Brown v. China Integrated Energy, Inc.
Brown v. China Integrated Energy, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS
This is a putative securities fraud class action under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended by the Private Seeurities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA”). On August 21, 2011, the court consolidated a number of actions filed by plaintiffs seeking to represent individuals who purchased the common stock of China Integrated Energy.
I. BACKGROUND
A. Plaintiffs’ Complaint
Plaintiffs seek to represent a class of individuals who purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of China Integrated Energy (“China Integrated”) be
Plaintiffs allege that the class period began on March 31, 2010, when China Integrated reported its 2009 financial results.
On March 16, 2011, analyst firm Sinclair Upton published a report concerning China Integrated, in which it alleged that the company had reported significantly lower revenues, fixed assets, and net income for 2009 and 2010 in the documents it had filed with Chinese regulators than it had in reports filed with the SEC.
Allegedly in the wake of these revelations, China Integrated announced that it
On April 20, 2011, NASDAQ halted trading in China Integrated stock after the close of trading until China Integrated could “satisfy” NASDAQ’s request for additional information. The stock closed that day at $1.84 per share. Plaintiffs’ class period ends the following day, on April 21, 2011.
Plaintiffs assert claims for violation of § 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 as well as violation of § 11 of the Securities Act of 1933.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Legal Standard Governing Motions To Dismiss
A Rule 12(b)(6) motion tests the legal sufficiency of the claims asserted in the complaint. A Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal is proper only where there is either a “lack of a cognizable legal theory,” or “the absence of sufficient facts alleged under a cognizable legal theory.” Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dept. 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1988). The court must accept all factual allegations pleaded in the complaint as true. Cahill v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 80 F.3d 336, 337-38 (9th Cir. 1996); Mier v. Owens, 57 F.3d 747, 750 (9th Cir. 1995). The court need not, however, accept as true conclusory legal allegations cast in the form of factual allegations. See Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 553-56, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (“While a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations, a plaintiffs obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ of his ‘entitle[ment] to relief requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of
1. Legal Standard Governing Plaintiffs’ Section 11 Claim
Section 11 of the Securities Act provides a private right of action for purchasers of a security if the issuer publishes a registration statement in connection with the security that “contain[s] an untrue statement of a material fact or omit[s] to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.” 15 U.S.C. § 77k(a). To prevail on a section 11 claim, a plaintiff must prove “(1) that the registration statement contained an omission or misrepresentation, and (2) that the omission or misrepresentation was material, that is, it would have misled a reasonable investor about the nature of his or her investment.” In re Daou Sys., Inc., 411 F.3d 1006, 1027 (9th Cir. 2005) (internal quotation marks omitted); see also Rubke v. Capitol Bancorp Ltd, 551 F.3d 1156, 1161 (9th Cir. 2009).
Not all Section 11 claims are subject to the heightened pleading requirements of Rule 9(b). Rubke, 551 F.3d at 1161; In re CBT Group PLC Securities Litigation, No. C-98-21014-RMW, 2000 WL 33339615, *3-1 (N.D.Cal. Dec. 29, 2000). “Rule 9(b) applies when (1) a complaint specifically alleges fraud as an essential element of a claim, (2) when the claim ‘sounds in fraud’ by alleging that the defendant engaged in fraudulent conduct ... and (3) to any allegations of fraudulent conduct, even when none of the claims in the complaint ‘sound[s] in fraud.’ ” F.T.C. v. Lights of America, Inc., 760 F.Supp.2d 848, 852 (C.D.Cal. 2010) (quoting Davis v. Chase Bank U.S.A., N.A., 650 F.Supp.2d 1073, 1089-90 (C.D.Cal. 2009)). A claim “sounds in fraud” when the plaintiff “allege^] a unified course of fraudulent conduct and reifies] entirely on that course of conduct as the basis of a claim.” Vess v. Ciba-Geigy Corp. USA, 317 F.3d 1097, 1103 (9th Cir. 2003). If Rule 9(b) applies to plaintiffs’ section 11 claim, that claim would have to “state with particularity the circumstances constituting fraud....” Fed. R.CwProc. 9(b). In other words, a complaint falling within the ambit of Rule 9 must “set forth what is false or misleading about a statement, and why it is false.” Yourish v. Cal. Amplifier, 191 F.3d 983, 993 (9th Cir. 1999) (quoting In re GlenFed Sec. Litig., 42 F.3d 1541, 1548 (9th Cir. 1994)).
China Integrated argues that plaintiffs’ Section 11 claims sound in fraud.
Plaintiffs counter that the complaint pleads both fraud and non-fraud claims, and that “the heightened pleading requirements of Rule 9(b) apply only to the fraud claims, not to the non-fraud claims.”
2. Legal Standard Governing Plaintiffs’ Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 Claims
Plaintiffs’ first cause of action alleges violations of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5.
The elements of a section 10(b) or Rule 10b-5 violation are (1) the misrepresentation or omission of a material fact, (2) scienter, (3) reliance (4) in connection with the purchase or sale of a security, (5) economic loss, and (6) loss causation. Dura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Broudo, 544 U.S. 336, 341, 125 S.Ct. 1627, 161 L.Ed.2d 577 (2005); see also Paracor Finance, Inc. v. General Electric Capital Corp., 96 F.3d 1151, 1157 (9th Cir. 1996) (en banc); McCormick v. Fund American Companies, Inc., 26 F.3d 869, 875 (9th Cir. 1994).
