On September 6, 2017, Judge Andrew J. Guilford of the Central District of California denied motions to dismiss a putative securities class action asserting claims under Section 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 against Banc of California (“Banc”) and its former CEO, Steven Sugarman.  In re Banc of Cal. Sec. Litig., No. 17-CV-118 (C.D. Cal. Sept. 6, 2017).  Based largely on a short seller report published online, the complaint alleged among other things that defendants omitted information regarding Sugarman’s alleged financial and business ties to Jason Galanis, an individual who pled guilty to criminal securities fraud in connection with other companies.  In denying the motions to dismiss, the Court shed light on how courts might evaluate claims based on blog posts, an increasingly common basis for claims in securities cases.

On September 5, 2017, Judge Richard M. Berman of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative class action against Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (“Ambac”), asserting claims under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder.  Wilbush v. Ambac Fin. Grp., Inc., No. 16 Civ. 5076 (RMB), slip op. (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 5, 2017), ECF No. 41.  Plaintiff alleged that Ambac, an insurer, concealed its true credit risk and loss exposure to more than $10 billion in Puerto Rican bonds it insured.  The Court held that plaintiff failed to adequately allege actionable misstatements, and further that plaintiff’s allegations of scienter were insufficient, given that there was no indication that defendants had access to non-public information contradicting their public statements. 

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On August 25, 2017, Judge Lee Yeakel of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas dismissed with prejudice a putative securities class action against Whole Foods Market, Inc. and certain of its officers.  Markman v. Whole Foods Market Inc. et al, No. 1:15-cv-681-LY (W.D. Tex. Aug 25, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that defendants’ knowingly or recklessly engaged in a scheme to overcharge customers by placing inaccurate food-weight labels on prepackaged foods, thereby rendering Whole Foods’ financial statements false and misleading, in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).  Lead plaintiffs—the Employees’ Retirement System of the State of Hawaii—filed a second amended complaint (“SAC”) after the Court dismissed their original complaint for failure to state a claim.  The Court held that the SAC failed to adequately plead a material misrepresentation or omission, scienter, and loss causation, and denied plaintiffs’ request for leave to amend the complaint again.

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On August 23, 2017, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed a district court decision dismissing a putative class action against Globus Medical, Inc. (“Globus” or the “Company”), a medical device company that designs, develops and sells musculoskeletal implants, and several individual officers.  Williams v. Globus Medical, Inc., No. 16-3607 (3d Cir. Aug. 23, 2017).  The lawsuit alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 based on allegations that the Company failed to disclose the termination of a distribution partnership or the impact the termination would have on its revenue projections.  The decision sheds light on how district courts in the Third Circuit should evaluate claims that are based on an alleged omission that, according to plaintiffs, rendered a prior disclosure inaccurate, incomplete or misleading, and also addresses the requirements for stating a claim based on allegedly misleading revenue projections.

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On August 22, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed an order from the District of Massachusetts, dismissing a putative securities class action that asserted claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder against drug maker Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. (“Sarepta”) and certain of its current and former officers.  Corban, et al. v. Sarepta Pharmaceutical Inc., et al., No. 16-1658 (1st Cir. Aug. 22, 2017).  The complaint alleged that Sarepta deceived investors about the significance of trial data for the company’s new muscular dystrophy drug, eteplirsen, and the likelihood that the company would obtain United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approval for that drug.  The First Circuit held that plaintiffs failed to plead a “cogent inference of scienter” that Sarepta misled investors, and also held that while opinions implying false facts may suffice to allege a fraud claim, the opinions at issue were insufficient because they “came replete with caveats.”

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On August 11, 2017, Judge Lucy H. Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a putative securities class action brought against SolarCity Corp. (“SolarCity”) and four of its senior officers that alleged the defendants made materially misleading misrepresentations in SolarCity’s SEC filings, written communications with investors, and quarterly earnings calls with analysts.  In re SolarCity Corp. Sec. Litig., No. 5:16-cv-4686, 2017 WL 3453387 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 11, 2017).  Plaintiffs asserted a claim under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder against all defendants, and a claim under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act against the individual defendants.  In dismissing the complaint and granting leave to amend, the Court held that plaintiffs had not adequately alleged that any of the defendants had either made actionable false or misleading statements or acted with the requisite fraudulent intent.

