On January 24, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted final rules that impose significant additional procedural and disclosure requirements on initial public offerings (IPOs) by special purpose acquisition...more
1/30/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Capital Markets ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Mergers ,
PSLRA ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders ,
Shell Corporations ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
Key Points - The first half of 2022 experienced a slowdown in SPAC activity when compared to recent years. Only 77 de-SPAC M&A deals were announced in the first half of 2022, compared to 167 de-SPAC transactions in the same...more
This quarter’s issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between February and April 2022. Cryptocurrency Derivative Litigation Fiduciary Duties – Bylaws Material...more
5/24/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Material Misstatements ,
Mergers ,
Pleading Standards ,
PSLRA ,
Scienter ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation
On March 30, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) proposed new rules that would impose additional disclosure requirements on initial public offerings (IPOs) by special purpose acquisition companies...more
Takeaways -
While the SPAC IPO and PIPE markets were challenging in 2021, the enormous amounts of capital already raised should drive merger activity in 2022.
As more shareholders choose to redeem shares and potential...more
This quarter’s issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases decided in August and September 2021.
Appraisal Rights - Delaware Supreme Court Enforces Sophisticated Investors’ Waiver of Appraisal...more
12/3/2021
/ Appraisal Rights ,
Arkansas Teacher Retirement System v Goldman Sachs Group ,
Board of Directors ,
Caremark claim ,
Cryptocurrency ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Demand Futility ,
Derivative Suit ,
Federal Rule 12(b)(6) ,
FRCP 23(b) ,
FRCP 9(b) ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
PSLRA ,
RICO ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Sherman Act ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Statute of Repose
This quarter’s issue of Inside the Courts — An Update From Skadden Securities Litigators includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided in May-August 2021....more
10/22/2021
/ Breach of Duty ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Derivative Suit ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Loss Causation ,
Mergers ,
Pleading Standards ,
PSLRA ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
SLUSA ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Statute of Repose
Books and Records - Court of Chancery Orders Production of Emails, Denies Production of Privileged Communications in Books and Records Action - Emps.’ Ret. Sys. of R.I. v. Facebook, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0085-JRS (Del. Ch....more
6/9/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Breach of Duty ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Pleading Standards ,
PSLRA ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Scienter ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
SLUSA
This quarter’s issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between November 2020 and January 2021.
Derivative Litigation -
Second Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment...more
3/8/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Breach of Duty ,
Caremark claim ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Derivative Suit ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Loss Causation ,
Mergers ,
Pleading Standards ,
Ponzi Scheme ,
Proxy Statements ,
PSLRA ,
Shareholder Litigation
On December 8, 2020, Skadden held the fourth and final installment of its annual Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Update, “Developments and Trends in Securities Litigation: A Year-End Update for 2020 and a...more
2/22/2021
/ Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
FDA Approval ,
Popular ,
PSLRA ,
Scienter ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Stock Drop Litigation
This quarter’s issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between July and October 2020.
Class Certification
- Cryptocurrency – Definition of a Security
- Derivative...more
12/11/2020
/ Breach of Duty ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Derivative Suit ,
EBITDA ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Excessive Fees ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
Loss Causation ,
Material Misrepresentation ,
Material Misstatements ,
Mergers ,
Pleading Standards ,
PSLRA ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Standing ,
Whistleblowers
This issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between October 2019 and January 2020. ...more
4/6/2020
/ Aiding and Abetting ,
Books & Records ,
Breach of Duty ,
Bylaws ,
CEOs ,
Civil Liability ,
Collateral Estoppel ,
Criminal Convictions ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Demand Futility ,
Derivative Suit ,
Dismissals ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Exchange-Traded Products ,
False Statements ,
Federal Pleading Requirements ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Injunctions ,
Investment Adviser ,
Item 303 ,
Lack of Particularity ,
Mergers ,
Misleading Statements ,
Misrepresentation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Price-Fixing ,
PSLRA ,
Pyramid Schemes ,
Registration Statement ,
RICO ,
Scienter ,
Scope of Discovery Requests ,
Section 11 ,
Section 220 Request ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholder Votes ,
Summary Judgment
Several securities litigation trends over recent years show no signs of abating in 2020. Federal securities class action filings seem likely to remain at elevated levels. Last year, for the third consecutive year, more than...more
1/22/2020
/ Class Action ,
Cyan Inc v Beaver Cty Emps Ret Fund ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Emulex Corp. v Varjabedian ,
Federal Pleading Requirements ,
