Posts in Shareholder Actions
City of Hialeah Employees' Retirement System v. FEI: Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint Granted

In City of Hialeah Employees' Retirement System v. FEI, No. 3-16-cv-1792-SI, 2018 BL 25615 (D. Or. Jan. 25, 2018), the United States District Court for the District of Oregon granted a motion to dismiss the City of Hialeah Employees’ Retirement System’s (“Plaintiff”) Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”), filed against FEI Company ("FEI"), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. ("Thermo"), and named Individual Defendants, Thomas Kelly, Donald Kania, Homa Bahrami, Arie Huijser, Jan Lobbezoo, Jami Dover Nachstsheim, James Richardson, and Richard Wills (collectively, "Defendants"), finding Plaintiff failed to adequately plead that Defendants’ violated Section14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and that Individual Defendants violated Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. 

Read More
Moore v. Payson Petroleum Grayson: Investors in 3-Well Program Denied Transfer of Venue

In Moore v. Payson Petroleum Grayson, LLC, No. 3:17-CV-1436-M-BH, 2018 BL 21203 (N.D. Tex. Jan. 23, 2018), the court denied a motion to transfer venue filed by seven Payson Petroleum Grayson, LLC (“Payson”) investors (“Plaintiffs”), from the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division (“Dallas Division”), to the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division (“Sherman Division”). In the class action, Plaintiffs’ alleged Payson and twelve other defendants (collectively “Defendants”) violated the Texas Securities Act. In denying the motion to transfer, the court reasoned both private and public interest factors, as well as the interest of justice, did not warrant transfer.

Read More
Fries v. Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.: Court Grants Motion to Dismiss with Leave to Amend for Non-Actionable 10b–5 Claims.

In Fries v. Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., No. 16-cv-06543-ER, 2018 BL 9786 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 10, 2018), the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted a motion to dismiss the Consolidated Amended Complaint (“CAC”) of Matthew Atkinson (“Plaintiff”) against Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (“Northern Oil”) and Northern Oil executives, Michael L. Reger (“Reger”) and Thomas W. Stoelk (“Stoelk”), (collectively “Defendants”), alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) for violations of Section 10(b) and 20(a). The court held the Plaintiffs failed to state a claim.

Read More
Jaroslawicz v. M&T Bank: Dismissing Class Action Complaint Under Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

In Jaroslawicz v. M&T Bank Corp., No. 15-897-RGA, 2017 BL 385847 (D. Del. Oct. 27, 2017), the United States District Court for the District of Delaware granted M&T Bank Corp.’s (“M&T”) and Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.’s (“Hudson City”), along with the companies’ directors and officers at the time the companies merged, (collectively “Defendants”) motion to dismiss the second amended class action complaint by David Jaroslawicz, individually and on behalf of former Hudson City Bancorp stockholders (“Plaintiffs”).

In February 2013, M&T and Hudson City executed a merger agreement and issued a Joint Proxy statement, which included the text of the merger agreement. The merger was initially expected to close in the second quarter of 2013.

Read More