In 1995, Congress passed the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78u-4, which amended the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In enacting the PSLRA, “Congress ‘impose[d] heightened pleading requirements in actions brought pursuant to § 10(b) and Rule 10b-5.”’ Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights, Ltd., 551 U.S. 308, 320, 127 S.Ct. 2499, 168 L.Ed.2d 179 (2007) (citing Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. v. Dabit, 547 U.S. 71, 81, 126 S.Ct. 1503, 164 L.Ed.2d 179 (2006)). The PSLRA’s requirements “prevent[ ] a plaintiff from skirting dismissal by filing a complaint laden with vague allegations of deception unaccompanied by a particularized explanation stating why the defendant’s alleged statements or omissions are deceitful.” Metzler Inv. GMBH v. Corinthian Colleges, Inc., 540 F.3d 1049, 1061 (9th Cir. 2008) (citing Falkowski v. Imation Corp., 309 F.3d 1123, 1133 (9th Cir. 2002)).
The PSLRA modified Rule 9(b)’s particularity requirement, “providing that a securities fraud complaint [must] identify: (1) each statement alleged to have been misleading; (2) the reason or reasons why the statement is misleading; and (3) all facts on which that belief is formed.” 15 U.S.C. § 78u-4(b)(l). The statute requires, with respect to pleading that each allegedly misleading statement or omission was made with scienter, that plaintiff “state with particularity ... facts giving rise to a strong inference that the defendant acted with the required state of mind.” 15 U.S.C. § 78u-4(b)(2). If the complaint does not contain such allegations, it must be dismissed. 15 U.S.C. § 78u-4(b)(3)(A).
“Scienter” refers to “a mental state embracing intent to deceive, manipulate, or defraud.” Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder, 425 U.S. 185, 193 n. 12, 96 S.Ct. 1375, 47 L.Ed.2d 668 (1976). The Ninth Circuit has articulated a “two-part inquiry for scienter: first, [the court must] determine whether any of the allegations, standing alone, are sufficient to create a strong inference of scienter; second, if no individual allegation is sufficient, ... the court [must] conduct a ‘holistic’ review of the same allegations to determine whether the insufficient allegations combine to create a strong inference of intentional conduct or deliberate recklessness.” New Mexico State Investment Council v. Ernst & Young, 641 F.3d 1089, 1095 (9th Cir. 2011) (citing Zucco Partners, LLC v. Digimarc Corp., 552 F.3d 981, 991-92 (9th Cir.
The Ninth Circuit has also emphasized that “plaintiffs ‘must plead, in great detail, facts that constitute strong circumstantial evidence of deliberately reckless or conscious misconduct.’ ” Middlesex Retirement System v. Quest Software Inc., 527 F.Supp.2d 1164, 1179 (C.D.Cal. 2007) (quoting Silicon Graphics, 183 F.3d 970, 974 (9th Cir. 1999)). The requisite state of mind must be a “ ‘departure from the standards of ordinary care [that] presents a danger of misleading buyers that is either known to the defendant or so obvious that the actor must have been aware of it.’ ” Zucco, 552 F.3d at 991 (quoting Silicon Graphics, 183 F.3d at 984). If plaintiffs rely on allegations of recklessness, the pleading standard requires that they “state specific facts indicating no less than a .degree of recklessness that strongly suggests actual intent.” Silicon Graphics, 183 F.3d at 979. Allegations of negligence are insufficient. Glazer Capital Management, LP v. Magistri, 549 F.3d 736, 748 (9th Cir. 2008) (“At most, it creates the inference thát he should have known of the violations. This is not sufficient to meet the stringent scienter pleading requirements of the PSLRA”); Police Retirement Systems of St. Louis v. Intuitive Surgical, Inc., No. 10-CV-03451-LHK, 2011 WL 3501733, *7 (N.D.Cal. Aug. 10, 2011) (“[T]he Ninth Circuit defines ‘recklessness’ as a highly unreasonable
“To qualify as ‘strong’ within the intendment of § 21D(b)(2) ... an inference of scienter must be more than merely plausible or reasonable — it must be cogent and at least as compelling as any opposing inference of nonfraudulent intent” Tellabs, 551 U.S. at 314, 127 S.Ct. 2499 (2007) (emphasis added). “[C]ourts must consider the complaint in its entirety, as well as other sources courts ordinarily examine when ruling on Rule 12(b)(6) motions to dismiss.... The inquiry ... is whether all of the facts alleged, taken collectively, give rise to a strong inference of scienter, not whether any individual allegation, scrutinized in isolation, meets that standard.” Id. at 322-23, 127 S.Ct. 2499 (emphasis original). In determining whether plaintiffs have alleged facts that give rise to a strong inference of scienter, the court must draw all reasonable inferences from the allegations presented, including inferences unfavorable to plaintiffs. Gompper v. VISX Inc., 298 F.3d 893, 897 (9th Cir. 2002). “However, the ‘inference that the defendant acted with scienter need not be irrefutable, i.e., of the “smoking-gun” genre, or even the “most plausible of competing inferences.” ... [T]he inference of scienter must be more than merely “reasonable” or “permissible[,]” [however] — it must be cogent and compelling ... in light of other explanations.’ ” Middlesex Retirement System, 527 F.Supp.2d at 1179 (quoting Tellabs, 551 U.S. at 314, 127 S.Ct. 2499).
B. Whether Plaintiffs Have Sufficiently Alleged the Sources of Their Information
China Integrated argues that plaintiffs’ allegations rely heavily on information supplied by anonymous witnesses, and that they fail to plead corroborating details concerning the witnesses sufficient to demonstrate that they were in a position to know the information they have provided. In Daou, the Ninth- Circuit outlined the information that must be provided concerning confidential witnesses. In re Daou Systems, Inc., 411 F.3d at 1015. It stated:
“This circuit’s approach does not necessarily require a plaintiff to name his or her confidential witnesses. However, this circuit does strictly adhere to the PSLRA’s mandate that the complaint ‘state with particularity all facts on which a belief is formed,’ and in so doing, requires that a plaintiff reveal the sources of her information.... So long as plaintiffs reveal with particularity the sources of their information, the complaint will survive under the PSLRA. Naming sources is unnecessary so long as the sources are described with sufficient particularity to support the probability that a person in the position occupied by the source would possess the information alleged and the complaint contains adequate corroborating details.” Id. at 1015.
See also In re STEC Inc. Securities Litigation, Nos. SACV 09-1304 JVS (MLGx), SACV 09-01306-JVS (MLGx), SACV 09-1320-JVS (MLGx), SACV 09-1460-JVS (MLGx), CV09-08536-JVS (MLGx), 2011 WL 4442822, *3 (C.D.Cal. Jan. 10, 2011) (“Allegations based on statements of confidential witnesses must describe the -witnesses with sufficient particularity to establish their personal knowledge and reliability”).
Reliance on a report published under a pseudonym raises somewhat different is-sues than those presented by reliance on a confidential informant. There is, for example, no concern that plaintiffs have fabricated a confidential witness to support their claims, since China Integrated can review Sinclair Upton’s report and confirm that the allegations concerning its conduct quoted in the complaint were, in fact, made. While normally the identity of a confidential witness is known to plaintiffs, however, and they can make a determination regarding the witness’s credibility before relying on his or her account, neither plaintiffs nor defendant are apparently aware of the identity of Sinclair Upton. There is,- moreover, no assurance that Sinclair Upton’s identity can be ascertained through discovery, or that the author of the report can be deposed. For this reason, plaintiffs’ suggestion that Sinclair Upton’s report is analogous to one issued by Goldman Sachs is incorrect.
Citing In re China Education Alliance, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. CV 10-9239 CAS (JCx), 2011 WL 4978483 (C.D.Cal. Oct. 11, 2011), plaintiffs argue that the added scrutiny of confidential witnesses mandated by Daou is not required in this case.
Neither the China Education Alliance nor Henning court expressly stated that the report on which it was relying was published under a pseudonym,
a. Sinclair Upton
Plaintiffs do not provide extensive information about the manner in which Sinclair Upton purportedly came to know facts concerning China Integrated. They assert, for example:
“On March 16, 2011, analyst firm Sinclair Upton published a detailed, 44-page report (the ‘Sinclair Upton Report’), on China Integrated exposing, inter alia, that: (i) China Integrated, through its main operating subsidiary Xi’an Baorun Industrial Development Co., Ltd. (‘Xi’an Baorun Industrial’), reported significantly lower revenues, fixed assets and net income for 2008 and 2009 in its SAIC financial statements, as compared to the overstated amount claimed in the Company’s 2009 Form 10-K filed with the SEC; and (ii) Defendants had been funneling money to corporations owned by Defendant Gao’s son through the acquisitions of the Chongqing Tianrun factory and the Shenmu gas station.”42
Although the complaint states that Upton Sinclair’s allegations regarding China Integrated’s SAIC filings were confirmed by Roth Capital Partners and plaintiffs’ counsel,
China Integrated, however, asks the court to consider the Sinclair Upton report in analyzing its motion to dismiss.
The report provides far more information about the basis for the author’s conclusions than does the complaint. It sets forth the sources on which its assertion that Gao Bo, the son of China Integrated Energy’s CEO, was the majority shareholder in Chongqing Tianrun and Shenmu County gas stations, are based.
As a result, although plaintiffs do not identify (and may not know) the identity of Sinclair Upton, the court concludes that the complaint, as supplemented by the Sinclair Upton report, sets forth with the facts on which they, and Sinclair Upton, rely — i.e., specified documents filed with Chinese and American regulators. In re Daou Systems, Inc., 411 F.3d at 1015.
b. Alfred Little Report
China Integrated contends that “Alfred Little” is merely the pseudonym of a short seller.
Even were the court to treat Alfred Little as a confidential witness, moreover, it would conclude that plaintiffs have sufficiently allege the factual basis for the report’s conclusions.
