Category Archives: ratings agencies

Federal Home Loan Bank Litigation Update: MBS Cases Moving Slowly, But Steadily, Ahead for FHLBs

By Isaac Gradman and India Autry The Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) litigation against MBS underwriters, some of the first to arise out of the sale of toxic mortgage backed securities post-crisis, is progressing slowly but surely towards trial, without … Continue reading

Posted in banks, Blue Sky laws, choice of law, discovery, Federal Home Loan Banks, investors, lawsuits, litigation, loan files, LTV, MBS, misrespresentation, motions to dismiss, ratings agencies, remand, removability, securities fraud, securities laws, securitization, sophistication, subprime, underwriting guidelines, underwriting practices | 8 Comments

The Government Giveth and It Taketh Away: The Significance of the Game Changing FHFA Lawsuits

It is no stretch to say that Friday, September 2 was the most significant day for mortgage crisis litigation since the onset of the crisis in 2007.  That Friday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as conservator for Fannie Mae … Continue reading

Posted in acquisitions, Ambac, bailout, banks, Bear Stearns, BofA, bondholder actions, Complaints, contract rights, Countrywide, damages, Deutsche Bank, emc, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Banks, FHFA, Freddie Mac, freeriders, Goldman Sachs, Government bailout, investors, irresponsible lending, JPMorgan, jury trials, lawsuits, lending guidelines, liabilities, litigation, litigation costs, loan files, loss causation, loss estimates, LTV, MBS, media coverage, Merrill Lynch, misrespresentation, monoline actions, mortgage fraud, motions to dismiss, negligence and recklessness, private label MBS, procedural hurdles, putbacks, quinn emanuel, ratings agencies, rep and warranty, repurchase, RMBS, securities, securities laws, securitization, shareholder lawsuits, sole remedy, sophistication, stability, standing, statistical sampling, statutes of limitations, subpoenas, successor liability, too big to fail, Trustees, underwriting practices, Wall St., WaMu | 6 Comments

Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh Scores Important Early Victory in Pennsylvania Lawsuit

In the first substantive decision handed down in any of the five major lawsuits by the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLB) over RMBS losses, the Hon. Stanton Wettick, Jr. of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania dealt … Continue reading

Posted in Countrywide, Federal Home Loan Banks, investors, JPMorgan, lawsuits, loan files, misrespresentation, ratings agencies, remand, removability, rep and warranty, repurchase, sole remedy, toxic assets | 8 Comments

Latest Gatekeeper Litigation: City of San Buenaventura Sues Deloitte Over WAMU Subprime Collapse

Following on the heels of the lawsuits against KPMG by New Century’s debtors for contributing to the collapse of the mortgage giant, accounting firm Deloitte & Touche (D&T) and the officers and directors of Washington Mutual Bank (WAMU) have been … Continue reading

Posted in accounting, auditing, Deloitte and Touche, Ernst and Young, gatekeeper litigation, incentives, KPMG, Lehman Brothers, loss causation, ratings agencies, subprime, WaMu | Leave a comment

California Legislature Reaches Compromise on Subprime Reform Bill

The L.A. Times reports that the California has reached a compromise with consumer and lending groups on a bill that would guard against some of the practices that contributed to the subprime crisis. The bill, an amended version of AB … Continue reading

Posted in Alt-A, broader credit crisis, Countrywide, education, incentives, legislation, lenders, predatory lending, ratings agencies, subprime | Leave a comment