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On August 10, 2017, Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas dismissed a putative securities class action brought against Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (“Pier 1”) and its former CEO and CFO that alleged the defendants had misrepresented the company’s excess inventory and potential price markdown risk in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder.  Town of Davie Police Pension Plan v. Pier 1 Imports, Inc. et al., No. 3:15-cv-3415-D, 2017 WL 3437215 (N.D. Tex. Aug. 10, 2017).  The Court held that the plaintiffs had failed to plead that defendants had either misrepresented Pier 1 inventory or intended to do so.

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On August 4, 2017, United States District Judge David O. Carter of the United States District Court for the Central District of California denied a motion to dismiss a putative securities fraud class action against El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“EPL”), certain of its directors and officers, and EPL’s controlling shareholders.  Turocy, et al. v. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., et al., No. SACV-15-1343-DOC (C.D. Cal. Aug. 4, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that defendants violated Sections 10(b), 20(a) and/or 20A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 10b-5, by failing to disclose material facts and making materially false or misleading statements as part of a scheme to artificially inflate the stock price of EPL between May 15, 2015 and August 13, 2015, and/or selling their personally held shares in EPL shortly after making the alleged false or misleading statements despite having not sold any shares during the previous six months and not selling the shares pursuant to any Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.  After dismissing without prejudice the original and amended complaints in this action, the Court held that plaintiffs sufficiently alleged misstatements and a strong inference that defendants were aware of the falsity of such statements, and denied defendants’ motion to dismiss the third amended complaint.

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On July 28, 2017, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a district court decision dismissing a putative class action lawsuit against Quality Systems, Inc., (“QSI” or the “Company”), a company that develops and markets management software for medical and dental providers, and several of its officers.  In re Quality Systems, Inc. Secs. Litig., No. 15-55173 (9th Cir. July 28, 2017).  Plaintiffs brought a putative shareholder class action against defendants alleging violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 in connection with statements made over the course of several months regarding the Company’s past and projected sales as well as guidance given to investors about the Company’s projected growth and revenue.  The Ninth Circuit reversed, finding that many of the defendants’ statements “mixed” forward and non-forward looking statements and holding for the first time in the Ninth Circuit that it is appropriate to consider the forward and non-forward looking aspects of a “mixed” statement separately when evaluating a securities claim.

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On July 26, 2017, Judge Claudia Wilken of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied a motion to dismiss a putative securities class action alleging that GoPro, Inc. (“GoPro”), its CEO, Nicholas Woodman, and other GoPro executives described in the Complaint but not named as defendants, had violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by making false and misleading statements regarding the rollout of a new camera and line of airborne drones.  Bielousov v. GoPro, Inc., No. 16-CV-06654-CW, 2017 WL 3168522 (N.D. Cal. July 26, 2017).  In so doing, the Court found that plaintiff had adequately alleged that a statement by GoPro’s CFO that “we believe” GoPro is “on track to make” its 2016 revenue guidance, was not covered by the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, along with certain other representations, was false and mischaracterized the new drone’s availability and capabilities.

On July 19, 2017, Judge Charles R. Breyer of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California partially dismissed a putative class action against Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaf (“VW AG”), Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (“VWGoA”), Volkswagen Group of America Finance, LLC (“VWGoAF”), and former executives of VW AG and VWGoA.  In re: Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Marketing, Sales Practices, And Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2762 CRB (JSC) (N.D. Cal. July 19, 2017).  Plaintiffs are institutional investors who purchased bonds offered by VWGoAF.  VWGoAF is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VWGoA, and the bonds were guaranteed by VW AG, the ultimate parent of VWGoA and VWGoAF.  Plaintiffs alleged that defendants failed to disclose Volkswagen’s use of “defeat device” software to mask emissions in the company’s diesel engines, in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).  The Court concluded that plaintiffs had plausibly alleged that the bond offering memorandum was misleading, and that some, but not all, of the defendants made statements and omissions in the offering memorandum with scienter.

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On July 10, 2017, Judge John G. Koeltl of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative securities fraud class action against E*TRADE Securities LLC (“E*TRADE”), E*TRADE Financial Corporation (“E*TRADE Financial), and one current and one former officer of E*TRADE Financial.  Schwab v. E*TRADE Fin. Corp., No. 16-cv-05891 (S.D.N.Y. July 10, 2017).  Plaintiff alleged that E*TRADE misled its clients by falsely representing that it would execute orders consistent with its duty of “best execution,” which requires it to use “reasonable diligence” to obtain the most favorable price for a customer under “prevailing market conditions.”  Plaintiff brought claims under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, as well as control person claims under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act.  The Court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss, holding that plaintiff failed to adequately plead reliance or scienter, and also failed to plead culpable participation sufficient to state a control person claim.

