In 2024, biotechnology companies were the second most targeted industry for securities class action litigation, according to the D&O Databox™, Woodruff Sawyer’s proprietary database of securities class action suits. The...more
On March 31, 2025, Judge Arun Subramanian of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York denied a motion to dismiss a putative securities class action against a cosmetics company (the “Company”),...more
On February 3, 2025, in In re Shanda Games Limited Securities Litigation, a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, allowed a putative investor class to proceed with securities fraud claims under...more
On February 7, 2025, Judge Brett H. Ludwig of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin dismissed a putative class action alleging that an energy product sales company (the “Company”) and its...more
On February 26, 2025, Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald of the United States District Court for the Central District of California granted a motion to dismiss a putative class action against a producer of plant-based meat...more
Key Points - - In 2024, securities litigation remained consistent with historical averages, with a slight increase in core filings and cases related to COVID-19 and artificial intelligence. - The U.S. Supreme Court had an...more
On January 29, 2025, Judge Robert Kirsch of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey granted a motion to dismiss a securities action asserting claims under Sections 10(b), 20(a), and 20A of the...more
On January 16, 2025, Judge Trina L. Thompson of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted a motion to dismiss a securities action asserting claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the...more
On January 23, 2025, Judge James C. Dever III of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina dismissed a putative securities class action against an auto parts retailer (the “Company”) and...more
On October 15, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative securities class action against online retailer Overstock.com (“Overstock” or the “Company”) and certain of...more
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in two cases concerning the pleading standard in securities fraud class actions....more
On August 8, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’s dismissal of a putative securities class action asserting claims under Sections 10(b)...more
On June 10, 2024, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Facebook, Inc. v. Amalgamated Bank to review a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals holding that Facebook could be held liable under Section 10(b) and Rule...more
The number of securities class action settlements declined 21% relative to 2022, following the 15-year high set in 2022, according to a new report released today by Cornerstone Research. Despite the decline in settlement...more
On July 10, 2023, Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota granted a motion to dismiss a putative securities fraud class action against a mattress and bedding company...more
On May 16, 2023, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the Southern District of New York’s order dismissing an action brought by investors of AstraZeneca PLC (AstraZeneca) attempting to hold the company...more
The number of securities class actions filed last year fell for the fourth year in a row. But these time-consuming, costly litigations still target 5 percent of all S&P 500 companies in an average year, and settlement costs...more
On January 6, a federal judge for the Western District of New York denied a cannabis and tobacco engineering company’s attempt to dismiss claims that it concealed a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation...more
On June 14, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a securities suit brought by investors in pharmaceutical company, Amarin Corporation, PLC, holding that the investors had failed to...more
On April 19, 2022, Judge James R. Knepp II of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio approved consent judgments against biotechnology firm Rising Biosciences, Inc. and its CEO Arthur Hall for violations of...more
Securities class action case filings plunged in 2021 compared to the number of similar cases filed in 2020. According to Cornerstone Research’s 2021 Year in Review report, there were 218 securities class action cases filed...more
Delaware Federal Court Dismisses Shareholder Derivative Suit Concerning Lack of Board Diversity; California Federal Court Dismisses Shareholder Class Action Against Sorrento Therapeutics Regarding COVID-19 Treatment; Delaware...more
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
On April 10, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed a securities class action complaint against Norwegian Cruise Lines (“NCL”) relating to the company’s disclosures made as the...more
Securities Class Action Against Swiss-Based Company Dismissed On Forum Non Conveniens Grounds; Second Circuit Finds Strong Inference of “Conscious Recklessness” In Allegations And Reverses Dismissal of Securities Suit Against...more