On September 21, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged the CEO, Sheng Fu, and former president, Ming Xu, of Chinese-based technology company Cheetah Mobile Inc. (“Cheetah Mobile” or the...more
9/30/2022
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Cease and Desist Orders ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Insider Trading ,
Material Nonpublic Information ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Violations
On March 30, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) held an open meeting to consider proposed rules and amendments regarding special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), shell companies, and...more
4/1/2022
/ Comment Period ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
Investors ,
New Rules ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Reverse Mergers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shell Corporations ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
The SPAC market has withstood many challenges throughout 2021, including softening of the private investment in public equity (PIPE) market for a majority of the year after a very robust first quarter for initial business...more
1/7/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Backstop Agreements ,
Breach of Duty ,
Capital Markets ,
Class Action ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investigations ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPEs) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Share Redemption ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Target Company
Within the last two weeks, a group of plaintiffs’ attorneys have filed derivative lawsuits in U.S. federal court in New York against three separate special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) — Pershing Square Tontine...more
SEC Settles First-Of-Its-Kind $13m DeFi Tech Action; NASDAQ Board Diversity Rules Challenged in Fifth Circuit; Delaware Court of Chancery Declines to Enforce Contractual Limitations on Liability to Bar Contractual Fraud...more
8/26/2021
/ Aiding and Abetting ,
Blockchain ,
Board of Directors ,
Civil Conspiracy ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Contract Disputes ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Diversity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Fraudulent Inducement ,
Investment Companies ,
Investors ,
Misrepresentation ,
Nasdaq ,
Petition for Review ,
Popular ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Purchase Agreement ,
Representations and Warranties ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Violations ,
Settlement ,
Smart Contracts ,
Token Sales ,
Unjust Enrichment ,
Unregistered Securities
Northern District of California Kicks Shareholder Derivative Suit Against Alphabet, Inc. For Failing to Allege Demand Futility; Rare Securities “Holder’s Claim” Trial Results in Jury Verdict for Defendants; Delaware Court of...more
8/17/2021
/ Appeals ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Demand Futility ,
Derivative Suit ,
Discovery ,
Dismissals ,
False Statements ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investors ,
Jury Verdicts ,
McDonalds ,
Misleading Statements ,
Motion to Amend ,
PSLRA ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Race Discrimination ,
Remand ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholders ,
Unjust Enrichment
SCOTUS Grants Certiorari to Decide Whether Automatic Discovery Stay Applies to Securities Act Cases in State Court; Delaware Court of Chancery Dismisses Stockholder Suit Against FedEx for Failure to Make Pre-Litigation...more
7/29/2021
/ Appeals ,
Automatic Stay ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Certiorari ,
Class Certification ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Derivative Suit ,
Discovery ,
Dismissal With Prejudice ,
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investors ,
Misleading Statements ,
Misrepresentation ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Popular ,
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ,
PSLRA ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Standard of Review ,
State Courts ,
Stock Prices ,
Vacated
Delaware Court of Chancery Awards Attorneys’ Fees After Gilead’s “Glaringly Egregious” Litigation Conduct; S.D.N.Y Grants Plaintiffs’ Partial Summary Judgment in Securities Class Action Against Perrigo; SPAC Investors Launch...more
7/29/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Class Action ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Dismissals ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Failure To State A Claim ,
False Statements ,
Information Requests ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investors ,
Misleading Statements ,
Misrepresentation ,
Omissions ,
Partial Summary Judgments ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Section 220 Request ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Shareholders ,
Short Selling ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
On July 13, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against special purpose acquisition corporation Stable Road Acquisition Company, its sponsor SRC-NI, its CEO Brian Kabot, the SPAC’s proposed...more
7/29/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
CEOs ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Mergers ,
Misleading Statements ,
Misrepresentation ,
Omissions ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Section 17(a) ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Sponsors
SCOTUS Vacates Class Certification In Suit Against Goldman Sachs And Clarifies Appropriate Scope Of Price Impact Evidence; Stockholders Strike $110 Million Settlement In Suit Alleging Breaches Of Fiduciary Duties By Former...more
7/27/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Aiding and Abetting ,
Anti-Fraud Provisions ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Arkansas Teacher Retirement System v Goldman Sachs Group ,
Bank Secrecy Act ,
Basic v Levinson ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Burden of Persuasion ,
Burden of Proof ,
Certiorari ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Cybersecurity ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dismissals ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Goldman Sachs ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Moneygram ,
Presumption of Reliance ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Shareholders ,
Vacated ,
Wire Fraud
Former Theranos CEO Denied Attorney-Client Privilege Over Communications with Company Attorneys; District of Massachusetts Allows Putative Securities Class Action to Proceed Against OvaScience Investors; Delaware Chancery...more
6/16/2021
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Client Representation ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Officers ,
Derivative Suit ,
Dismissals ,
Engagement Letters ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Health and Safety ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Insider Trading ,
Investors ,
Public Statements ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Shareholders ,
Standing ,
Unjust Enrichment
Federal Reserve Hints at Government-Backed Cryptocurrency; Third Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Securities Fraud Class Action Against Shutterfly Inc. Regarding Allegedly Misleading Financial Projections; Ninth Circuit Holds...more
