Herbert Smith Freehills have published an article in the Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation: COVID-19 market disclosures and managing the associated litigation risks. Since the start of the pandemic many listed companies have sought to strengthen their balance sheet by raising additional capital from shareholders. This article considers the types of disclosures relating … Read more

The Board of the Privy Council has allowed an appeal in relation to the application of the so-called “reflective loss” principle, confirming that the rule falls to be assessed as at the point in time when a claimant suffers loss and not at the time proceedings are brought Primeo Fund v Bank of Bermuda (Cayman) … Read more

HM Treasury (HMT) has published an initial consultation on fundamental reforms promising the biggest shake up of the prospectus regime since 2005. The consultation follows the conclusions of the Hill Review of the UK listing regime published in March 2021. In this blog post, we consider HMT’s consultation paper through a securities litigation lens, highlighting the … Read more

The Court of Appeal has held that the so-called “reflective loss” principle will not bar the claim of a shareholder, who is also a contractual promisee/beneficiary, in circumstances where the company in which the shares are owned has acquired the right to bring a claim in respect of the same contract against the same wrongdoer … Read more

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has confirmed that qualified investors (as well as retail investors) can bring an action for damages on the basis of inaccuracies in a prospectus published to the public at large, as a matter of interpretation of Directive 2003/71/EC (the Prospectus Directive): Bankia SA v Unión Mutua … Read more

At a recent case management conference where a split trial was proposed by the parties in relation to a section 90A Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA) claim, the High Court has held that reliance issues should be heard at the first trial rather than held over to the second trial: Allianz Global Investors … Read more

The Advocate General (AG) of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has handed down an unsurprising opinion on the interpretation of Directive 2003/71/EC (the Prospectus Directive), considering the liability of issuers to qualified investors in respect of inaccuracies in a prospectus: Bankia SA v UMAS (Case C-910/19) EU:C:2021:119 (11 February 2021), (Advocate … Read more

In November 2020, the UK Joint Government Regulator TCFD Taskforce published its “roadmap towards mandatory climate-related disclosures”, which set out a vision for the next five years. As an initial step towards fulfilling that vision, in January 2021, the new Listing Rule 9.8.6(8) (LR) came into force. The LR requires premium-listed issuers, in their periodic … Read more