United States Securities & Exchange Commission v. Stoker

865 F. Supp. 2d 457, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 78658, 2012 WL 2017736
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJune 6, 2012
DocketNo. 11 Civ. 7388(JSR)
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 865 F. Supp. 2d 457 (United States Securities & Exchange Commission v. Stoker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States Securities & Exchange Commission v. Stoker, 865 F. Supp. 2d 457, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 78658, 2012 WL 2017736 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

JED S. RAKOFF, District Judge.

The Complaint in this securities fraud action alleges that defendant Brian Stoker Negligently violated Section 17(a)(2) & (3) of theN Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. v- 77q(a)(2) & (3), in connection with his role in structuring and marketing a largely synthetic collateralized debt obligation (“CDO”) called Class V Funding III (“Class V III”).1 On December 16, 2011, Stoker moved to dismiss all counts of the Complaint on three grounds: first, that the claim under Section 17(a)(2) fails to allege that Stoker personally obtained money or property by means of the alleged misleading statements or omissions; second, that that same claim fails to plausibly allege that Stoker had ultimate authority over, or was personally and primarily responsible for, the alleged misleading statements or omissions; and third, that the claim under Section 17(a)(3) fails to plausibly allege a fraudulent or deceptive scheme distinct from the misstatements and omissions alleged in the Section 17(a)(2) claim. On February 14, 2012, this Court issued a “bottom-line” order denying Stoker’s motion. This Opinion explains the reasons for that ruling.

A motion to dismiss tests, not the truth of the Complaint’s allegations, but simply [459]*459whether the allegations state a legal cause of action. The allegations here pertinent are the following.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (hereinafter “Citigroup”) is the principal U.S. broker-dealer of Citigroup Inc. Compl. ¶ 10. Credit Suisse Alternative Capital, LLC (“CSAC”) is a registered investment adviser.2 Id. ¶ 11. From March 2005 to August 2008, defendant Stoker was a director in a division of Citigroup that structured and marketed collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). Id. ¶ 9.

CDOs are debt securities collateralized by fixed income obligations, such as residential mortgage-backed securities. Id. ¶ 12. A CDO collateralized by other CDOs is called a “CDO squared.” Id. One such CDO squared portfolio was a fund called “Class V III” (the “Fund”).3 Id. ¶ 9. Under the terms of the Fund and similar instruments, a “protection buyer” makes periodic premium payments to a “protection seller.” In return, the protection seller agrees to pay the protection buyer if the CDO experiences a default. Piercing through the jargon, the protection seller is effectively taking a long position on the CDO, while the protection buyer is effectively taking a short position. Id. ¶ 13.

During late 2006 and early 2007, certain hedge funds “came to believe that mezzanine CDOs (CDOs whose assets consisted primarily of BBB-rated subprime residential mortgage-backed securities) would experience significant losses, leading even the A-rated tranches of mezzanine CDOs to potentially become worthless.” Id. ¶ 20. By late October 2006, Citigroup’s CDO trading desk had a large number of hedge fund customers seeking to buy protection on CDO tranches, particularly on mezzanine CDOs originated in 2006. Citigroup knew that there was significant demand from these hedge funds to short certain CDOs that were part of a series of transactions that were named after constellations (the “Constellation CDOs”). Id. ¶ 21. Moreover, “as Citigroup knew, a significant portion of the market interest in shorting the Constellation CDOs came from the very hedge fund that helped create those CDOs.” Id. There was also significant market interest in shorting a similar group of CDOs, known as “President” deals. Id.

In late 2006, “internal discussions began at Citigroup” about the possibility of creating a CDO squared collateralized by some of the riskier CDOs. A “significant part” of Citigroup’s rationale for creating such a fund was that it would enable Citigroup’s trading desk to take a “naked short” position on those CDOs — in other words to buy protection on those CDOs for its own account — without an offsetting long trade with a customer. Id. ¶ 23. However, Citigroup “knew it would be difficult to place the liabilities of a CDO squared if it disclosed to investors its intention to use the vehicle to short a hand-picked set of CDOs and to buy Citigroup’s hard-to-sell cash CDOs.” Id. ¶ 25.4 On the other hand, “Ci[460]*460tigroup knew that representing to investors that an experienced, third-party investment adviser [like CSAC] had selected the investment portfolio would facilitate the placement of the notes that the CDO squared would issue.” Id.

Beginning in October 2006, personnel from Citigroup’s CDO trading desk discussed with Stoker and others on Citigroup’s CDO structuring desk the possibility that Citigroup would take short positions on a specific group of assets, including several Constellation and President deals. Id. ¶24. Stoker and other Citigroup employees also discussed the possibility of having the Fund purchase unsold tranches from CDOs that remained on Citigroup’s books. Id. Stoker engaged in internal discussions about potential structures for the CDO squared, including the possibility that Citigroup would short assets into the CDO squared. Id. ¶28. Stoker prepared and distributed models showing the potential profits for Citigroup from shorting assets into the Fund. Id. On October 23, 2006, Citigroup’s trading desk sent Stoker a list of 21 CDOs that it wished to short into the CDO squared; eighteen of those CDOs were Constellation or President deals. Id. ¶ 27. Stoker sent that list to a salesperson who sent it to CSAC; on November 2, 2006, the Managing Director on the CDO trading desk informed Stoker that CSAC appeared “amenable to the portfolio” and “receptive to the concept,” and asked Stoker to draft an engagement letter for CSAC. Id. ¶ 31.

Stoker did so, and on November 3, 2006, Stoker was asked by his supervisor if the deal was going through. He replied, “I hope so. This is [Trading Desk Head]’s prop trade (don’t tell CSAC). CSAC agreed to terms even though they don’t get to pick the assets.” Id. ¶ 32. “Prop trade” stands for “proprietary trade,” which means “a trade undertaken for a firm’s own account, rather than on behalf of the firm’s eustomer(s).” Id.

On November 14, 2006, Stoker’s supervisor told Stoker that Stoker should ensure that the structuring desk received “credit for profits” on the Fund. Id. ¶ 33. A week later, Stoker circulated the “latest structure” of the Fund, which included his recommendations about which assets to include in the final deal. Id. ¶ 34. In December 2006, CSAC and Citigroup agreed to go forward with the Fund. CSAC sent the Citigroup salesperson a list of 127 potential assets to include in the Fund; the salesperson forwarded the list to Stoker. The list included 19 of the original 25 names' Citigroup had provided to CSAC. Id. ¶ 36. Citigroup selected 25 of the assets on CSAC’s list and simultaneously told CSAC that it wanted to short those assets; 16 of the assets were Constellation or President deals, and all but one were 2006 mezzanine CDOs of the type that Citigroup’s hedge fund clients had been eager to short. Id. ¶ 37. “Within an hour, CSAC agreed to include those 25 CDOs in the investment portfolio by selling protection to Citigroup” on those CDOs. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
865 F. Supp. 2d 457, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 78658, 2012 WL 2017736, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-securities-exchange-commission-v-stoker-nysd-2012.