The complaint similarly includes detailed information concerning the process by which Alfred Little concluded that China Integrated had misrepresented production at its biodiesel factory in Tongchuan City. Plaintiffs allege that Alfred Little relied on “nearly continuous” surveillance of the facility conducted over a four month period by the International Financial Research and Analysis Group (“IFRA”), which was commissioned to undertake the investigation by one of its hedge fund clients.
Plaintiffs’ allegations concerning China Integrated’s Chongqing Tianrun production plant similarly detail the source of Alfred Little’s information.
China Integrated contends that this detailed information is insufficient, because the complaint does not provide information about “IFRA, the skill of their personnel, their reliability, or the authenticity of the video footage.”
China Integrated cites no authority for the proposition that this level of detail must be alleged to satisfy Rule 9(b) and the PSLRA. In determining the amount of information required, Daou is instructive. There, the Ninth Circuit held that plaintiffs had provided sufficient information concerning the sources of their information, reasoning:
“Plaintiffs here describe the confidential witnesses with a large degree of specificity. Plaintiffs number each witness and describe his or her job description and responsibilities. In some instances, plaintiffs provide the witnesses’ exact title and to which Daou executive the witness reported. For example, plaintiffs describe Confidential Witness # 6 as follows: ‘Confidential Witness # 6 (“CW6”) is a former Daou executive who worked in the Finance Department. CW6 dealt with audit issues, Security and Exchange (“SEC”) reporting and budget matters. As such, CW6 was familiar with Daou’s process of collecting project cost information. CW6 reported to defendant McGee.’ Similarly, plaintiffs describe Confidential Witness # 9 as follows: ‘Confidential Witness 9 (“CW9”) is a former Daou Regional Vice President of Sales. As Vice President of Sales, CW9 was responsible for reporting weekly or bi-weekly sales information, such as sales status/backlog and forecast/pipeline information; to Daou’s Vice Presidents and corporate officers.’ Given the specificity of plaintiffs’ descriptions of their confidential witnesses, we hold that plaintiffs have sufficiently met the PSLRA’s requirements for confidential witnesses.” Daou, 411 F.3d at 1016.
Plaintiffs provide an amount of information comparable to that which the Ninth
Plaintiffs’ consolidated complaint alleges that (1) the 2009 10-K and the Registration Statement incorporating the 2009 10-K were materially false and misleading because China Integrated reported inflated sales revenue and net income, as demonstrated by the inconsistencies in its SEC and SAIC filings: (2) the 2009 and 2010 10-K statements and the quarterly reports filed with the SEC were materially false and misleading because China Integrated reported inflated biodiesel sales and production, and thus reported inflated revenues based on operation of the biodiesel plants; and (3) the November 2, 2010 Form 8-K, the third quarter 2010 10-Q and 2010 10-K were false and misleading because they concealed related party transactions involving China Integrated’s CEO and his son. The court addresses the sufficiency of these allegations in turn.
1. Discrepancies Between China Integrated Energy’s SEC and SAIC Filings
Plaintiffs allege that China Integrated inflated its revenue and income in statements filed with the SEC, as demonstrated by lower figures reported to Chinese regulators.
Courts have found allegations of this type of discrepancy adequate to allege falsity. In Dean v. China Agritech, Inc., No. CV 11-01331-RGK (PJWx), 2011 WL 5148598 (C.D.Cal. Oct. 27, 2011), the court analyzed allegations strikingly similar to those at issue here, including allegations that defendants concealed related-party transactions, had idle factories but reported significant revenue from those factories, and “had filed financial statements [with] the SEC for fiscal year 2009 that showed substantially larger net revenue ... compared to Agritech’s filings [with] the Chinese State Administration for Industry and Commerce (‘SAIC’).” Id. at *2. The court rejected defendant’s contention “that inconsistencies between the Chinese and U.S. filings may be attributable to differ
As China Integrated notes, some courts have held that a mere discrepancy between SEC and SAIC numbers is not sufficient to plead falsity under Rule 9(b) and the PSLRA.
Unlike in Katz and Gary Redwen, however, plaintiffs here allege a convincing explanation as to why the figures reported to Chinese regulators were correct, and the figures submitted to the SEC incorrect. They assert that China Integrated’s Chinese filings are “presumably accurate” since a company submitting false information to Chinese regulators is subject to substantial fines and serious criminal penalties. In contrast, the assert, the SEC has “no ability” to enforce U.S. law against “defendants who are insulated and ‘safe’ in China.”
China Integrated argues that the discrepancies noted in the complaint do not make plaintiffs’ allegations plausible, since the SEC financial disclosures concern China Integrated, while the numbers filed with Chinese regulators relate to Xi’an Baorun, a subsidiary of China Integrated.
In sum, given the pleading of multiple reasons why the figures reported to the SAIC were presumably accurate — which allegations must, for purposes of this motion, be accepted as true — plaintiffs’ allegations that China Integrated made misleading statements about its revenue and income in its disclosures to the SEC adequately plead falsity. See Snellink, 870 F.Supp.2d at 937, 2012 WL 1693979 at *5 (“Plaintiffs allege Gulfs revenues come exclusively from its two subsidiaries, SCHC and SYCI[;] thus, assuming SCHC and SYCI’s SAIC and SAT filings are accurate, Gulf grossly overstated its financial position in its SEC filings”).
