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Practical Strategies for Avoiding and Responding to Shareholder Litigation

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Morrison Foerster, in collaboration with Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), is pleased to host a practical program...

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<p>Morrison Foerster, in collaboration with Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), is pleased to host a practical program offering in-house counsel, executives, and risk professionals actionable guidance on how to reduce the risk of shareholder litigation and what to do in the critical early moments if a claim arises.</p><p><strong>Attendees will gain:</strong></p><ul><li>An overview of shareholder litigation and related regulatory scrutiny.</li><li>Strategies to reduce exposure to shareholder suits.</li><li>Practical tips to avoid common missteps when shareholder litigation arises. </li><li>What to look for when selecting D&O liability insurance and the importance of selecting the right insurer.</li><li>Best practices for collaboration among insureds, counsel, and carriers.</li></ul><p>MoFo partners Jordan Eth and Ryan Keats will be joined by Peter Critchell and William Carroll of BHSI to share practical perspectives from both the legal and carrier viewpoints.</p><p>To register your interest for this event, please contact Deborah Argueta at <a href="mailto:dargueta@mofo.com">dargueta@mofo.com</a>.</p><hr>

<p>Practical Strategies for Avoiding and Responding to Shareholder Litigation</p>

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<div class="videoWrapper"><span class='youtube-wrapper'><iframe class="sticky-video" allowfullscreen="1" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2q_gEWibFK0?rel=0" title="Meet Jordan Eth, Securities Litigator" title="iframe"></iframe></span></div><p class="MoFoBioBodyTextLead" dir="ltr">Jordan Eth is a partner in Morrison Foerster's Securities Litigation group. Jordan is one of the leading securities litigators in the United States, known for his success in handling complex, high-stakes cases. He has more than 30 years of experience representing public companies and their officers and directors in:</p><ul><li>Securities class actions</li><li>SEC investigations</li><li>Derivative suits</li><li>Mergers and acquisitions litigation</li><li>Internal investigations</li></ul><p class="MoFoBodyText0">Jordan understands the big-picture challenges facing companies and individuals in securities litigation, as well as the intricacies of the legal issues. As co-leader of the successful defense of JDS Uniphase Corp. and its former executives in a securities class action jury trial seeking $20 billion in damages—the largest in history—Jordan is one of the few lawyers who has taken a securities class action to trial and won a complete jury defense verdict.</p><p>Jordan’s clients cover a broad range of industries, including financial services, computer software and hardware, life sciences, manufacturing, and consumer products. He is routinely recognized for his exceptional client service, including in <em>Best Lawyers in America</em>, where a client noted that, “Jordan Eth is in a class of his own. He is deeply knowledgeable and experienced and a natural leader without ego issues. He thinks strategically and is extremely responsive, realistic, and clear in his assessments of situations. He is able to marshal resources within Morrison Foerster as necessary. And if that were not enough, he is easy to work with. I could not recommend him more highly.” Jordan is also regularly praised by clients for his strong courtroom advocacy and deep expertise in securities litigations and class actions:</p><p>“Jordan is impressive before the courts. He is straight to the point and his voice carries a lot of weight with the bench.” – <em>Chambers USA</em></p><p>“Jordan understands the CEO mentality with respect to securities actions and navigates the corporate politics of these matters with the same expertise with which he handles the legal case.” – Client</p><p>“Jordan Eth is a superstar. He has actual trial experience – extremely rare in securities litigation. He is even-handed, calm and very direct. Very helpful in cutting through the noise with board members.” – <em>Legal 500 USA </em></p><p class="MoFoBodyText0" dir="ltr">A frequent speaker on securities litigation topics at events and conferences across the United States, Jordan actively participates in programs put on by The SEC Enforcement Forum, the Practising Law Institute, and the Stanford Directors’ College. During Winter Quarter 2012 and Spring Quarter 2017, Jordan taught “Modern Securities Fraud Litigation: Public and Private Enforcement” as an Adjunct at Stanford Law School. <span dir="ltr">He has also authored dozens of articles on securities litigation and is an Executive Committee member on the Securities Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco.</span></p><p class="MoFoBodyText0">Jordan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Chief Judge Robert F. Peckham, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, from August 1985 through August 1986. From 1980 through 1982, he worked as an economist in Washington, D.C., first for the United States Department of Energy and then for the Budget Committee of the United States House of Representatives.</p>