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On July 20, 2017, Judge J.P. Stadtmueller of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin dismissed claims brought by shareholders of Kohl’s Corporation (“Kohl’s”) against the company and two of its officers.  Pension Trust Fund for Operating Engineers et al. v. Kohl's Corp. et al., Case No. 2:13-cv-01159 (E.D. Wisc. July 20, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that defendants’ financial disclosures during the class period materially misrepresented and failed to disclose the extent of accounting errors related to Kohl’s leasing agreements.  Plaintiffs brought claims under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, as well as control person claims under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act.  The Court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss with prejudice, holding that plaintiffs failed to establish that any of the defendants acted with the requisite scienter to support a securities fraud claim.

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On June 28, 2017, Judge Charles R. Breyer of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California ruled, among other things, that allegations of knowledge of “defeat devices” did not equate to knowledge of the probability of exposure from the devices and granted in part a motion to dismiss a putative securities class action against Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and certain of its affiliates (“VW”) and officers and directors, asserting claims under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, as well as additional “control person” claims against the officers and directors under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act.  In re Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2672 CRB (JSC), 2017 WL 2798525 (N.D. Cal. June 28, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that VW’s financial statements and statements regarding its U.S. vehicles’ compliance with diesel emissions standards were misleading because VW had failed to disclose, in various manners, that it had been using “defeat device” software to manipulate emissions tests in vehicles sold in the United States.  After plaintiffs were given leave to replead following an earlier motion to dismiss, the Court held that the amended complaint’s allegations supported claims regarding financial statements after May 2014, but dismissed claims regarding earlier alleged misstatements.  In addition, the Court dismissed claims against one individual defendant for failure to sufficiently allege scienter and “control.”

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On June 14, 2017, Judge Ricardo S. Martinez of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington denied a motion to dismiss a putative securities fraud class action against Juno Therapeutics, Inc. (“Juno” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical corporation, and certain of its senior officers.  In re Juno Therapeutics, Inc., No. 16 Civ. 1069 (W.D. Wash. June 14, 2017).  In their complaint, plaintiffs alleged that defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by repeatedly touting positive results from the first phase of a clinical trial for a new cancer treatment, while failing to disclose certain negative outcomes associated with the second phase of a clinical trial.  In denying the motion to dismiss, the Court ruled that plaintiffs had adequately alleged that the omitted information was material to investors and that the defendants were deliberately reckless in failing to disclose it. 

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​On June 13, 2017, Judge Vernon S. Broderick of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative securities class action against gold mining and exploration company Pretium Resources, Inc. (“Pretium”) under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder.  In re Pretium Resources Inc. Sec. Litig., No. 13-CV-7552 (VSB), 2017 WL 2560005 (S.D.N.Y. June 13, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that Pretium’s press releases were misleading because they contained statements regarding a major gold exploration site that were contrary to views expressed to the company by its consultants.  The Court held that plaintiffs had failed to identify actionable misrepresentations or omissions and to adequately plead scienter. 

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On June 6, 2017, United States District Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts dismissed with prejudice a putative securities class action against Sonus Networks, Inc., its CEO and its CFO.  Sousa v. Sonus Networks, Inc., et al., No. 16-10657-GAO (D. Mass. June 6, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that defendants violated Sections 10(b) (and SEC Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), and separately alleged that the individual defendants violated Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, by misleading investors regarding Sonus’ revenue projection for the first quarter of 2015.  The Court held that plaintiff had not met the heightened pleading standard for alleging securities fraud under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”), finding that plaintiff had not sufficiently alleged a material misrepresentation or omission with respect to certain allegations and had not sufficiently alleged scienter with respect to other allegations.  

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On May 12, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative securities class action against biopharmaceutical company Biogen Inc. and three of its officers.  In Re: Biogen Inc. Sec. Litig., No. 16-1976, 2017 WL 1963468 (1st Cir. May 12, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that Defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) by concealing declining sales of multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera following the death of a trial patient, leading to a stock drop when the company later reduced its growth forecasts for 2015.  The First Circuit, in affirming the prior ruling of United States District Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts dismissing the amended complaint with prejudice, held that although the amended complaint gave rise to a “plausible” inference of scienter on the part of defendants, it did not support a “strong” inference of scienter as required under the heightened pleading requirements of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”).