Plaintiffs allege that China Integrated represented in its 10-K reports that its biodiesel production and sales division accounted for 19.3% of total reported sales in 2009 and 17.1% of reported sales in 2010.
As discussed in detail above, plaintiffs allege that a four-month, nearly continuous surveillance of the Tongchuan factory by IFRA revealed no meaningful production activity at the facility.
3. Concealment of Related Party Transactions
Plaintiffs next allege China Integrated made false and misleading omissions by failing to disclose related-party transactions involving the son of its CEO. The complaint alleges that, on November 2, 2010, China Integrated filed with the SEC a press release on Form 8-K signed by defendant Gao, announcing the purchase of (1) the Chongqing Tianrun Energy Development Company, a biodiesel production plant, for $16.5 million and the Shenmu gas station, a privately owned service gas station, for $9.2 million.
The complaint alleges that SAIC filings reflect that, Gao’s son, Gao Bo, owned 52.5% of Chongqing Tianrun at the time it was acquired by China Integrated.
The complaint also pleads that, in a letter to shareholders responding to the Sinclair Upton report (“the rebuttal”),
Plaintiffs likewise assert that SAIC filings reflect that Gao Bo was the majority owner of the Shenmu County Erlintu Gongtu Oil Material Company,
Courts have previously held that similar allegations concerning a failure to disclose related-party transactions are adequate to plead falsity. See In re A-Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. Securities Litigation, No. MDL 11-2302-GW(CWx), 2012 WL 1983341, *8 (C.D.Cal. May 31, 2012) (reaching this conclusion but noting that plaintiffs might not have pled sufficiently the facts that caused them to believe the parties were related); Snellink, 870
In its summary of facts, however, China Integrated highlights its rebuttal, which, as noted, is described in the complaint. There, China Integrated stated that although Gao Bo previously owned shares in Chongqing Tianrun in order to safeguard the company’s investment, he “exited ownership of Chongqing Tianrun in November 2009, prior to its acquisition by CBEH.” It also asserted that “no amounts” were ever paid to Gao Bo in connection with the acquisitions.
In the complaint, plaintiffs acknowledge that these claims were made in the rebuttal, but allege facts suggesting that the assertions were untrue. Specifically, they cite SAIC filings that purportedly show Gao Bo was a shareholder in Chongqing Tainrun until March 2011, and that he resigned as a member of the board of the company that month as well.
D. Whether Plaintiffs Have Adequately Pled Scienter
While neither party briefs the issue extensively, China Integrated argues that plaintiffs have not alleged facts supporting a strong inference of scienter.
In evaluating allegations of corporate scienter, the Ninth Circuit has been skeptical of complaints alleging that “facts critical to a business’s core operations or an important transaction generally are so apparent that their knowledge may be attributed to the company and its key officers.” In re Read-Rite Corp. Sec. Litig., 335 F.3d 843, 848 (9th Cir. 2003) (quotation and emphasis omitted), abrogated by Tellabs on other grounds, as recognized in South Ferry LP, No. 2 v. Killinger, 542 F.3d 776 (9th Cir. 2008). Recently, however, the Ninth Circuit recognized two exceptions to the general rule, and held that “bare allegations of falsely reported information [could be] probative under certain narrow conditions.” Zueco, 552 F.3d at 1000. The first exception concerns general allegations about “management’s role in a corporate structure and the importance of the corporate information about which management made false or misleading statements” that are coupled with “detailed and specific allegations about management’s exposure to factual information within the company.” South Ferry LP, No. 2, 542 F.3d at 785. The South Ferry court held that in combination, such allegations could give rise to a strong inference of scienter. To satisfy this standard, plaintiffs might include in their complaint specific details
The second exception “permits an inference of scienter to arise where the information that has allegedly been misrepresented is readily apparent to the defendant corporation’s senior management. Where the defendants ‘must have known’ about the falsity of the information they were providing to the public because the falsity of the information was obvious from the operations of the company, the defendants’ awareness of the information’s falsity can be assumed.” Zucco, 552 F.3d at 1001; Berson v. Applied Signal Technology, Inc., 527 F.3d 982, 989 (9th Cir. 2008) (“Here ... plaintiffs alleged particular facts, (the stop-work orders) that support the inference that the backlog statements were misleading when made. These facts were prominent enough that it would be absurd to suggest that top management was unaware of them” (citation and quotation marks omitted)).
Plaintiffs allege that “[d]efendants China Integrated, Gao, Pu, Li, and Goldman employed devices, schemes and artifices to defraud, while in possession of material adverse non-public information....”
