(1) If you are not willing to walk away, you are not negotiating effectively. Charles Schwab appears to have proven that adage correct in its settlement of the securities class action pending against the company in the N.D. of California. On November 8, Charles Schwab announced that it was terminating the deal because it would allow federal securities class members residing outside of California to bring certain state law claims against the company. On November 18, however, the parties informed the court that the deal was back on. Charles Schwab will continue to pay $235 million, as had been contemplated all along, but the federal securities class members residing outside of California will have to opt out of the settlement if they want to pursue related claims. The court reportedly is close to approving the new deal.
(2) San Diego State may want to issue a revised press release. As it turns out, the university did jump the gun when it announced that it would be the recipient of funds from a cy pres award in the Apple options backdating settlement. Ted Frank, at the Center for Class Action Fairness, has successfully pressured the parties into making those funds available, at least in the first instance, to class members. He is now pushing the court to refuse preliminary approval until the settlement guarantees that the class gets all of the settlement funds.
The 10b-5 Daily 