to enjoin upcoming shareholder votes...

I am sure many readers were disturbed as I was by the February 19, 2012 New York Times article reporting that a Chinese army unit apparently has been executing a concentrated cyber-hacking program targeting U.S. companies and critical U.S. infrastructure. (The report of consulting firm Mandiant that...

In a much anticipated ruling in the Amgen securities class action litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 majority opinion written by Justice Ginsburg, held that a securities plaintiff is not required to prove that the allegedly misleading statements are material as a prerequisite to class certification...

The number of securities class action lawsuits filed against life sciences companies rose in both absolute and relative terms in 2012, according to a March 20, 2013 memorandum by David Kotler of the Dechert law form entitled "Survey of Securities Fraud Class Actions Brought Against U.S. Life Sciences...

Securities class action lawsuits involving accounting allegations are less likely to be dismissed, take longer to resolve, and make up a much greater proportion of total securities suit settlement dollars than non-accounting cases, according to a new report from Cornerstone Research. The report, entitled...

Third-party litigation funding's moment may already be here, as I have previously noted . But just the same, it is a little surprising to find stories about litigation funding at virtually every turn, with stories over the weekend appearing, for example, in The Economist and in the Wall Street Journal...

In what is the largest settlement so far of an mortgage-backed securities class action lawsuit filed as part of the subprime and credit-crisis securities litigation wave, the parties to the consolidated Countrywide mortgage-backed securities suit pending in the Central District of California have agreed...

During the first quarter of 2013, new corporate and securities lawsuits and regulatory enforcement actions increased slightly compared to the fourth quarter of 2012 but remained well below annual averages over the last two years, according to a new report from Advisen, the insurance information firm...

In two decisions last week - one in the Sixth Circuit and one in the First Circuit - federal appellate courts set aside lower court dismissals of securities class action lawsuits. Although the two cases are different and the two appellate opinions address different legal issues, the two decisions both...

In two administrative enforcement actions last month, the SEC charged two municipalities - Harrisburg, Pa. and South Miami, Fla. - with securities fraud. These high-profile actions sounded alarm bells and raised concerns about possible securities violations involving other state and local governments...

Securities class action lawsuit filings “remained at depressed levels” during the first half of 2013 according to the latest report from Cornerstone Research and the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse. The report, entitled “Securities Class Action Filings: 2013...

Earlier this summer when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Italian Colors v. American Express , in which the Court enforced a class action waiver in an arbitration agreement to compel the claimants to arbitrate their antitrust claims, the decision seemed likely to have widespread impact even...

A recurring question under the management liability insurance protection that banks typically acquire is the extent of the protection afforded under their policies’ professional liability provisions. One particular question that often arises is whether the policy affords coverage for customers’...