“had actual knowledge of the misrepresentations and omissions of material facts set forth [in the complaint] or acted with reckless disregard for the truth in that they failed to ascertain and to disclose such facts, even though such facts were available to them. Such defendants’ material misrepresentations and/or omissions were done knowingly or recklessly and for the purpose and effect of concealing China Integrated’s financial condition from the investing public and supporting the artificially inflated price of its common stock. As demonstrated by the false and misleading statements during the Class Period, Defendants China Integrated, Gao, Pu, Li, and Goldman, if they did not have actual knowledge of the misrepresentations and omissions, alleged, were reckless in failing to obtain such knowledge by failing to take steps necessary to discovery whether those statements were false or misleading.”109
As China Integrated notes, these allegations are conclusory, and do nothing to contribute to a strong inference of scienter.
1. Discrepancies Between China Integrated’s SEC and SAIC Filings
The court has found that plaintiffs have alleged with sufficient particularity that China Integrated reported false revenue and income figures to the SEC, as demonstrated by the markedly lower figures reported to Chinese regulators. Courts have previously concluded that significant discrepancies between the numbers reported to different regulatory agencies gives rise to a strong inference of scienter. Scott v. ZST Digital Networks, Inc., No. CV 11-03531 GAF (JCx), 2012 WL 538279, *8 (C.D.Cal. Feb. 14, 2012) (finding that a “marked disparity” between figures reported to SEC and SAIC regulators sufficed to plead a strong inference of scienter); In re China Education Alliance, 2011 WL 4978483 at *6 (finding that allegations regarding significant disparities between revenue figures reported in China and in the United States gave rise to a strong inference of scienter). The court agrees with this proposition. China Integrated’s sales revenue, as reported to the SEC, was allegedly 34% higher than the revenue it reported to the SAIC.
2. Allegedly Inflated Biodiesel Revenue
The court has also concluded that plaintiffs have alleged with adequate par-
“[I]t is possible to draw a strong inference of corporate scienter without being able to name the individuals who concocted and disseminated the fraud. Suppose General Motors announced that it had sold one million SUV's in 2006, and the actual number was zero. There would be a strong inference of corporate scienter, since so dramatic an announcement would have been approved by corporate officials sufficiently knowledgeable about the company to know that the announcement was false.” Id. at 710.
The court agrees that, even absent detailed allegations about the information communicated to officers and directors about the Tongchuan factory, allegations that a significant portion of the company’s reported sales were based on biodiesel production at a non-functioning factory give rise to a strong inference of corporate scienter. It strains credulity to believe that China Integrated’s directors and officers did not know that a factory that was purportedly so critical to the company’s business that it generated 20% of total company sales was not functioning. See Dean, 2011 WL 5148598 at *4 (“Here, the following facts suggest a strong inference of scienter. First, based on the LM Research investigation, which took place in early 2011, and corroborated by a later investigation by Plaintiffs’ own investigators, Agritech’s factories either sat idle with no production or operated substantially below capacity”).
That inference is only strengthened by allegations that the facility’s only significant activity occurred during a March 2011 tour by investors. The complaint states:
“On March 9th investigators filmed CBEH employees busily cleaning and preparing the factory for the next day’s investor tour. Early on the morning of March 10th, four large biodiesel tanker trucks arrived and parked at the factory. It seemed CBEH management had indeed planned a ‘show’ for investors that day. Prior to this date, the surveillance team had only witnessed one previous tanker truck enter the factory (on March 2nd). Rather than filling up with diodiesel as would be expected in a real business operation, the four tankers sat idle for 1 hour 20 minutes awaiting the arrival of the investors. At 9:45 am the Rodman & Renshaw investors arrived precisely on schedule and were greeted by CFO Albert Up and VP-IP Susan Zhou. The place immediately came alive with four 30-ton tanker trucks pretending to fill up with biodiesel while loud humming sounds came from the production line.”
A fifth tanker truck arrived during the tour. As far as anyone in attendance
3. Concealment of Related Party Transactions
Finally, the court has found that plaintiffs have alleged with particularity that China Integrated misleadingly concealed related party transactions that benefitted the son of the CEO, Gao Bo. The complaint is based on allegedly misleading disclosures concerning the acquisition of the Chongqing Tianrun factory and Shenmu gas station, signed and certified by China Integrated officers who included the CEO.
4. Conclusion Regarding Scienter
As the Ninth Circuit has noted, the falsity and scienter analyses can often be treated as “a single inquiry, because falsity and scienter are generally inferred from the same set of facts.” In re New Century, 588 F.Supp.2d 1206, 1227 (C.D.Cal. 2008) (citing In re Read-Rite Corp., 335 F.3d 843, 846 (9th Cir. 2003), and Ronconi v. Larkin, 253 F.3d 423, 429 (9th Cir. 2001)). Here, the same facts that suffice to plead falsity give rise to a strong inference of scienter. “To qualify as ‘strong’ within the intendment of § 21D(b)(2) ... an inference of scienter must be more than merely plausible or reasonable — it must be cogent and at least as compelling as any opposing inference of nonfraudulent intent.” Tellabs, 551 U.S. at 314, 127 S.Ct. 2499 (2007) (emphasis added). Here, China Integrated offers no scenario under which the alleged facts would be suggestive of non-fraudulent intent. It contends merely that plaintiffs “rely on ambiguous conduct or stretch inferences beyond their natural range.”