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On April 27, 2017, Judge Madeline Cox Arleo of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey dismissed a putative securities fraud class action against Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. and certain of its executives, in which plaintiffs alleged that the company knew or consciously disregarded that statements made in multiple financial reports between 2011 and 2013 were false, in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”).  In re Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Sec. Litig., 2017 WL 1536223 (D.N.J. Apr. 27, 2017).  The Court had already dismissed this case twice without prejudice.  This time the Court dismissed the claims with prejudice.  

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On May 1, 2017, Judge Edward Davila of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied a motion to dismiss a putative securities fraud class action against Finisar Corporation and certain executives, in which plaintiffs alleged that the company had falsely denied an inventory build-up of key telecom products by Finisar’s customers, in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”).  In re Finisar Corp. Sec. Litig., 2017 WL 1549485 (N.D. Cal. May 1, 2017).  The Court had previously dismissed the case for failure to allege a material misrepresentation, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed, holding that plaintiffs had adequately alleged a false statement in that they asserted that defendants had denied knowledge of an inventory build-up by customers in the face of evidence that they knew of the issue.  On remand, the District Court found the complaint also adequately alleged scienter and loss causation. 

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On April 26, 2017, District Judge John F. Keenan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted in part and denied in part motions to dismiss brought by defendants Investment Technology Group, Inc. (“ITG” or “the company”), and three of its current and former executives.  In re: Investment Technology Group Inc., Case No. 1:15-cv-06369 (S.D.N.Y. April 26, 2017).  Plaintiff’s amended complaint alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5.  While the Court dismissed the claims against two individual defendants—ITG’s CFO and its General Counsel—on the ground that plaintiff failed to plead a strong inference of scienter as to those defendants, the Court allowed the plaintiff’s Section 10(b) claim against ITG and its former CEO to proceed, narrowing the claims to a five-month period in 2011 and holding that the alleged misstatements outside of the class period were not actionable.
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On April 21, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a shareholder class action lawsuit against certain officers and directors of ATP Oil & Gas Corporation (“ATP”).  Neiman et al. v. Buhlman et al., Case No. 15-31094 (5th Cir. Apr. 21, 2017).  Plaintiffs, who alleged that defendants misrepresented the production of a new oil well, the liquidity of the company, and the reason that the former CEO had resigned, brought claims under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5, as well as control-person claims under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act.  The Fifth Circuit affirmed the Louisiana district court’s dismissal of plaintiffs’ Second Amended Complaint, holding that plaintiffs had failed to adequately plead scienter in support of each of their claims.

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On April 7, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative securities fraud class action against the biopharmaceutical developer Zafgen, Inc. (“Zafgen”) and its CEO.  Brennan v. Zafgen, Inc., No. 16-2057, 2017 WL 1291194 (1st Cir. Apr. 7, 2017).  Plaintiffs had asserted claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, alleging that in Zafgen’s IPO registration statement and other public statements defendants omitted information regarding adverse events during clinical trials for Zafgen’s only drug in development, the obesity drug Beloranib.  The Court held that plaintiffs did not adequately plead scienter under the heightened requirements of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA”), stressing that a defendant’s mere knowledge of omitted information is not sufficient to support a cogent and compelling inference of fraudulent intent.

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On March 29, 2017, Chief District Judge Lee Rosenthal of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division dismissed a putative class action against Plains All American Pipeline, a major national oil and gas pipeline operator, and its holding companies (collectively, “Plains Defendants”), as well as individual officer and director defendants of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (collectively, “Individual Defendants”), and financial institutions which acted as underwriters in the securities offerings at issue (collectively, “Underwriter Defendants”).  In re Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. Sec. Litig., Case No. H:15-2404 (S.D.T.X. Mar. 29, 2017).  Plaintiffs, individuals and institutional investors who purchased equity and debt instruments issued by entities affiliated with Plains All American Pipeline in seven different public offerings, brought claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and Sections 11, 12(a)(2), and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”).  The claims were brought after a May 2015 oil spill allegedly caused by a ruptured Plains pipeline that resulted in approximately 101,000 gallons of oil spilling into the Pacific Ocean.  Plaintiffs alleged that, prior to and after the spill, the company falsely claimed to have a comprehensive, effective environmental and regulatory compliance program to prevent oil spills and, if such spills occurred, to quickly remediate the effects.

