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The Relevance Of Tort Law Doctrines To Rule 10b-5: Should Careless Plaintiffs Be Denied Recovery?, Margaret V. Sachs

Scholarly Works

Private litigation under section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and rule 10b-5 is at present riddled with tort law doctrines. Familiar tort concepts such as aiding and abetting, respondeat superior, plaintiff's duty of care, in pari delicto, and contribution have been imported into the rule 10b-5 private action by a number of lower federal courts. The United States Supreme Court had not addressed the relevance of any of these doctrines until its decision this year in Bateman Eichler, Hill Richards, Inc., v. Berner. By disallowing a defense of in pari delicto on statutory enforcement grounds, Bateman plainly …