Securities Law Commons^™

Reviewing Article 8’S Revised Collusion Standard; Outside Counsel, Francis J. Facciolo

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

The first published case to deal with the new collusion standard in revised Article 8 has been decided by Judge Bransten in Supreme Court, New York County. As New York City is the center of the securities industry, it is not surprising that the first published case to deal with collusion was decided here. The result reached by Judge Bransten, however, is surprising in the liberality with which collusion was construed.

Securites Law For The Next Millennium: A Forward-Looking Statement, Michael A. Perino

Faculty Publications

This article serves as the introduction to a symposium on the future of the securities markets and securities regulation which was held as part of St. John's University School of Law's year-long 75th anniversary celebration. The introduction serves to place the symposium in an historical context to set the stage for a discussion of the future.

Adequacy Of Disclosure Of Restrictions On Flipping Ipo Securities, Royce De R. Barondes

Faculty Publications

This Article examines the implications of this practice under the disclosure obligations imposed by federal securities laws and concludes that the current disclosure is materially misleading, particularly in light of the failure to disclose the selective application of the penalties. Moreover, the selective application of the penalties casts significant doubt on whether these offerings can be considered “fixed price” offerings, which would mean that cursory disclosure of the practice would not suffice.

Derivatives Regulation In The Context Of The Shingle Theory, Allen Madison

Faculty Publications

This article discusses the regulation of derivative financial instruments. It notes that the government has neither come to a conclusion as to the necessity of regulation nor which agency would have jurisdiction. It also suggests that one tool that regulators could use as an enforcement tool is the "shingle" theory. Next, it provides history and analysis of this theory. Finally, it examines the current state of affairs regarding regulation of derivatives.

Fraud And Federalism: Preempting Private State Securities Fraud Causes Of Action, Michael A. Perino

Faculty Publications

The passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 has engendered a significant forum shift in class action securities fraud litigation, from federal to state court. This unintended by-product of the Act has reignited debate over our dual federal-state system of securities regulation and in turn has inspired a discussion as to whether Congress should now preempt state securities fraud causes of action. This article argues that preemption is an appropriate, but not the only, solution to these concerns. To support this argument, this article first traces the history of dual state-federal securities regulation within the context of …

Resurrecting The Dodo: The Unfortunate Re-Emergence Of The Puffery Defense In Private Securities Actions, Jennifer O'Hare

Faculty Publications

The conventional wisdom is that the puffery defense is inapplicable in securities regulation. However, appellate courts in almost every federal circuit have recently used the puffery defense to dismiss private securities fraud actions that were based on vague statements of corporate optimism. This Article demonstrates that the courts have misused the puffery defense and have improperly insulated companies from liability for their misrepresentations. It contends that the assumptions justifying the use of the puffery defense are not present in securities transactions and that the federal securities laws have expressly rejected the very doctrine underlying the puffery defense-caveat emptor. Arguing that …

The Insider Story, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

The central issue in United States v. O'Hagan, No. 96-842, is the validity of the so-called "misappropriation theory" of insider trader liability under Section 10(b) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. 15 US.C. 78(j)(b). The justices heard oral arguments in April. If the theory propounded by federal regulators is endorsed by the Court, it would expand insider trader liability under U.S. law.

Good Faith And The Bespeaks Caution Doctrine: It's Not Just A State Of Mind, Jennifer O'Hare

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Report Of The Task Force On Rule 102(E) Proceedings: Rule 102(E) Sanctions Against Accountants, Dixie L. Johnson, John H. Sturc, Kenneth B. Winer, Jayne W. Barnard, Evan J. Falchuk, Jeffrey T. Gilleran, Thomas Gorman, David B. Hardison, Gloria K. Niemi, Thomas L. Riesenberg

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Legislature Mulls Change Of Article 8; Corporate Law, Francis J. Facciolo

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

A major revision of Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code was passed by the New York Assembly on July 2, 1996, but did not receive Senate consideration prior to adjustment. In light of the strong support given Proposed Article 8 by the banking and securities industries, the New York State Legislature will probably give serious consideration to passage when the next legislative session begins.

