Judge approves $2.6B Citigroup/WorldCom accounting scandal settlement News
Judge approves $2.6B Citigroup/WorldCom accounting scandal settlement

[JURIST] US District Judge Denise Cote of the Southern District of NY has approved a $2.6 billion settlement between Citigroup and
WorldCom (now MCI) investors, one of the biggest class-action lawsuits resulting from a series of corporate scandals. The class-action lawsuit accused Citigroup and other investment banks that underwrote WorldCom bonds of failing to conduct due diligence before bringing the securities to market. Citigroup must pay the settlement to WorldCom stockholders and bondholders; investors also will receive $51 million in interest. WorldCom emerged from bankruptcy protection earlier this year. Judge Cote called the settlement "historic". New York State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi, the lead plaintiff in the case, released this statement. More information and materials on the WorldCom securities litigation is here. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

South Africa becomes first country on continent to legalize same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriages became legal in South Africa on November 30, 2006 as the country's Civil Union Act, 2006 went into effect, making South Africa the only country on the African continent to legalize same-sex marriage. Read the Civil Union Act, 2006.