E. Whether Plaintiffs’ Section 11 Claim is Adequately Pled
Earlier, the court concluded that plaintiffs’ section 11 claim had to satisfy Rule 9(b). Because the claim is based on factual allegations concerning the false and misleading nature of the 2009 10-K financial statements, and because, for the reasons detailed above, the court concludes that plaintiffs have met their burden of alleging that the 10-K contained fraudulent misrepresentations under Rule 9(b) and the PSLRA, the court concludes that they have adequately alleged a section 11 claim as well.
III. CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated, plaintiffs have pled with particularity that China Integrated Energy’s statements were false, and has stated with particularity facts giving rise to a strong inference that the company acted with scienter. Defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ claims alleging violation of § 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 and § 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 is therefore denied.
. Order Granting Motion of Puerto Rico Teachers Retirement System for Consolidation of Related Cases and For Appointment as Lead Plaintiff and Lead Counsel ("Consolidation Order”), Docket No. 43 (Aug. 29, 2011).
. Consolidated Class Action Complaint for Violations of the Federal Securities Laws ("Complaint”), Docket No. 59 (Dec. 20, 2011).
. Defendant China Integrated Energy, Inc.'s Motion to Dismiss The Consolidated Class Action Complaint ("MTD”), Docket No. 74 (February 22, 2012); see also Reply Memorandum of Point sand Authorities in Further Support of Defendant China Integrated Energy, Inc.’s Motion to Dismiss the Consolidated Class Action Complaint ("MTD Reply”), Docket No. 102 (May 9, 2012). This is the second motion filed challenging plaintiffs' consolidated complaint. On January 12, 2012, Sherb moved to dismiss plaintiffs’ third cause of action — the only cause of action asserted against it. (Motion to Dismiss Consolidated Class Action Complaint for Failure to State a Claim Upon Which Relief Can be Granted ("Sherb MTD”), Docket No. 63 (Jan. 12, 2012)). Prior to moving to dismiss, China Integrated Energy filed a motion to stay discovery in a number of related actions pending in the Delaware Court of Chancery. (Defendant China Integrated Energy, Inc.’s Motion to Stay Discovery in State Court Actions ("Motion to Stay”), Docket No. 69 (January 25, 2012)). The court denied both Sherb’s motion to dismiss and China Integrated's motion to stay on April 2, 2012. (Order Denying Motion to Dismiss and Motion to Stay ("MTD Denial”), Docket No. 97, 2012 WL 1129909 (April 2, 2012)).
.Plaintiffs’ Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant China Integrated Energy, Inc.’s Motion to Dismiss the Consolidated Class Action Complaint ("MTD Opposition”), Docket No. 98 (April 6, 2012).
. Complaint, ¶ 1.
. Id., ¶ 2.
. Id., V 52.
. Id., ¶55.
. Id., ¶ 4. Plaintiffs allege that the financial reports filed with Chinese regulators were "presumably accurate” because Chinese regulators have the ability to impose fines and serious criminal penalties if reported financial results are false. In contrast, they assert, the SEC “essentially has no ability to enforce U.S. law over defendants who are insulated and ‘safe’ in China.”
. Id., ¶ 59.
. Id., ¶ 10.
. Id., ¶ 10.
. Id., ¶11.
. Id.
. Id.,n 12-14.
. Id., ¶ 14.
. Id., ¶¶ 69, 72-74, 78-80.
. Id., ¶ 15.
. Id., ¶ 16.
. Id., ¶ 17.
. Id.
. Id., ¶ 18.
. Id., V 19.
.Id., ¶¶ 176-184, 199-209.
. MTD at 15-16.
. Complaint, ¶¶ 9, 17, 122.
. Id., ¶¶ 6, 11, 141.
. Id., ¶ 6.
. Id., ¶¶ 123, 128.
. MTD Opposition at 24.
. Complaint, ¶¶ 199.
. Although it is possible that certain allegations (e.g., failure to disclose related party transactions) might under certain circumstances plead innocent or negligent conduct due to lack of knowledge of the U.S. securities laws, the manner in which the allegations are framed in plaintiffs’ complaint do not permit such an inference, as they plead intentional concealment.
. See, e.g., Complaint, ¶¶ 123, 193.
. Complaint, ¶¶ 176-184.
. In Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. v. Siracusano, — U.S. -, 131 S.Ct. 1309, 179 L.Ed.2d 398 (2011), relying on its earlier decision in Teliabs, the Supreme Court reviewed the facts concerning scienter collectively, rather than parsing individual allegations. See id. at ("In making this determination, the court must review 'all the allegations holistically,' " citing Tellabs, 551 U.S. at 326, 127 S.Ct. 2499); see also Tellabs, 551 U.S. at 326, 127 S.Ct. 2499 ("We reiterate, however, that the court's job is not to scrutinize each allegation in isolation but to assess all the allegations holistically”). Zueco, a post-Teliabs case, specifically noted the Supreme Court’s instruction that courts view plaintiffs' allegations of scienter holistically, but stated that consideration of individual allegations of scienter was still pertinent when comparing whether the inference of knowledge or recklessness plaintiffs seek to draw is at least as compelling as the competing inference. See Zucco, 552 F.3d at 991-92 ("[W]e recognize that Teliabs calls into question a methodology that relies exclusively on a segmented analysis of scienter. We read Tel-labs to mean that our prior, segmented approach is not sufficient to dismiss an allegation of scienter. Although we have continued to employ the old standards in determining whether a plaintiff's allegations of scienter are as cogent or as compelling as an opposing innocent inference, we must also view the allegations as a whole”).
