Business Torts › Finance & Banking

California Federal District Court Reinstates Order In Overdraft Class Action

On May 14, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California reinstated a prior order enjoining a national bank from engaging in false or misleading representations relating to certain overdraft practices and...more

CFTC Reviewing Over 1 Million E-mails In ISDAfix Interest-Rate Swaps Investigation

CFTC investigators are reviewing over one million e-mails and instant messages as part of an investigation into possible price manipulation of ISDAfix interest-rate swaps....more

LIBOR Going Forward: How Will Dismissal of Antitrust Claims Effect Investigations and Private Claims?

We recently wrote about the dismissal of the plaintiffs’ antitrust claims against banks involved in the LIBOR manipulation scandal for failure to allege an antitrust injury. Since that dismissal, the court has granted...more

Report Indicates FDIC Suing Bank Directors And Officers At Record Pace

On May 8, an economic and financial analysis and consulting firm issued a report that indicates the FDIC is on pace to file more suits against bank directors and officers in 2013 than it has in any year since the start of the...more

In re LIBOR-Based Financial Instruments Antitrust Litigation: A Long Road Ahead

In a self-described “unexpected” ruling for the defendants in the consolidated LIBOR proceedings, Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald has dismissed the private plaintiffs’ antitrust and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations...more

Investment Management Legal + Regulatory Update -- May 2013

In This Issue: Regulatory Updates - SEC Allows Limited Use of Social Media for Public Disclosure; Federal Reserve Board Publishes a Final Rule Specifying when Nonbank Firms are “Predominantly Engaged in...more

District Court Denies Countrywide’s Motion to Dismiss AIG Suit

On May 6, Judge Mariana Pfaelzer of the United States District Court for the Central District of California allowed American International Group, Inc. (AIG) to proceed with several of its claims against Bank of America and...more

City of Harrisburg Settles With SEC on Rule 10b-5 Violations

Recently, the SEC settled with the City of Harrisburg (City) over violations of Rule 10b-5 in connection with material misstatements and omissions made by the City in its public statements and financial information, during a...more

New York Appellate Court Reinstates Fraudulent Inducement Claim Against Goldman and M&T Bank

On May 7, New York’s First Department appellate court reinstated CIFG Assurance North America, Inc.’s fraud claim against Goldman Sachs & Co. and M&T Bank. Last May, a New York trial court dismissed CIFG’s claim for...more

VERONICA GUTIERREZ, ERIN WALKER, and WILLIAM SMITH v WELLS FARGO BANK N.A.

CLASS ACTION FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AFTER BENCH TRIAL AWARDING $203 MILLION TO WELLS FARGO'S CALIFORNIA CUSTOMERS

CLASS ACTION FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AFTER BENCH TRIAL AWARDING $203 MILLION TO WELLS FARGO'S CALIFORNIA CUSTOMERS. A California judge ordered Wells Fargo to pay California customers $203 after finding that...more

Where There’s Smoke, There’s FIRREA

Few can ignite a legal firestorm like U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff of the Southern District of New York. Last week, in a mortgage fraud suit against Bank of America and Countrywide, Judge Rakoff refused to dismiss a novel...more

Assured and UBS Agree to Settle RMBS Litigation for $358 Million

On May 6, monoline insurer Assured Guaranty Ltd. announced a $358 million settlement with UBS and its affiliates stemming from losses on residential mortgage-backed securities that were issued, sponsored or underwriten by...more

MBIA and Bank of America Settle MBS Litigation for $1.7 Billion

On May 6, monoline insurer MBIA announced that it had reached a $1.7 billion settlement with Bank of America in connection with alleged fraud and breach of contract claims related to Countrywide-issued mortgage-backed...more

SEC Charges City of Harrisburg with Fraud

On Monday, May 6, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with securities fraud "for its misleading public statements when its financial condition was deteriorating and...more

District Court Denies Banks’ Motions to Dismiss Litigation Concerning Role of MBS Trustees

On May 6, Judge Katherine Forrest of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York denied Bank of America and U.S. Bank’s motions to dismiss an action relating to their roles as trustees of Washington...more

Federal Court Of Appeal Strikes Out A Pleading Alleging That Expenses Are Non-Deductible In Light Of “Egregious And Repulsive”...

In a ruling handed down May 6, 2013, the Federal Court of Appeal ordered that portions of a Crown pleading be struck out for suggesting that a deduction may be disallowed on the basis that the conduct of the taxpayer in...more

Orrick's Financial Industry Week in Review - May 13, 2013

In This Issue: FHFA Limit on Fannie and Freddie Loan Purchases to Qualified Mortgage; Rating Agency Developments; MBIA and Bank of America Settle MBS Litigation for $1.7 Billion: Assured and UBS Agree to Settle RMBS...more

Why Should an Investor or Business Conduct an Asset Search?

If used properly and if conducted by a reputable asset search company, asset searches can be used as a valuable pre-investment tool for an investor, partnership, joint venture or other business entity before entering into a...more

Harrisburg Charged With Securities Fraud - Securities and Exchange Commission Says City Made Misleading Financial Statements

The inclusion of the public statements of an elected official in allegations of securities fraud could change the traditional relationship between the politicians and their constituency versus issuers and the bond market....more

SEC Settles Suit for Misleading Advisory Contract Approval Disclosure

Settlement with mutual fund directors and service providers serves as a reminder of responsibilities for disclosures relating to the approval of investment advisory contracts and provides insight into SEC enforcement...more

SEC Fraud Charges against Harrisburg, Pa., Have Implications for Secondary Market Disclosures

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently charged the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (the City), with misleading investors about its financial health in the annual State of the City Address, as well as in its...more

Best Laid Plans Gone Awry: Practices for Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans

Rule 10b5-1 trading plans are in the limelight due to investigations initiated by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the SEC into possible abuses by corporate executives of such plans. Now, more than ever, companies and their boards...more

DOJ and SEC Scrutinize Potential Misuse of Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans by Corporate Directors Affiliated with Investment Advisers

Over the past four years, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) have focused on insider trading involving private funds as one of their key targets in the fight against...more

Second Circuit Ruling Applied to Revive MBS Claims

On May 1, Judge Harold Baer, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York reinstated previously dismissed claims in two class actions brought by several pension fund plaintiffs against Royal Bank of...more

Capital Infusion - May 2013: Case Spotlight

Down-Round Equity Financings and Subsequent Exit Transactions - Best Practices for Preferred Investors and their Board Designees - Today’s middle market private equity landscape is as diverse and varied as it has ever...more