Broadcom
Result: Settlements valued at $197.5 million
Year: 2011
In re Broadcom Corp. Derivative Litigation
Lieff Cabraser served as Court-appointed Lead Counsel in a shareholders derivative action arising out of stock options backdating in Broadcom securities. The complaint alleged that defendants intentionally manipulated their stock option grant dates between 1998 and 2003 at the expense of Broadcom and Broadcom shareholders.
By making it seem as if stock option grants occurred on dates when Broadcom stock was trading at a comparatively low per share price, stock option grant recipients were able to exercise their stock option grants at exercise prices that were lower than the fair market value of Broadcom stock on the day the options were actually granted.
In December 2009, U.S. District Judge Manuel L. Real granted final approval to a partial settlement in which Broadcom Corporation’s insurance carriers paid $118 million to Broadcom. The settlement released certain individual director and officer defendants covered by Broadcom’s directors’ and officers’ policy.
Plaintiffs’ counsel continued to pursue claims against William J. Ruehle, Broadcom’s former Chief Financial Officer, Henry T. Nicholas, III, Broadcom’s co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer, and Henry Samueli, Broadcom’s co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer.
In May 2011, the Court approved a settlement with these defendants. The settlement provided substantial consideration to Broadcom, consisting of the receipt of cash and cancelled options from Dr. Nicholas and Dr. Samueli totaling $53 million in value, plus the release of a claim by Mr. Ruehle, which sought damages in excess of $26 million.
Coupled with the earlier $118 million partial settlement, the total recovery in the derivative action was $197 million, which constitutes the third-largest settlement ever in a derivative action involving stock options backdating.
