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ARTICLE · 20 MARCH 2015

Settlements In Brief: US Justice Authorities Pursue Rating Agencies

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
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De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

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Enforcement actions by criminal and supervisory authorities are settled regularly.

United StatesLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Marnix Somsen
Marnix Somsen
Patrick Ploeger
Patrick Ploeger
Geert Potjewijd
Geert Potjewijd
Rick Van ’T Hullenaar
Rick Van ’T Hullenaar
Roan Lamp
Roan Lamp
Richard Van Staden Ten Brink
Richard Van Staden Ten Brink
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Enforcement actions by criminal and supervisory authorities are settled regularly. In light of these developments, companies are advised to take appropriate measures. We provide a brief overview of the most important settlements every month. This month, we highlight a second settlement entered into by Standard & Poor's in the US in connection with its rating of commercial mortgage-backed securities. We also briefly discuss the effect this settlement has had on an ongoing investigation into Moody's, another large rating agency.

As we reported briefly in February 2015, Standard & Poor's (S&P) reached a USD 1.375 settlement with the US Department of Justice. Approximately half of the settlement amount – USD 687.5 million – will be divided among 19 states and the District of Columbia which also took S&P to court.

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