Result: $136 million settlement
Year: 1999

Lieff Cabraser represented Richard H. Williams, the former Chief Executive Officer and President of Illustra Information Technologies, Inc. (“Illustra”), and a class of Illustra shareholders in a class action suit on behalf of all former Illustra securities holders who tendered their Illustra preferred or common stock, stock warrants or stock options in exchange for securities of Informix Corporation (“Informix”) in connection with Informix’s 1996 purchase of Illustra.

Pursuant to that acquisition, Illustra stockholders received Informix securities representing approximately 10% of the value of the combined company. The complaint alleged claims for common law fraud and violations of Federal securities law arising out of the acquisition.

In October 1999, U.S. District Judge Charles E. Breyer approved a global settlement of the litigation for $136 million, constituting one of the largest settlements ever involving a high technology company alleged to have committed securities fraud. Our clients, the Illustra shareholders, received approximately 30% of the net settlement fund.

Read our Securities and Investment Fraud Practice Area brochure