6/4/2021
/ Cease and Desist Orders ,
Class Action ,
Corporations Code ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Currency ,
Dismissal With Prejudice ,
Dismissals ,
Federal Reserve ,
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ,
Investors ,
Judicial Notice ,
Loss Causation ,
Misleading Statements ,
Pleading Standards ,
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ,
Proxy Statements ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Shareholders ,
Shutterfly ,
Uber
Although Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) have been around for decades, only recently have they experienced an incredible surge in popularity and, inevitably, attention from regulators and plaintiffs’ law firms....more
A Win for Deal Certainty, Delaware Court of Chancery Orders Closing of Cake Supplier Acquisition; Under Armour to Pay $9M to Settle SEC Charges Involving Disclosure Failures; First Circuit Upholds Decision Applying Federal...more
5/19/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Business Judgment Rule ,
Buyers ,
Buyouts ,
Cease and Desist ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Debt Financing ,
Dismissals ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Foreign Investment ,
Going-Private Transactions ,
Investors ,
Minority Shareholders ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Partial Summary Judgments ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Sellers ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Solicitation
Eighth Circuit Overturns Class Certification in Suit Against TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., Holding Individualized Evidence is Required for Each Putative Class Member; District Judge Approves Magistrate’s Recommendation to Deny...more
5/5/2021
/ Abuse of Discretion ,
Best Execution ,
Bribery ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Class Members ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dismissal With Prejudice ,
Dismissals ,
Duty to Disclose ,
Evidence ,
Exelon Generation ,
False Statements ,
FRCP 23(b)(3) ,
Investors ,
Lobbying ,
Material Misrepresentation ,
Mergers ,
Misleading Statements ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Negligence ,
Omissions ,
Papa Murphys ,
Private Right of Action ,
Proxy Statements ,
PSLRA ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Remand ,
Retail Investors ,
Reversal ,
Rule 10(b) ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Scienter ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
TD Ameritrade
Biogen Inc. Wins Some, Loses Some, In Delaware Chancery Court Corporate Records Suit; Southern District of Florida Dismisses Securities Fraud Class Action Against Norwegian Cruise Lines Stemming From Alleged Impacts of...more
4/23/2021
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Banking Sector ,
Bitcoin ,
Books & Records ,
Class Action ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Records ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Discovery ,
Dismissals ,
Duty to Correct ,
Duty to Disclose ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ether ,
False Statements ,
Federal Prosecutors ,
Government Investigations ,
Investment Banks ,
Investors ,
Meeting Minutes ,
Misleading Statements ,
Motion to Compel ,
Policies and Procedures ,
PSLRA ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Scienter ,
Section 220 Request ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Violations ,
Stock Prices
Massachusetts Superior Court BLS Finds No Duty to Disclose Alleged Preliminary Merger Discussions, Northern District of California Declines to Dismiss Oracle Fraud Class Action Suit, SCOTUS Hears Oral Argument in Goldman...more
4/7/2021
/ Arkansas Teacher Retirement System v Goldman Sachs Group ,
Bad Faith ,
Breach of Contract ,
Breach of Duty ,
Burden of Persuasion ,
Burden of Production ,
Business Litigation ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Collateralized Debt Obligations ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Derivative Suit ,
Dismissal With Prejudice ,
Dismissals ,
Duty to Disclose ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fraud ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
MetLife ,
Misleading Statements ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Oracle ,
Oral Argument ,
Pensions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Shareholders ,
Stock Prices
Federal Judge Dismisses Facebook Investor Class Action Based on Board Diversity, Virginia Federal Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Claims that Altria Knew JUUL Was Marketing to Underage Consumers, SEC Brings Claims Against AT&T...more
3/24/2021
/ Advertising to Minors ,
AT&T ,
Board of Directors ,
Class Action ,
Dismissals ,
Diversity ,
Facebook ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investors ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Regulation FD ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
SLUSA
New York Federal Court Dismisses Securities Fraud Claims Against Alkermes for Lack of Fraudulent Intent; Fourth Circuit Affirms District Court’s Denial of Leave to File Amended Complaint Against Triangle Capital as Futile;...more
3/11/2021
/ Amended Complaints ,
Appeals ,
Class Action ,
D&O Insurance ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Dismissals ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Misrepresentation ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Scienter ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Transactions ,
Securities Violations ,
Subpoenas ,
Work-Product Doctrine
Rhode Island Federal Court Dismisses Securities Class Action Against CVS Arising From Statements Made After Omnicare Acquisition; SEC Division of Corporation Finance Suggests Companies Issue Additional Disclosures When...more
3/3/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Asset Purchase Agreements ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Contract ,
Breach of Duty ,
Buyers ,
Capital Raising ,
Cardinal Health ,
Class Action ,
Closing Documents ,
CVS ,
Derivative Suit ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Dismissals ,
Division of Corporate Finance ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investors ,
Market Volatility ,
Mergers ,
Mismanagement ,
Motion To Strike ,
Omnicare ,
Opioid ,
Purchase Price Adjustment ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Unclean Hands ,
Volkswagen
2020 marked an incredible surge in the prevalence of Special Purpose Acquisition Company (“SPAC”) initial public offerings and business combinations (“deSPAC transactions”). In 2020, there were 248 SPAC IPOs (raising total...more
2/23/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Corporate Officers ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Division of Corporate Finance ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Popular ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Target Company
The Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision on Wednesday in Sciabacucchi v. Salzberg, et al., C.A. No. 2017-0931-JTL (Del. Ch. Dec. 19, 2018) declaring that federal forum selection provisions purporting to require claims...more
A great deal of attention has been paid over the past few years to efforts made by corporations to control in which courts fiduciary duty and other claims may be brought against directors and officers. Effective August 1,...more