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On March 23, 2017, Judge Kimba Wood of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative securities fraud class action against Shiloh Industries, Inc. (“Shiloh” or the “Company”), and certain of its officers and directors.  Thomas v. Shiloh Indus. Inc., 15-cv-7449 (KMW) (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 23, 2017).  Plaintiffs, purported shareholders of Shiloh, alleged that defendants violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) when they allowed misallocated surcharges on the Company’s balance sheet to remain uncorrected, which thereby understated the cost of goods sold and inflated inventory.  The Court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss, holding that plaintiffs had failed to plead with particularity facts supporting their claim that defendants were aware of or recklessly disregarded indications of accounting issues that ultimately resulted in a restatement of Shiloh’s financial results for the first two fiscal quarters of 2015.      

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On March 16, 2017, District Judge Ann M. Donnelly of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed with prejudice a putative class action against Etsy, Inc., its CEO, CFO, certain of its directors, and the underwriters of its initial public offering (“IPO”).  Altayyar, et al., v. Etsy, Inc., et al., No. 1:15-cv-2785 (E.D.N.Y. March 16, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that the company and the individual defendants violated Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, by artificially inflating Etsy’s stock price through misrepresentations leading up to Etsy’s IPO, causing plaintiffs to suffer losses when additional information was revealed and the company’s stock price dropped.  Plaintiffs also brought claims under Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) against all defendants, as well as claims under Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act against the individual defendants.  In dismissing the complaint in its entirety, the Court found that plaintiffs had failed to establish that the company’s statements were objectively false, intentionally inaccurate, or materially misleading when made.

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On March 6, 2017, Judge Robert Sweet of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative class action against 6D Global Technologies, Inc. (“6D” or the “Company”) and certain of its officers and directors.  Puddu v. 6D Glob. Techs., Inc., No. 15-cv-8061 (RWS) (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 6, 2017).  Plaintiffs—purported shareholders of 6D—alleged that defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 when they failed to disclose the Company’s association with an individual whom United States regulators have charged in connection with stock manipulation schemes.  The decision illustrates the challenges plaintiffs face when making claims based on alleged omissions because often there is no duty to disclose the omitted information.   

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On February 27, 2017, Judge Katherine Polk Failla of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed with prejudice a putative class action brought on behalf of purchasers of Wal-Mart de México SAB de CV (“Wal-Mex”) American Depositary Shares (“ADRs”) against Wal-Mex, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (“Wal-Mart”), and two Wal-Mex executives.  Fogel v. Wal-Mart de México Sab de CV, — F. Supp. 3d —, 2017 WL 751155 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).  The complaint alleged that defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder based on allegations that Wal-Mex’s annual reports for 2004 through 2011 failed to disclose an alleged bribery scheme.  In a detailed and thorough opinion that provides an overview of the state of Rule 10b-5 jurisprudence in the Second Circuit, the Court held that many of plaintiff’s claims were time barred, and that plaintiff failed to state a claim with respect to those claims that were timely.

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On February 24, 2017, Judge Edward Chen of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted in part and denied in part a motion to dismiss a putative securities class action against Leapfrog Enterprises, its current CEO, and its former CFO.  The complaint alleged that Leapfrog violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by falsely representing in its financial disclosures that it did not need to take write-offs related to the value of its goodwill and long-lived assets.  In re Leapfrog Enterprise, Inc. Sec. Litig., No. 15-cv-00347-EMC, 2017 WL 732909 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 24, 2017).  Considering the difference in the relevant disclosures, the Court dismissed plaintiffs’ claims related to the goodwill write-off, but not the claims related to the write-off of long-lived assets.

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On February 22, 2017, Judge J. Paul Oetken of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York denied a motion to dismiss a putative class action lawsuit brought against Chinese mobile game developer iDreamSky Technology Ltd. (“iDreamSky”), its officers and directors and four underwriters.  In re: iDreamSky Technology Limited Securities Litigation, No. 15-CV-2514 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 22, 2017).  The complaint alleged violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”), Rule 10b-5 and Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, as well as Sections 11, 12(a)(1), 12(a)(2), and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), based on allegations that the Company omitted to disclose the adverse financial impact of delays in the release of iDreamSky’s Cookie Run game in China, as well as the alleged lack of an adequate third-party billing platform.  

