NYSE‘s publication, Corporate Board Member, has recently published an article, “Sidestepping D&O Liability”. This piece brings to light the year 2015 as a record-breaking one for securities litigation against directors and officers, and how this trend is continuing into 2016. The level of whistleblower activity has significantly increased, as exemplified by the astonishing 119 filings of new federal class-action securities cases, and complementing this increase is the substantial decrease in the settlement sizes of these suits.
MBBP’s Carl Barnes, who specializes in director and officer liability, was asked to discuss precautions and to offer his counsel on this subject. Throughout the article, Carl is often cited offering advice on the various types of director liability and the methods in which to avoid litigation. Carl explains that directors are under fierce scrutiny in order to ascertain whether or not they have satisfied their duty of care, as this is the item that drives litigation. In order to minimize, or even avoid, liability altogether, Carl advises that directors be “actively involved, ask questions, and demand answers.” In a post-Enron world, directors need to be vigilant in order to avoid being liable, and the counsel that Carl offers may help directors and officers dismiss litigation quickly and perhaps even avoid it entirely. For more information, check out the full article.
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