FIfth Third Bancorp v Dudenhoeffer ,
Investors ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Lorenzo v SEC ,
Parallel Proceedings ,
PSLRA ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Removal ,
Retirement Plans Committee of IBM v Jander ,
Rule 10(b) ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Litigation ,
SLUSA ,
State Law Claims ,
Stock Drop Litigation
This quarter’s issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between December 2018 and February 2019....more
3/14/2019
/ Appeals ,
Article III ,
Class Action ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Loss Causation ,
Mutual Funds ,
Nutraceutical Corp v Lambert ,
Omnicare v Laborers District Council ,
Pleading Standards ,
Ponzi Scheme ,
Popular ,
PSLRA ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
SLUSA ,
Standing
Alleged workplace harassment is not a new phenomenon, but in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct in the corporate context, plaintiffs increasingly are targeting an expanded group of defendants, including public...more
1/22/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Class Action ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Corporate Officers ,
Derivative Suit ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
FRCP 9(b) ,
Harassment ,
Internal Investigations ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Personal Liability ,
Pleadings ,
PSLRA ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reputational Injury ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Shareholder Litigation
As anticipated, securities class action filings remained high in 2018, with more than 400 filings in federal court, and the number is expected to remain high in 2019. While the total number is slightly less than in 2017, it...more
1/18/2019
/ Asia ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Foreign Issuers ,
Janus Capital Group Inc v First Derivative Traders ,
Latin America ,
Lorenzo v SEC ,
Material Misstatements ,
Parallel Proceedings ,
PSLRA ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities Litigation ,
Statute of Repose ,
Stock Drop Litigation
This quarter’s issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between September 2018 and October 2018. ...more
12/7/2018
/ Acquisitions ,
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Aiding and Abetting ,
Appointments Clause ,
Breach of Duty ,
Claim Preclusion ,
Class Action ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Damages ,
Dismissals ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Financial Institutions ,
General Partnerships ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investment Funds ,
Jurisdiction ,
Lucia v SEC ,
Material Adverse Effects ,
Material Misrepresentation ,
Merger Agreements ,
Mergers ,
MFW ,
Misrepresentation ,
Pleading Standards ,
Popular ,
Proxy Solicitations ,
PSLRA ,
Rule 10(b) ,
Scienter ,
Section 11 ,
Securities ,
Securities Act ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
SLUSA ,
Squeeze-Out Mergers
This quarter's issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between November 2017 and January 2018. The cases address developing trends in appraisal, class certification, core...more
3/27/2018
/ Acquisitions ,
Appraisal ,
Books & Records ,
Breach of Duty ,
Business Judgment Rule ,
Buyouts ,
CEOs ,
Claim Preclusion ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Core Operations Doctrine ,
Corwin Doctrine ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Dell ,
Demand Futility ,
Derivative Suit ,
Director Compensation ,
Entire Fairness Standard ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fraud-on-the-Market ,
FRCP 9(b) ,
High-Speed Trading ,
Loss Causation ,
Material Misrepresentation ,
Mergers ,
Motion to Amend ,
Petrobras ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pleading Standards ,
Preponderance of the Evidence ,
Presumption of Reliance ,
Proximate Cause ,
PSLRA ,
Ratification ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Rule 10(b) ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Scienter ,
Section 220 Request ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
SRO ,
Stock Drop Litigation
Today, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Cyan, Inc. et al. v. Beaver County Employees Retirement Fund, et al., No. 15-1439, slip op. at __ (Mar. 20, 2018), that state and federal courts have concurrent...more
3/20/2018
/ Class Action ,
Cyan Inc v Beaver Cty Emps Ret Fund ,
Jurisdiction ,
PSLRA ,
Removal ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations ,
SLUSA ,
Split of Authority ,
State Law Claims
As expected, securities class action filings reached a high-water mark in 2017. In fact, last year’s total of 400-plus filings was the second-highest on record, topped only by 2001, when the number was skewed by more than 300...more
1/29/2018
/ CalPERS v ANZ Securities ,
Class Action ,
Equitable Tolling ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
International Litigation ,
Life Sciences ,
Mergers ,
Petrobras ,
PSLRA ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Statute of Repose ,
Technology Sector ,
Trulia
The Supreme Court granted the petition for certiorari in Cyan, Inc. v. Beaver Cty. Emps. Ret. Fund, No. 15-1439 (U.S. May 24, 2016) yesterday, setting the stage for the resolution of a long-standing division among federal...more
6/28/2017
/ Certiorari ,
Class Action ,
Cyan Inc v Beaver Cty Emps Ret Fund ,
PSLRA ,
Removal ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Act ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities Litigation ,
SLUSA ,
Split of Authority
Plaintiffs filed 300 securities class actions in 2016 — a mark much higher than the annual average of 221 from 2011 to 2015 (as reported by NERA Economic Consulting). Indeed, the number of filings in 2016 was the...more
2/1/2017
/ Burden of Proof ,
CalPERS v ANZ Securities ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Foreign Issuers ,
Fraud-on-the-Market ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
PSLRA ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Statute of Repose ,
Stock Drop Litigation ,
Tolling ,
Trump Administration