Akin Gump litigation partners
Jeffery Dailey and
Neal Marder have written the article "The rise in
event-driven securities litigation — Why it matters to
directors and officers," published by Willis Towers Watson.
The article looks at what might be behind an uptick in securities
class actions, and why it matters.
Dailey and Marder begin with a look at the changing landscape of
securities litigation, pointing to "the shift in the nature of
securities class actions from traditional accounting-based
allegations ... to those filed in response to adverse company
events, such as a data security breach, sexual harassment
allegations, an explosion, allegations that a drug or product has
side effects or caused injury, or a regulatory investigation or
enforcement action." As they point out, "just because
something bad happened does not mean that the company or its
directors and officers committed fraud."