Securities Law

Afternoon Briefs: Judge denies QAnon connection; investors sue over ‘Voltswagen’ prank press release

Pennsylvania judge denies any QAnon connection A Philadelphia judge running for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is denying any connection to QAnon and its conspiracy theories. Judge Paula Patrick told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she hadn’t even heard of an upcoming event staged by QAnon supporters, even though she was listed…

May 3, 2021 4:30 PM CDT

New SEC enforcement chief abruptly resigns after judge questions ‘unhinged’ claim in BigLaw case

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s new enforcement chief, Alex Oh, abruptly resigned Wednesday after a federal judge said he was considering sanctions for a claim that she made about her opposing counsel's demeanor before she left her BigLaw firm.

Apr 29, 2021 11:26 AM CDT

Tesla’s board failed to appoint general counsel who could keep Elon Musk in line, unsealed suit alleges

Tesla’s board of directors failed to secure a general counsel who could curtail “erratic” tweeting Tesla CEO Elon Musk, according to a shareholders’ derivative lawsuit unsealed Friday.

Mar 17, 2021 1:41 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Law dean Chemerinsky opposes Trump Twitter ban; safe injection site shot down

Law dean Erwin Chemerinsky opposes Trump Twitter ban Twitter and Facebook had the right to remove posts by President Donald Trump that amounted to incitement, but a total ban on Trump’s social media accounts goes too far, according to an op-ed by Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California…

Jan 14, 2021 4:38 PM CST

Supreme Court will consider Goldman Sachs case that could limit shareholder suits

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday accepted a case that could limit securities class actions against companies that make generic statements about integrity before a drop in stock prices.

Dec 14, 2020 3:46 PM CST

Florida lawyer and disbarred New York attorney are indicted in alleged opinion letter scheme

Florida lawyer Thomas Craft and disbarred New York attorney Richard Rubin have been indicted in an alleged scheme to produce fraudulent opinion letters that allowed sales of microcap stock to the investing public.

Dec 7, 2020 1:27 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: These BigLaw firms get ‘A’ ratings on climate change; lawyer settles athlete fraud claims

Only 4 BigLaw firms get ‘A’ ratings in climate change fight A group called Law Students for Climate Accountability is giving an ‘A’ grade to only four large law firms for work on behalf of clients mitigating climate change. A-rated firms are Cozen O’Connor; Schulte Roth & Zabel; Sheppard, Mullin,…

Oct 2, 2020 4:25 PM CDT

Receiver’s lawsuit alleges 2 BigLaw firms turned a blind eye to Ponzi scheme

The receiver for investment funds accused of operating as a Ponzi scheme has sued DLA Piper and Fox Rothschild for allegedly facilitating the wrongdoing.

Sep 29, 2020 12:15 PM CDT

ABA is ‘deeply concerned’ by China’s new security law, saying it violates agreement with Hong Kong

ABA President Judy Perry Martinez said Wednesday the ABA is “deeply concerned” by China’s new national security legislation, which is designed to curb anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong.

Jul 1, 2020 3:54 PM CDT

Former BigLaw lawyer can start the process to return to practice after prison sentence, state supreme court says

Corrected: A former Fox Rothschild partner who was sentenced to federal prison for insider trading may start the reinstatement process to practice law again, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled earlier this week.

Jun 26, 2020 9:49 AM CDT

Supreme Court rules disgorgement, with limits, is allowed in SEC civil actions

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 Monday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may seek disgorgement—with some limits—in civil enforcement cases.

Jun 22, 2020 12:32 PM CDT

Another lawsuit is filed against Zoom over alleged privacy problems

Zoom Video Communications has been hit with a new privacy lawsuit alleging that it failed to protect user data from Facebook and LinkedIn.

Apr 14, 2020 10:04 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: GCs are overloaded with coronavirus webinars; former judge dies at 88

General counsels are overloaded with COVID-19 emails and webinar invites Corporate clients are inundated with emails and webinar invitations from law firms offering information on the novel coronavirus, according to Caitlin “Cat” Moon, director of innovation design for the program on law and innovation at Vanderbilt Law School. Moon says…

Mar 26, 2020 4:36 PM CDT

Sounding the alarm: One whistleblower’s story

A substantial whistleblower reward can change a client’s life in more ways than the obvious one. Sudden financial security is in no way “easy money,” says whistleblower Chris Smith, who grappled with mixed feelings from start to finish of his six-year journey. “The process is scary,” says Smith, a government…

Mar 26, 2020 9:24 AM CDT

The ‘emergency room of law’: Protections are critical for whistleblowers and their lawyers

“The whistleblower often comes to us in pretty bad shape,” attorney Stephen Kohn says. “He’s at risk to be killed [in his profession]. It’s our job to get those bandages on, get him back to health and have him walk out in good condition.”