Experts: Shareholders Lawsuits Challenging Government’s GSE Profit Grab a ‘Tough Row to Hoe’ for Plaintiffs
March 27, 2014
Expect a long and winding legal road to resolution of investor lawsuits challenging the Treasury Department’s “net worth sweep” of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac earnings, warn legal experts. More than a dozen lawsuits filed against the government – including hedge funds Perry Capital and Fairholme Capital Management – are pending in federal district court in Washington, DC, and in the Court of Federal Claims. The shareholder plaintiffs allege that the Treasury’s change in the dividend structure of its preferred stock leaves the government-sponsored enterprises with no funds to pay dividends to junior shareholders. The complaints raise...