Although the supporters of Proposed Article 8 have stoutly maintained that it is primarily a clarification of the existing Article 8 and that the proposed changes are insignificant, the proposal actually includes major changes …

The Pentium Papers: A Case Study Of Collective Institutional Investor Activism In Litigation, Joseph A. Grundfest, Michael A. Perino

Faculty Publications

This article suggests that institutional investors have rational incentives to become more active in the litigation arena, but that the current debate is falsely constrained because it rests on the assumption that institutional investors must participate either by (1) assuming the formal role of lead plaintiff, class representative, or intervenor or, (2) not participating at all. This is a false dichotomy because, as this article demonstrates, institutions have available to them a rich array of flexible, informal, and relatively inexpensive mechanisms by which they can make their views known to litigants and courts alike.

Our hypothesis that institutional investor activism …

Institutional Investors, Registration Rights, And The Specter Of Liability Under Section 11 Of The Securities Act Of 1933, Jennifer O'Hare

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Order Flow Cases: Jurisdiction, Preemption And Securities Laws; Outside Counsel, Richard L. Stone, Jay Facciolo

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Primary jurisdiction and preemption issues arise in securities class action litigation when alleged violations of state law arise from conduct that is either explicitly or implicitly regulated by the federal securities laws.

These are two distinct theories: one is a matter of administrative law and judicial economy (primary jurisdiction); the other is a matter of constitutional law involving the Supremacy Clause (preemption). To date, there has not been extensive case law involving preemption and the federal securities laws (other than in the blue sky and tender offer areas) and there has been almost no case law on primary jurisdiction …

Not Just A Private Club: Self Regulatory Organizations As State Actors When Enforcing Federal Law, Richard L. Stone, Michael A. Perino

Faculty Publications

In the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Congress enacted a comprehensive scheme for regulating the national securities markets. Pursuant to that scheme, the Securities and Exchange Commission was given ultimate authority to enforce the newly enacted securities laws against market participants. The Exchange Act also created a prominent enforcement role for national securities exchanges, like the New York Stock Exchange. Congress required these self-regulatory organizations as a condition for their continued operation to enforce, among other things, compliance by their members with the provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The SROs were also given …

Dynamic Economic Analyses Of Selected Provisions Of Corporate Law: The Absolute Delegation Rule, Disclosure Of Intermediate Estimates And Ipo Pricing, Royce De R. Barondes

Faculty Publications

This Article examines three separate aspects of the relationships between corporations and their securityholders from a dynamic economic perspective: (i) the feasibility of permitting shareholders to participate in the management of their corporations through the exercise of voting rights, (ii) Rule 3b-6, the safe harbor for projections (the Safe Harbor)8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 1934 Act),9 and (iii) the extraordinary returns available from investing in initial public offerings (IPO's). Three particular dynamic aspects are implicated in these situations.

Double Jeopardy Issues In The Financial Sector; Outside Counsel, Richard L. Stone, Jay Facciolo

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Double jeopardy issues arise regularly in the financial, banking and commodities industries where both civil and criminal statutes and penalties are used in successive prosecutions by federal and state governments to sanction the same conduct.

Recent Supreme Court and federal court decisions have established new standards for determining when civil fines and other civil penalties constitute “punishment” for purposes of the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment.

