Jeff Lubitz

ISS Discusses $4 Billion in Settlements Expected to Kick-Off 2022

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As 2021 came to a close, the final tally of new U.S. shareholder class action complaints declined for the second straight year (this followed a record number of new cases from 2017 – 2019). Industry experts point to three factors for the two-year drop in newly filed cases: the ongoing COVID pandemic, a decline in merger objection complaints, and a strong, resilient stock market.

However, as previously reported by ISS Securities Class Action Services, the good news for investors is that the quantity of settlements – as well as the total value of settlements – continues to be strong throughout

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ISS Discusses Shareholder Class Action Settlements in 2021

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As the world will soon reflect on two full years of living through the COVID pandemic, the pace of shareholder-related class action settlements continue to bring significant recoveries back to harmed investors.

In fact, according to ISS Securities Class Action Services, 2021 U.S. class action settlements will outpace both 2019 and 2020 in terms of dollar amounts and quantity of settlements. (Note: 2021 numbers are preliminary – final calculations will be published in January 2022.)

Year Settlement Amount Quantity of Settlements
2021 $3.53 Billion 116
2020 $3.26 Billion 99
2019 $3.17 Billion 101

Note: U.S. Federal and State class actions

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ISS Discusses Landmark Ruling in China’s First Shareholder Class Action

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The Intermediate People’s Court of Guangzhou delivered a groundbreaking victory to investors in China’s first-ever shareholder class action.

The China Securities Investor Service Centre (CSISC), a government-affiliated body, represented investors as it brought the action against Kangmei Pharmaceutical Co. (In China, class actions can only be initiated by government bodies – different from the U.S., where any investor of record can file a complaint.)

On November 12, 2021, the court declared the Puning-based drug manufacturing company to pay 2.46 billion yuan (USD $385.5 million) to investors as a reimbursement of its losses. The defendants included the company’s former Chairman, Ma

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ISS Discusses Why the Enron Scandal Still Matters to Investors After 20 Years

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In what is still regarded as the largest U.S. corporate fraud in history, the Enron scandal “celebrates” its 20th anniversary this month.

It was October 16, 2001 when Enron announced a $638 million third quarter loss, confirming a handful of whispers on Wall Street from those who were skeptical of Enron’s growth. This same day, the company first disclosed it would require a restatement of its earnings from a four-year period, 1997 to 2000, to correct accounting violations. And just six days later, on October 22nd, Enron acknowledged a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry into its accounting practices. Simultaneously, … Read more

ISS Discusses Increase in Class Action Settlements for First Half of 2021

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As the U.S. and countries around the globe attempt to control the Coronavirus pandemic, investors continue to experience meaningful recoveries from securities-related class action settlements.

In the first half of 2021 (January 1 – June 30), U.S. class action settlements totaled $2.32 billion, an increase of 11.5% over the same period in 2020. More impressively, a total of 59 cases settled during the first six months of 2021, an increase of 34.1% over the same period in 2020. The average value of settlements, however, dropped by 16.9% ($39.3 million in 2021 vs $47.3 million in 2020).

The total settlement dollars … Read more