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Broker-Dealer Litigation - Greenberg Traurig LLP

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substantial likelihood that disclosure of omitted fact would have been viewed by a reasonable<br />

investor as having significantly altered total mix of information available. Here, the crux of the<br />

complaint arose from defendant’s representations about the value of the Fund’s World Health<br />

investments in the aftermath of the revelations of misconduct and fraud by top executives of<br />

World Health. The Fund loaned millions of dollars to World Health and the principals inflated<br />

the value of World Health to investors and potential new investors. The court found that the<br />

SEC satisfied the “in connection with” requirement for securities fraud and that the<br />

misrepresentations to the new investor constituted sufficient allegations. The SEC sufficiently<br />

pled fraud and scienter with respect to the allegations against the investors but not against the<br />

Fund itself.<br />

SEC v. Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., 806 F. Supp. 2d 1253 (N.D. Ga. 2011).<br />

C.1.d<br />

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought enforcement action against<br />

investment firm, alleging that firm misled investors concerning risks associated with auction rate<br />

securities (ARS). The court held that firm adequately distributed its written disclosures<br />

concerning risks associated with ARS, and alleged misrepresentations made by four of firm’s<br />

brokers were insufficient to establish that firm, as a whole, misrepresented risks of ARS.<br />

Investment firm adequately distributed to its customers its written disclosures concerning risks<br />

associated with ARS. Firm prepared ARS manual that tracked best practices for securities<br />

industry as a whole and distributed manual to each of its ARS customers and posted it on its<br />

website, and after each ARS purchase, firm sent trade confirmations to purchasers directing them<br />

to its website for information regarding ARS procedures. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 §<br />

10(b), 15 U.S.C.A § 78j(b).<br />

C.1.d<br />

Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 630 Pension-Annuity Trust Fund v. Allscripts-Misys<br />

Healthcare, 778 F. Supp. 2d 858 (N.D. Ill. 2011).<br />

Investors brought a putative class action case against the corporation, its chief financial<br />

officer and its chief executive officer alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act<br />

involving statements made by the individuals regarding the implementation and success of a new<br />

computer software version for healthcare organizations. In determining whether the statements<br />

made were actionable, the court reviewed the statements to determine their context and whether<br />

or not they were materially relied upon. The court found that the CEO’s statements about the<br />

corporation’s ability to deliver solid results were not material and thus not actionable. Likewise,<br />

the court determined that the corporation revenue projections were protected under the Private<br />

Securities <strong>Litigation</strong> Reform Act’s safe harbor provision as forward looking statements. The<br />

court further held that the corporation made sufficient, meaningful cautionary statements to point<br />

to the principal contingencies that could cause actual results to depart from projections. The<br />

cautionary language must be substantive and tailored to the specific predictions made in the<br />

allegedly misleading statement. Lastly, the court found the CEO’s statements concerning the<br />

corporations work on implementation to be misleading and actionable.<br />

71

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