Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder

E590643

Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder is a 1976 U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that private damages actions under SEC Rule 10b-5 require proof of scienter, not mere negligence.

All labels observed (2)

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Statements (43)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States Supreme Court case ⓘ
federal court decision ⓘ
securities law case ⓘ
appliesTo private plaintiffs seeking damages under Rule 10b-5 ⓘ
areaOfLaw federal securities fraud ⓘ
securities regulation ⓘ
citation 425 U.S. 185 ⓘ
47 L. Ed. 2d 668 ⓘ
96 S. Ct. 1375 ⓘ
citationStyle Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder, 425 U.S. 185 (1976) ⓘ
clarified mental state requirement for Rule 10b-5 liability ⓘ
country United States ⓘ
court Supreme Court of the United States ⓘ
decisionDate 1976-03-30 ⓘ
defendant Ernst & Ernst ⓘ
linked to: Ernst & Young
defendantType accounting firm ⓘ
definedConcept scienter in the context of Rule 10b-5 ⓘ
distinguishedFrom negligence-based securities claims under other provisions of the securities laws ⓘ
holding mere negligence is insufficient to establish liability in a private damages action under Rule 10b-5 ⓘ
private damages actions under SEC Rule 10b-5 require proof of scienter ⓘ
scienter is a necessary element of a Rule 10b-5 private cause of action ⓘ
impact limited Rule 10b-5 private actions to intentional or reckless misconduct ⓘ
raised the liability standard for private securities fraud actions under Rule 10b-5 ⓘ
issue whether negligence is sufficient for private damages liability under Rule 10b-5 ⓘ
whether scienter is required for a private cause of action under Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 ⓘ
jurisdiction United States federal law ⓘ
language English ⓘ
legalEffect established scienter as an element of Rule 10b-5 private damages claims ⓘ
legalProvisionInterpreted SEC Rule 10b-5 ⓘ
linked to: Rule 10b-5

Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ⓘ
majorityOpinionBy Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. ⓘ
linked to: Lewis F. Powell Jr.
originatingCourt United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ⓘ
plaintiff Hochfelder ⓘ
relatedConcept private securities fraud class actions ⓘ
recklessness as a form of scienter ⓘ
result judgment of the court of appeals was reversed ⓘ
reversed United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ⓘ
subjectMatter private right of action under federal securities laws ⓘ
subsequentCitationBy Basic Inc. v. Levinson ⓘ
Central Bank of Denver, N.A. v. First Interstate Bank of Denver, N.A. ⓘ
Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights, Ltd. ⓘ
term 1975 Term ⓘ
vote 6-3 ⓘ

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Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder → citationStyle → Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder, 425 U.S. 185 (1976) ⓘ
linked to: Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder