FRT’s Fast Five: Week Ending March 19, 2021

Financial Recovery Technologies Fast Five provides you with the top news in shareholder class actions. Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in settled (U.S./Canada) claims filing opportunities, Antitrust settlements, Global Group Litigation matters and more. For more information, contact your Financial Recovery Technologies representative or email us.

1. Hawaii Fund to Lead Wells Fargo Risky Lending Class Action

A Hawaii pension fund on Monday was tapped to lead a proposed class action suit accusing Wells Fargo of making billions of dollars worth of risky commercial loans, though the federal judge overseeing the case ordered that the fund must consider applications by law firms to serve as class counsel. Click here to read the full article (subscription may be required).

2. Why a Surge of COVID Securities Suits Hasn’t Happened

The chances of the virus spawning a broad wave of securities litigation seem to be slimming. The early months of the pandemic, marked by steep market declines and uncertainty about the virus’ impact on the global economy, brought wide speculation about a possible surge in investor litigation in line with historical trends of securities cases spiking around crises and stock market turbulence. Some major cases were filed in those early months, but after 12 months, only about 25 proposed securities class actions tied to the pandemic remain active in federal courts, according to an analysis by Law360. Six of those have come in 2021, suggesting that the flow of such cases may continue, but not at the level some may have anticipated early on. Click here to read the full article (subscription may be required).

3. Credit Suisse Overhauls Unit and Suspends Bonuses Over Greensill Scandal

Credit Suisse will overhaul its asset management business and suspend bonuses for some senior executives, as the bank races to contain the damage from the collapse of supply chain finance company Greensill Capital. The Swiss lender had multiple ties to Greensill, including $10bn of funds that offered exposure to the company’s loans and were marketed to the bank’s clients as safe investments. Laying bare the fallout from the deepening scandal, Credit Suisse warned on Thursday that fund investors have threatened litigation, that it could lose clients and the ultimate cost to the bank may be “material” for its operating results. Click here to read the full article (subscription may be required).

4. Cap on Litigation Funder Returns Could Make Australian Class Actions Unviable

A proposed 30 percent cap on gross returns to litigation funders would make a large number of class actions financially unviable, new research by PwC chief economist Jeremy Thorpe shows. When applied to class actions from the past 20 years, the research showed returns in 36 percent of matters would not have covered the legal costs of running the case, let alone adequate returns to the funder. Commissioned by Australia’s largest litigation funder, Omni Bridgeway, Mr Thorpe’s report found even a 50 percent cap would make some actions unviable and leave Australians without access to justice. Click here to read the full article.

5. Are SPACs Why Securities Litigation Is Way, Way Up?

Securities litigation cases, including enforcement actions filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, are on the rise. There were 425 securities litigation cases filed in federal courts during the first two months of this year, representing a nearly 60% increase over the same period in 2020, according to Bloomberg Law’s Dockets data. The recent uptick in non-enforcement-action securities litigation appears to be at least partly explained by two phenomena: (1) increased class action litigation against non-U.S. issuers, as detailed in a report issued by law firm Dechert LLP; and (2) an increase in lawsuits against SPACs. Click here to read the full article.

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Founded in 2008, Financial Recovery Technologies (FRT) is the leading technology-based services firm that helps the investment community identify eligibility, file claims and collect funds made available in securities and other class action settlements. Offering the most comprehensive range of claim filing and monitoring services available, we provide best-in-class eligibility analysis, disbursement auditing and client reporting, and deliver the highest level of accuracy, accountability, and transparency available. For more information, go to www.frtservices.com.

This communication and the content found by following any link herein are being provided to you by Financial Recovery Technologies (FRT) for informational purposes only and do not constitute advice. All material presented herein is believed to be reliable but FRT makes no representation or warranty with respect to this communication or such content and expressly disclaims any implied warranty under law. Opinions expressed in this communication may change without prior notice. Firms should always seek legal and financial advice specific to their unique situation and objectives.

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