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On February 21, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative shareholder suit brought against officers, directors, principal shareholders and underwriters of EveryWare Global, Inc. (“EveryWare”), a now-bankrupt Ohio-based manufacturer of kitchenware.  IBEW Local No. 58 Annuity Fund v EveryWare Glob., Inc., No. 16-3445, 2017 WL 677487 (6th Cir. Feb. 21, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that EveryWare’s officers violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”), Securities Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder and Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act by knowingly providing false and misleading financial projections. Plaintiffs also alleged that various defendants violated Sections 11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) because the registration statement and prospectus purportedly contained material misrepresentations.  The Court dismissed both the Exchange Act and Securities Act claims, finding that plaintiffs failed to adequately plead that EveryWare’s officers acted with the requisite intent to deceive shareholders or that the registration statement and prospectus contained material misrepresentations.

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On February 17, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative securities class action brought against DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (“DreamWorks”), its CEO and CFO.  Roofers Local No. 149 Pension Fund v. DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., et al., No. 15-55945, 2017 WL 655789 (9th Cir Feb. 17, 2017).  Plaintiff had alleged that defendants violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, along with Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, by knowingly making false or misleading statements regarding the profitability of DreamWorks’ animated movie “Turbo” during announcements of second- and third-quarter results in 2013.  The Court affirmed the dismissal of the claims, holding that plaintiff failed to adequately allege a false or misleading statement or loss causation, underscoring that complaints filed in response to poorer-than-expected results and/or the mere announcement of a regulatory investigation are not likely to succeed.

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On February 8, 2017, Judge Robin Rosenberg of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed with prejudice a putative shareholder class action against KLX Inc. and certain of its senior officers under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder.  In re KLX Inc. Sec. Litig., No. 9:16-CV-80023, slip op. (S.D. Fla. Feb. 8, 2017).  Plaintiffs alleged that KLX made misstatements and omissions (i) regarding the financial health of KLX’s energy services division and its employment figures and (ii) as a result of recognizing a good will and long-term asset impairment charge later than it should have.  In a complete and thorough opinion, the Court reiterated that neither puffery nor optimism provides grounds for a fraud claim, that forward looking statements are entitled to safe-harbor protection even when combined with representations that arguably refer to current facts, that GAAP violations alone are not sufficient for fraud, and that scienter should be judged with consideration of indications of non-fraudulent intent.   

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On December 27, 2016, Judge Arthur J. Tarnow of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan dismissed a putative class action against Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (“Esperion” or the “Company”), a pharmaceutical company, and its chief executive officer.  Dougherty v. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., No. 16 Civ. 10089 (E.D. Mich. Dec. 27, 2016).  Plaintiffs, purchasers of Esperion common stock, alleged that defendants made false statements regarding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) approval process for a new drug in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5.  The Court held, among other things, that plaintiffs failed to allege facts giving rise to a strong inference of scienter, and, in particular, that “[t]he inquiry is inherently comparative” in that it considers whether the inference of scienter is as strong or stronger than the opposing inference of non-culpability.  The Court also held that forward-looking statements about the approval process were protected under the PSLRA safe harbor.  The decision, one of many recent decisions involving statements about drug approvals, highlights the case-specific nature of the analysis and that specific disclosures about regulatory approval risks can provide a meaningful defense in securities cases.  

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On December 5, 2016, Judge Susan Illston of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a securities class action against Hortonworks, Inc. (“Hortonworks”) and certain of its officers, with leave to amend.  Monachelli v. Hortonworks, 3:16‑cv‑00980-SI (N.D.Cal. Dec. 5, 2016).  Plaintiffs alleged that Hortonworks violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) through a series of misleading statements regarding the sufficiency of available capital that were made shortly before the company raised funds through a secondary equity offering.  The Court dismissed plaintiffs’ claims for several reasons, including because some of the alleged misstatements were forward-looking statements that qualified for protection under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”).    

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On November 10, 2016, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted in part and denied in part the motion to dismiss filed by defendants MetLife, Inc. (“MetLife”), certain of its officers and directors, and the underwriters of certain MetLife offerings.  City of Westland Police & Fire Ret. Sys. v. MetLife, Inc., No. 12-cv-0256 (LAK) (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 10, 2016).  Plaintiff alleged that MetLife misled investors regarding its financial performance because certain loss reserves underlying its financial statements failed to take into consideration policy holders who had died but had not filed claims yet.  The Court dismissed plaintiff’s claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) because plaintiff failed to plead that defendants acted with scienter, but the Court ruled that plaintiff had adequately alleged a material omission and permitted plaintiff’s claims under Sections 11, 12, and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) to proceed.  