Jordan Eth

Partner

<p>Chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation Group, Ryan Keats represents companies and their officers and directors in securities class actions, SEC investigations, shareholder derivative lawsuits, and other high-stakes litigation.</p><p>Ryan represents issuers facing disputes with their shareholders in state and federal courts across the country. His representations routinely include securities class actions, derivative lawsuits, securities fraud allegations, insider trading claims, and shareholder books and records demands. Ryan’s practice is complemented by his representation of issuers and executives in connection with internal investigations and government inquiries, as well as in litigation brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other government regulators. Ryan is sought after for his ability to prevail on motions to dismiss, at summary judgment, on the merits, and on appeal.</p><p>Ryan draws on his litigation experience to advise companies and their executives regarding anticipated adverse disclosures so that they can mitigate the risks before disputes arise. His clients come from a broad range of industries, including computer software,<strong> </strong>artificial intelligence, consumer products, energy, financial services, life sciences, and manufacturing.</p><p>Ryan is the current chair of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Litigation Section and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He is also a Lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School, teaching “Complex Litigation Through a Securities Lens” in Spring 2026. </p><p>Ryan is a Trustee of the Bay Area Discovery Museum. He also maintains an active pro bono docket, representing individuals in connection with life-changing legal issues.</p><h4>Representative Experience</h4><h5>Securities Class Actions</h5><ul><li>Cloudera and certain of its officers and directors in securities class actions in California federal and state court. Won motion to dismiss in federal court, which was upheld on appeal. Won motion for summary judgment as to all claims in state court.</li><li>Former CFO in a securities class action and SEC lawsuit arising out of accounting restatement.</li><li>LeapFrog in a securities class action relating to a product launch and accounting disclosures.</li><li>RH and certain of its executives in a securities class action relating to the launch of a new product line and its inventory levels.</li></ul><h5>Shareholder Derivative Actions</h5><ul><li>Fitbit and certain of its directors and officers in connection with a shareholder derivative suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Following a successful bifurcation motion prioritizing discovery into plaintiffs’ standing, negotiated a settlement on favorable terms.</li><li>Hortonworks and certain of its directors and officers in connection with a shareholder derivative suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Won motion to dismiss with prejudice.</li><li>Zynga and certain of its directors and officers in connection with a shareholder derivative suit on appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court.</li></ul><h5>Deal Litigation</h5><ul><li>SoftBank Group Corp. in lawsuits brought by WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann and a special committee of WeWork’s board of directors seeking $3 billion in damages. Plaintiffs alleged that SoftBank improperly failed to close a tender offer for WeWork shares and alleged that SoftBank breached fiduciary duties owed to other WeWork stockholders. The novel, high-profile case was litigated on a compressed schedule, with trial set less than a year after the complaint was filed. The parties settled two weeks before trial, and the settlement helped pave the way for WeWork’s go-public transaction through a SPAC merger.</li><li>Leading financial institution in successfully defending against breach of contract claims arising from a spinout transaction. Secured a complete defense victory following a two-week arbitration hearing.</li></ul><h5>Government Investigations</h5><ul><li>Chief Financial Officer in connection with SEC investigation concerning IPO projections. The SEC did not charge our client.</li><li>Telecommunications company in anti-bribery investigations involving the company’s activities in Europe and the Middle East. The SEC and Department of Justice (DOJ) did not charge the client.</li></ul>

Ryan M. Keats

Securities Litigation

Practical Strategies for Avoiding and Responding to Shareholder Litigation

21 Jan 2026 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM PST