NEW YORK, March 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against B. Riley Financial, Inc. (“B. Riley” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: RILY) and reminds investors of the March 25, 2024 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $75,000 In B. Riley To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options
If you suffered losses exceeding $75,000 investing in B. Riley stock or options between February 28, 2022 and November 9, 2023 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). You may also click here for additional information: www.faruqilaw.com/RILY.
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.
As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (i) Defendants knew or were reckless in not knowing that Kahn and/or one or more of his controlled entities were engaged in illicit business activities; (ii) Kahn had been credibly implicated in a conspiracy to defraud investors of millions of dollars; (iii) in spite of all the foregoing, B. Riley continued to finance the transaction enabling Kahn and others to take FRG private through complex arrangements; (iv) the foregoing was reasonably likely to draw regulatory scrutiny to B. Riley; and (v) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
In May 2023, B. Riley entered into an agreement to assist its client, Brian Kahn, in leading a management buyout of Franchise Group, Inc. (“FRG”). Kahn is CEO of FRG. The $2.8 billion deal was completed on August 21, 2023.
On November 2, 2023, Kahn was implicated as the unnamed coconspirator in a conspiracy to defraud investors of $294 million in funds. Specifically, the Department of Justice announced that Prophecy Asset Management (“Prophecy”) president John Hughes (“Hughes”) had pled guilty to the charge with two unnamed co-defendants, and the SEC filed a complaint against Hughes for the same misconduct. Bloomberg reported on that same day that Kahn had been identified by “a person familiar with the matter” as one of the unnamed conspirators.
On November 3, 2023, after the market closed, The Friendly Bear tweeted, doubting whether B. Riley knew of Kahn’s involvement and disclosed the same to Nomura. The Friendly Bear also commented that the DOJ’s “charging document clearly implicates him [i.e., Kahn] in Hughes’ crime. There is a high chance of indictment here.” On this news, the Company’s stock price dropped $9.02, or 22%, to close at $32.54 per share on the next trading day, November 6, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.
On November 9, 2023, after the market closed, the Company revealed significant details concerning the FRG transaction and the years-long series of complex financial transactions between B. Riley, Kahn, and the Company’s respective subsidiaries, which culminated in the August 21, 2023 transaction. Analyzing these complex transactions, The Friendly Bear reported that “B Riley ended up funding 281MM of what was around a 560MM equity check. That’s over 50% ownership. Yet they claim to have only 31% voting rights. It looks like B Riley engaged in some funny business to avoid consolidation and placed control of FRG in the hands of the star of ‘Prophecy’ – Brian Kahn.”
On this news, the Company’s stock price fell $4.47, or 15%, to close at $25.60 per share on November 10, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume. The Company’s stock price continued to fall $4.59, or 14%, over the next consecutive trading session to close at $22.01 per share on November 13, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding B. Riley’s conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
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