These decisions indicate that where a civil penalty imposed by a federal or state actor bears no “rational relation” to any actual damages caused, the penalty will be characterized as punishment …

An Economic Analysis Of The Potential For Coercion In Consent Solicitations For Bonds, Royce De R. Barondes

Faculty Publications

This Article examines why issuers frequently cannot present bondholders with an offer that draws on collective action problems to force the acceptance of the offer by the bondholders. The analysis is restricted to publicly offered bonds. For a number of reasons, privately placed debt presents fewer opportunities for coercion. A prior business relationship among various purchasers, which facilitates cooperation, may be more likely with respect to privately placed debt. Privately placed debt often has more significant protection for the bondholders than public debt with the same level of seniority

The Integration Of Securities Offerings: A Proposed Formula That Fosters The Policies Of Securities Regulation, Cheryl L. Wade

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

The Securities Act of 1933 ("1933 Act" or "the Act") generally requires the filing of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") prior to the offer or sale of any security and prohibits the sale of any security prior to the effective date of the registration statement. For the prospective issuer of securities, the preparation and filing of this registration statement can be costly and time-consuming. To prevent the hampering of commerce that results from unnecessary registration, the 1933 Act provides a variety of exemptions from registration that relieve issuers of the cost and delay …

The Bespeaks Caution Doctrine: Revisiting The Application Of Federal Securities Law To Opinions And Estimates, Royce De R. Barondes

Faculty Publications

Disclosure of estimates and opinions, which are often referred to as ‘soft information,‘ has presented a number of difficult issues to courts, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and companies issuing offering materials or required to file periodic reports with the SEC. Although this type of information often consists of projections, historical financial statements also include this type of information to varying degrees. For example, a bank's statement of financial position requires specification of loan loss reserves and is therefore dependent on an assessment of future events (the timing and extent of repayment). Similarly, determination of the timing of a …

When Is A Corporate Executive "Substantially Unfit To Serve"?, Jayne W. Barnard

Faculty Publications

The recently enacted Securities Enforcement Remedies and Penny Stock Reform Act of 1990 provides that, in an SEC enforcement action, a federal court may enjoin or "disbar" the defendant from serving in the future as an officer or director of a public company. A court may enter such an order if it finds that the defendant is "substantially unfit" to serve as a corporate executive; the Act, however, does not define "substantial unfitness." In this Article Professor Jayne Barnard provides a framework for defining this term and identifying the defendants to which the Remedies Act should apply. Professor Barnard begins …

Shareholder Access To The Proxy Revisited, Jayne W. Barnard

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Supreme Court And The Shareholder Litigant: Basic, Inc. V. Levinson In Context, Jayne W. Barnard

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Securities Law Enforcement Remedies Act Of 1989: Disenfranchising Shareholders In Order To Protect Them, Jayne W. Barnard

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Scope Of Liability Under Section 12 Of The Federal Securities Act Of 1933: 'Participation' And The Pertinent Legislative Materials, Douglas E. Abrams

Faculty Publications

Section 12 of the Securities Act of 1933 creates two private rights of action, each providing in relevant part that ‘ a ny person who offers or sells a security . . . shall be liable to the person purchasing such security from him . . ..’ Because suit may be maintained only by the person who purchases the security from defendant, an offeror may incur section 12 liability only if the offeror also ‘sells' the security to the plaintiff. Section 12(1) imposes liability on any seller whose offer or sale violates the Act's registration or prospectus requirements found in …

The Fallacy Of Weighting Asset Value And Earnings Value In The Appraisal Of Corporate Stock, Elmer J. Schaefer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Comment, Rationalizing Liability For Nondisclosure Under 10b-5: Equal Access To Information And United States V. Chiarella,, Juliet P. Kostritsky

Faculty Publications

Chiarella provided the Second Circuit with an opportunity to resolve an important issue on which there previously had been no square holding: whether a person who is not an insider and has no inside knowledge about the company whose securities he is trading nevertheless has a duty to disclose nonpublic material information in his possession about impending stock market events. The court viewed such a person as a "market insider"'" and found a duty to disclose. To evaluate the propriety of imposing liability in this situation, this comment will first trace the development and expansion of liability for nondisclosure under …

Investment Securities, Thomas H. Jolls

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Fictitious Registration Of Stock Ownership - Hartford V. Walston Examined, Thomas H. Jolls

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investment Securities, Thomas H. Jolls

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investment Securities, Thomas H. Jolls

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.