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On October 18, 2016, Judge Christina A. Snyder of the United States District Court for the Central District of California dismissed a putative securities class action brought against defendant SouFun Holdings Ltd.“ —a Chinese online real estate business—and certain of its officers Maresca v. SouFun Holdings Ltd., No. 15 Civ. 8508 (C.D. Cal. Oct. 18, 2016).  Plaintiffs alleged that defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by making materially misleading statements and omissions regarding the scale and success of SouFun’s new rental brokerage business.  The Court dismissed plaintiffs’ claims, concluding that plaintiffs failed to adequately plead materiality or scienter because (i) the brokerage activity at issue was not a significant portion of the company’s overall business and (ii) plaintiffs failed to plead facts from which to infer that senior officers in the company knew about the allegedly fraudulent transactions.   

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On October 26, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a district court’s dismissal of a putative securities class action against Arena Pharmaceuticals (“Arena” or the “Company”) where the district court ruled that plaintiffs failed to adequately plead scienter.  Schueneman v. Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., No. 14-55633, -- F.3d ---- (9th Cir. Oct. 26, 2016).  This reversal sheds light on how courts sometimes evaluate scienter when an issuer comes under “an affirmative duty to disclose” adverse information because it has disclosed positive information, and the disclosure of the adverse information is found to be necessary to make the disclosures that have been made not misleading.  

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On October 18, 2016, Judge Sam Sparks of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas dismissed without prejudice a putative class action against EZCorp, Incorporated (“EZCorp”) for failure to adequately plead that defendants had acted with fraudulent intent.  Wu Winfred Huang v. EZCorp, Inc., 15-CA-00608-SS, 2016 WL 6092717 (W.D. Tex. Oct. 18, 2016).  Plaintiffs claimed that EZCorp and its CEO knew or recklessly disregarded the possibility that EZCorp’s reported financial results were materially false and misleading when made.  The Court’s rejection of plaintiffs’ confidential witness allegations is an example of the rigor with which such allegations often are analyzed.

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On October 7, 2016, Judge Anthony J. Battaglia of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California dismissed a putative class action against Celladon Corporation and two of its executives.  Tadros v. Celladon Corporation et al., No. 15-cv-01458 (S.D. Cal. Oct. 7, 2016).  The Court held that plaintiff failed to meet the heightened pleading requirements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA”) in alleging a material misrepresentation or omission and scienter in support of its securities fraud claims under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5.  Plaintiff alleged that Celladon and its executives intentionally misled investors through false or misleading statements regarding the success of early clinical trials of Mydicar, the company’s prospective cardiovascular drug.  According to plaintiff, Celladon’s stock price declined by 80% after announcements by the company in April 2015 that Mydicar failed to meet its goals in the second phase of the trial.  Plaintiff brought this action in July 2015.

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On September 30, 2016, Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed with prejudice a putative securities class action brought against MDC Partners, Inc. (“MDC”)—an advertising agency holding company—and several of its current and former officers and directors.  N. Collier Fire & Rescue Dist. Firefighter Pension Plan v. MDC Partners, Inc., No. 15 Civ. 6034 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2016).  Plaintiffs claimed that defendants violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Actmisstating the amount of compensation paid to MDC’s founder and former CEO. The Court held that the alleged misrepresentations regarding the CEO’s compensation were not qualitatively material and dismissed the claims.   

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On September 7, 2016, the Court of Appeals for the 11^th Circuit affirmed the Southern District of Florida’s dismissal of shareholder securities fraud claims against The ADT Corporation (“ADT”).  IBEW Local 595 Pension and Money Purchase Pension Plans, et al v. The ADT Corporation et al, No. 15-13595, 2016 WL 4660814 (11th Cir. Sept. 7, 2016).  Plaintiffs claimed that ADT misrepresented and failed to disclose that its board’s motivation for approving a leveraged repurchase of company stock was to protect itself from threats of replacement by an activist hedge fund (the “Fund”) and that ADT and the Fund engaged in deceptive conduct in executing the repurchase plan, in violation of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The Court held that ADT was not required to disclose its motives for the repurchase and the defendants had not engaged in manipulative conduct.

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On August 24, 2016, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of claims brought by putative class members under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5 against defendants BlackBerry Ltd. and certain of its officers.  Pearlstein, et al. v. BlackBerry, et al., No. 15-3991 (2d Cir. August 24, 2016).  The Court, however, vacated U.S. District Court Judge Thomas P. Griesa’s denial of plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend, noting that the record was “insufficient” to determine whether leave was proper.  The Court remanded the case for reconsideration of the motion for leave to amend “[b]ecause the district court did not explain its basis for denying leave to amend.”

