When it comes to the federal securities laws, clear answers can occasionally be hard to find. There may be no better example than the question around the overlap of the "misstatement liability" and "scheme liability"...more
On July 15, 2022, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled against the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in an interlocutory appeal the SEC had brought seeking to expand the scope of...more
In SEC v. Rio Tinto PLC, No. 21-2042, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 19577 (2d Cir. July 15, 2022) (Jacobs, J.), the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit declined to impose “scheme liability” under subsections (a) and...more
Courts from the United States Supreme Court on down have long grappled with what, precisely, constitutes “scheme liability” under the federal securities laws, and to what extent a scheme can be based solely on false or...more
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
On August 13, 2019, in the first case by a U.S. Court of Appeals to apply the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Lorenzo v. SEC, 139 S. Ct. 1094 (2019), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit held that the...more
We are pleased to present our annual mid-year update on financial reporting and issuer disclosure enforcement activity for 2019. This White Paper primarily focuses on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement...more
The U.S. Supreme Court recently held that someone doesn’t need to have “made” a false or misleading statement to have primary liability under the securities fraud rules. ...more
On April 5-6, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) held its annual SEC Speaks Conference in Washington, D.C. Summarized below are several significant insights conveyed by SEC Staff that are instructive for...more
On April 11, 2019, Judge Denise Cote of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted in part and denied in part an underwriter’s motion to dismiss a putative class action lawsuit filed...more
In one of the first decisions to interpret and apply the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Lorenzo v. Securities and Exchange Commission, on April 11, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York...more
Enforcement Co-Directors Stephanie Avakian and Steven Peikin recently addressed notable enforcement decisions, actions and trends affecting public companies and regulated entities. On April 8 and 9, 2019, the US Securities...more
The SEC Speaks conference held in Washington, D.C., on April 8-9, 2019 offered perspectives from the current Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman, Commissioners, Division Directors, and Staff about the current...more
At this year’s PLI “SEC Speaks” conference held April 8-9, 2019, in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s leadership and staff showcased its 2018 successes and outlined initiatives that the SEC...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) held its annual SEC Speaks conference in Washington, DC on April 8 and 9, 2019. The conference featured remarks from the Chairman and commissioners,...more
The SEC adopted final rules, to implement “FAST Act” disclosure modifications and improvements. Cynics might view the SEC’s efforts to simplify disclosure as a losing battle, as Congress lards more and more mandatory...more
On March 27, the Supreme Court issued its much-anticipated decision addressing whether someone who is not the "maker" of a misstatement can nonetheless be primarily liable for fraud under the federal securities laws, when the...more
On March 27, 2019, Justice Breyer, writing for a six-Justice majority of the Supreme Court, issued a decision in Lorenzo v. SEC, 139 S. Ct. 1094 (2019), holding that one who knowingly distributes a material misstatement can...more
Sender Primary Liability for Misstatements in PPMs and Prospectuses: Lorenzo v. SEC (No. 17-1077 -- U.S. – 2019). On March 27th, the Supreme Court issued a 1934 Act Rule 10b-5 opinion that will have implications for...more
On March 27, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Lorenzo v. SEC,[i] affirming the expansive view of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) that, under the right circumstances,...more
On March 27, 2019, the Supreme Court, in Francis V. Lorenzo v. Securities and Exchange Commission, held (in a 6-2 decision) that a person who (i) knowingly disseminates false and misleading statements to prospective investors...more
On Wednesday, March 27, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and endorsed a broad view of so-called “scheme liability” under SEC Rule 10b-5(a) and (c)....more
The dissemination of false or misleading information can give rise to primary liability. In Lorenzo v. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Supreme Court held that someone who (with intent to defraud) disseminates a...more
On March 27, 2019, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Lorenzo v. SEC, affirming the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The Court held that "dissemination of false or misleading...more
In a significant ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has expanded the potential liability of those involved in disseminating material misrepresentations to potential investors—exposing them to primary liability under SEC Rule...more