Bissinger's Securities and Finance for Trial Lawyers

Skilling's Big Brief

Jeff Skilling has appealed his conviction.  Now he's filed a brief.  Everyone's clucking about it.  The Wall Street Journal bashes Skilling's brief as too long.  Loren Steffy of the Houston Chronicle lambasts it as the "Attack from Planet Skilling."  However one feels about the merits of his case, the brief gives a comprehensive overview of the law governing white-collar crime, jury selection, and trial evidence and procedure.  Check it out at Download skilling_236_page_appellate_brief.pdf

Morgan Stanley's Snowballs

arFor an interesting type of investment -- and a lawsuit over them -- see the attached complaint.  Download SnowballNotes.pdf   Snowball notes are “hybrid investments” or “structured securities” combinations of straight debt instruments and derivatives.  They are sold as bonds with their own CUSIP numbers.  Their interest payments are tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate. Plaintiffs claim Morgan Stanley systematically defrauded them by false and misleading offerings and failing to disclose material information.  Apparently, Morgan Stanley sold $210 million of “inverse-ratchet snowball notes” in September and October 2004 alone.