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On August 22, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the lower court’s dismissal of a putative securities class action filed against Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (“Cooper”) and two of its officers.  OFI Asset Mgmt. v. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., No. 15-2664 (3d Cir. Aug. 22, 2016).  The Third Circuit held that plaintiffs’ lengthy allegations amounted to nothing more than claims of fraud-by-hindsight and thus did not meet the requirement that claims of securities fraud be pled with particularity.  

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On August 18, 2016, Judge Kimba Wood of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative class action against FXCM Inc., a currency brokerage firm, and its two co-founders, with leave to replead.  Ret. Bd. of the Policemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chi. v. FXCM Inc., 15-cv-3599 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 18, 2016).  In dismissing plaintiff’s claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act (the “Exchange Act”), the Court found that plaintiff failed to plead allegations sufficient to give rise to a strong inference of scienter, holding that the complaint failed to allege either “motive or opportunity” or “strong circumstantial evidence of conscious misbehavior or recklessness.”  Judge Wood’s decision joins the well-established Second Circuit precedent that plaintiff cannot meet the heightened pleading requirement merely by alleging that the defendant was motivated by a common desire to keep the corporation’s profits or by alleging “fraud by hindsight,” and confirmed that the standard for pleading scienter on the basis of recklessness is high.

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On August 11, 2016, the New York Appellate Division, First Department, affirmed the New York Supreme Court’s denial of a motion to dismiss fraud claims asserted against sponsors and underwriters of twenty-three residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”).  IKB International, S.A. v. Morgan Stanley, 2016 WL 4217814 (1^st Dep’t Aug. 11, 2016).  Defendants argued that the plaintiff had not adequately alleged its justifiable reliance on any alleged misrepresentation and that, when acting solely as underwriters of certain of the challenged transactions, they made no actionable misrepresentations.  The Court held that the plaintiff had adequately pleaded justifiable reliance on the purported misstatements and that the underwriters’ participation in the RMBS at issue, as pleaded, was sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss.

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On July 25, 2016, Judge David Carter of the United States District Court for the Central District of California dismissed, without prejudice, a putative class action brought by shareholders of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“El Pollo”).  See Turocy v. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. No. SA CV 15-1343-DOC (KESx) (C.D. Cal. July 25, 2016).  Plaintiffs alleged that El Pollo and certain of its executives made false statements concerning expected sales by failing to disclose the negative sales impact of recent changes in menu prices and offerings, in violation of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The Court held, however, that plaintiffs had not alleged any actionable false statements, nor pleaded particularized facts creating a sufficiently compelling inference that El Pollo executives made the challenged statements with scienter.

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On July 20, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit revived a putative class action against Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”).  Ohio Public Employees Retirement Sys. v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., et al., No. 14-4189, 2016 WL 3916011 (6th Cir. Jul. 20, 2016).  In reversing the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the Court found that plaintiff’s allegations regarding loss causation were sufficient to sustain a claim against Freddie Mac under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) for making materially false and misleading statements and omissions concerning its financial health.  

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On July 19, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a proposed shareholder class action against Deloitte & Touch LLP.  Sanchez et al. v. Crocs, Inc. et al., No. 11-1116 (10th Cir. July 19, 2016).  The Court held that plaintiffs had not “established a strong inference that Deloitte acted recklessly, and consequently, their . . . claim fail[ed].” Plaintiffs had alleged that Crocs, Inc. hid increasingly unsellable inventory totals in 2006 and 2007 before announcing a $70 million inventory write-down in 2008, and that Deloitte knew about or recklessly disregarded “red flags” that should have alerted the auditing firm to the company’s impending financial troubles. 

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On July 6, 2016, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed with prejudice federal securities class claims against the former CEO of an Australian pharmaceutical company, QRx Pharma Ltd. (“QRx”). Gillis v. QRx Pharma Ltd., No. 15 Civ. 4868 (S.D.N.Y. July 6, 2016).  Plaintiffs alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in connections with statements about the FDA approval process made while one of the company’s drugs was under review.  Judge Engelmayer granted the CEO’s motion to dismiss the claims on the grounds that the alleged misrepresentations about the FDA’s process and the likelihood of approval were inactionable opinion and/or forward-looking statements and because the complaint failed to allege scienter adequately.  This decision signals continuing skepticism of securities claims against pharmaceutical and medical device companies that are brought when developmental products are not successful in trials and/or do not receive regulatory approvals.

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