Securities Litigation
Comprehensive defense for securities and corporate governance litigation.
Securities and corporate governance litigation, particularly class actions, pose significant risks for companies, who may face business disruption, market position loss, and reputational harm.
Perkins Coie Securities Litigation lawyers defend clients in class actions, corporate governance litigation, regulatory enforcement proceedings, and professional liability litigation. Our litigators handle consequential and highly sensitive matters, representing publicly traded and privately held securities issuers and their officers and directors, as well as investment advisors and professional services firms.
We have served as lead counsel for national and regional clients in a variety of actions and investigations, including:
- Shareholder class actions alleging securities fraud.
- Shareholder derivative actions alleging breach of fiduciary duty.
- Proceedings before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Actions arising from mergers, acquisitions, and other contests for control.
- Investigations by various federal agencies and self-regulatory organizations.
- Litigation involving audits of financial statements and other accounting issues.
- Defending actions against law firms, accounting firms, and other professional services firms.
How we help clients
- Defense of companies, directors, and officers in class actions, corporate governance and M&A litigation, and regulatory investigations.
- Defense of law firms, accounting firms, and other professional services firms, including in disputes concerning audits of financial statements and other accounting issues.
- Advice and counsel regarding minimization of risks associated with securities and corporate governance litigation and regulatory investigations.
联系方式
We defend major corporations in class actions, corporate governance, and professional liability litigation, minimizing risks and managing complex disputes with a focus on securities and regulatory enforcement.
Class Actions
We have represented major corporations in more than 300 class action complaints, including those alleging securities fraud.
Corporate Governance Litigation
Our lawyers litigate on behalf of securities issuers and other major corporations, as well as their officers, directors, and various committees, in complex, high-stakes disputes, including shareholder derivative litigation.
Regulatory Enforcement
We have represented clients in every major securities enforcement initiative conducted by the SEC, FINRA, and state regulatory agencies during the past decade. These matters have included handling investigations involving insider trading, financial fraud, Ponzi schemes, hedge funds, the subprime and credit crisis, auction rate securities, accounting irregularities, options backdating, mutual fund trading, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Reducing Risks of Securities Litigation
Securities, corporate governance, and professional negligence cases, particularly those involving class actions or government investigations, put companies at tremendous risk. While we defend these cases aggressively, we also seek to minimize or eliminate the interruptions resulting from this litigation. We also counsel companies and their directors and officers on how to anticipate and minimize risks resulting from these matters.
Professional Liability Litigation
Professional liability cases often have one thing in common—an attempt by clients to hold practitioners responsible for bad business results. Under the law, however, professionals can be held liable only if they fail to exercise due care in providing their professional advice or judgment, regardless of the business outcome. Our attorneys understand the difference between professional judgment and outcome, and have vast experience defending professionals by educating courts and other decision-makers on this critical distinction.
Our attorneys defend law firms, accounting firms, and other professional services firms and their individual practitioners in civil litigations, investigations, enforcement and disciplinary matters, disqualifications, and criminal proceedings. We have successfully represented law firms and lawyers in high-stakes malpractice lawsuits, in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and in state attorney general investigations and other disciplinary proceedings. We also have conducted internal investigations prompted by allegations of professional misconduct and have advised law firms and legal departments of corporations on risk management policies and procedures in order to mitigate the risk of future professional liability claims. In addition, we have substantial experience representing accounting firms in civil litigation, in DOJ, SEC, and other federal and state investigations, and in disciplinary proceedings before the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), state boards of accountancy, and other professional organizations.
见解
动态
代理经验
Representative Securities Litigation Experience
Reinschmidt v. Zillow, Inc. et al.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defended a company and its officers and directors in a securities fraud class action and related derivative litigation. The judge dismissed the suit with prejudice.
Washington Mutual Inc. Securities, Derivative and ERISA Litigation
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Superior Court of Washington, King County
Defense of all the outside directors of Washington Mutual Inc. in multiple class action lawsuits arising from the collapse of WaMu.
Ebay Domestic Holdings Inc. v. Craig Newmark, et al.
Court of Chancery of Delaware
Defended craigslist in an action by eBay challenging corporate governance measures taken by craigslist to prevent eBay from unilaterally electing an agent to the craigslist board of directors, to approve indemnification agreements for craigslist officers and directors and to approve a right of first refusal offered to all craigslist shareholders and a rights plan. The approval of the indemnification agreements was affirmed on summary judgment and the staggered board was affirmed after trial.
Craigslist Inc. v. Ebay Inc.
Superior Court of California, San Francisco County
Representing craigslist in its litigation with eBay. eBay acquired a 28.4% equity interest in craigslist and craigslist asserted claims for unfair competition, false advertising, trademark infringement, passing off, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and deceit. All litigation between the companies was dismissed after, under a confidential settlement, eBay sold its equity interest in craigslist back to craigslist
Legal Malpractice Claims Dismissed With Prejudice
Represented a major New York firm in a lawsuit arising from alleged malpractice and conspiracy charges in connection with advice regarding a tax shelter for options trading. We secured a dismissal with prejudice based upon statute of repose.
Legal Malpractice Counsel to National Firm
Represented a major national law firm in a matter seeking $60 million in additional tax liability allegedly arising from malpractice in tax advice regarding restructuring and domestication of a foreign corporation for purposes of selling foreign corporation.
Story v. Deloitte LLP
Fourth Judicial District of Idaho, Ada County
Defense of Deloitte in an action brought by the former CEO of Pure Health Systems, Inc. (PHSI), in an action alleging breach of fiduciary duty and other misconduct in connection with the sale of PHSI to a private equity group.
Sec v. Rungruangnavarat
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Defended a Thai national in an insider trading case resulting in a settlement where the client received a portion of his frozen assets.
FTC v. Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
Defended a multileveling marketing company against CFTC charges of a pyramid scheme.