Countrywide Settles Shareholder Suits

0

Countrywide Financial Corp. agreed to settle three shareholder lawsuits Wednesday that were challenging the company’s sale to Bank of America Corp.


Shareholders accused the Calabasas-based lender and its directors at the beginning of the year of breaching their fiduciary duty by approving the proposed sale on unfair terms and for a price that was not in the best interest of shareholders.


As part of the settlement, Countrywide agreed to disclose details of merger negotiations including Bank of America’s initial $2 billion investment last year in non-voting convertible preferred securities, according to court documents.


Countrywide has always denied any wrongdoing and acknowledged it was entering into the settlement solely to “eliminate the uncertainty, distraction, burden and expense of further litigation,” court documents said.


The suing shareholders, in turn, have withdrawn their request for an order barring the deal. The case was scheduled to begin June 5.


Shares in Countrywide closed up 8.5 percent to $4.98 Wednesday.

No posts to display