In Matrixx, the Supreme Court affirmed a Ninth Circuit decision that explicitly used the two-step approach in deciding that plaintiffs had successfully pled scienter. Siracusano v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., 585 F.3d 1167, 1180 (9th Cir. 2009) ("We must first 'determine whether any of the plaintiffs allegations, standing alone, are sufficient to create a strong inference of scienter.' If not, we are to 'conduct a "holistic” review of the same allegations to determine whether the insufficient allegations combine to create a strong inference of intentional conduct or deliberate recklessness,’ ” citing Zucco, 552 F.3d at 992). The Supreme Court did not disapprove or even mention the circuit court's test. It simply "conclude[d], in agreement with the Court of Appeals, that respondents ha[d] adequately pleaded scienter.” Matrixx, 131 S.Ct. at 1324. Given that Matrixx relied on Teliabs, and given that the Ninth Circuit in Zueco adhered to the two-step analysis while acknowledging the Teliabs holding, the court concludes that it continues to adhere to its earlier methodology. See also New Mexico State Investment Council, 641 F.3d at 1095 ("Under Teliabs and Ninth Circuit law, we conduct a two-part inquiry for scienter: first, we determine whether-any of the allegations, standing alone, are sufficient to create a strong inference of scienter; second, if no individual allegation is sufficient, we conduct a 'holistic' review of the same allegations to determine whether the insufficient allegations combine to create a strong inference of intentional conduct or deliberate recklessness”).
. MTD Opposition at 15-16.
. See Declaration of Laura M. Vasey in Support of Defendant China Integrated Energy, Inc.'s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Consolidated Complaint (“Vasey Decl.”), Docket No. 75 (Feb. 22, 2012), Exh. B (“Sinclair Upton Report”) at 1 (stating that “[d]ue to the danger of retaliation from the company, this report was written under a pseudonym, Sinclair Upton Research. People who commit fraud for tens of millions of dollars are willing to do anything to keep their illegitimate gains. The author of this report can be contacted at [email protected].'').
In deciding a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the court generally looks only to the face of the complaint and documents attached thereto. Van Buskirk v. Cable News Network, Inc., 284 F.3d 977, 980 (9th Cir. 2002); Hal Roach Studios, Inc. v. Richard Feiner & Co., Inc., 896 F.2d 1542, 1555 n. 19 (9th Cir. 1990). It may, however, consider documents that are incorporated by reference in, but not physically attached to, the complaint if they are central to plaintiff's claim, and" no party questions their authenticity. See Marder v. Lopez, 450 F.3d 445, 448 (9th Cir. 2006) (in ruling on a motion to dismiss, "[a] court may consider evidence on which the complaint 'necessarily relies' if: (1) the complaint refers to the document; (2) the document is central to the plaintiff's claim; and (3) no party questions the authenticity of the copy attached to the 12(b)(6) motion.”); Lee v. City of Los Angeles, 250 F.3d 668, 688 (9th Cir. 2001). As the Sinclair Upton report is described at length in the complaint, and the source of many of plaintiffs' factual allegations, and as its authenticity has not been disputed by the parties, the court can consider it under the incorporation by reference doctrine.
. MTD Opposition at 16.
. Id. at 15-16.
. In fact, an Internet search indicates that both Kerrisdale Capital and Muddy Waters Research are legitimate investment or research companies.
. As the court explains infra, the Alfred Little report requires a somewhat different analysis, because China Integrated Energy has not provided any information that is a proper subject for judicial notice and that shows the name is merely a pseudonym.
. Complaint, ¶ 10. See also id., ¶ 130.
. Id., ¶¶ 11, 58, 109.
. See Vasey Dec!., ¶ 3.
. Sinclair Upton Report at 7, 9 (attributing its charts concerning Gao Bo’s majority share to "AIC filings of Chongqing Tianrun Energy Development Co., Ltd., Registration No. 500102000007340” and “AIC filings of Shenmu County Erlingtu Hongtu Oil Material Co., Ltd., Registration NO. 612722100000409”)
. Id. at 11-12 (citing SAIC filings).
. Id. at 16-17 (citing SAIC and SEC filings).
. Some of Sinclair Upton’s assertions are not linked to a source whose basis for knowledge can be verified. (Id. at 7-8 (attributing information to a "third-party investigative firm report on Gao Bo.”)) These citations support information that is not in dispute, however, such as the fact that Gao Bo is the son of China Integrated' CEO.
. MTDatl.
.For the reasons described above, the report can be considered under the incorporation by reference doctrine. The report states: "Mr Little has over 35 years investing experience having begun his career as an accountant at Deloitte. He spent 10 years in China, from 1994 to 2004, representing various foreign investors including Coke, P & G, and Budweiser as they established beachheads in the world's fastest growing economy. Today he lives in New York and Shanghai and spends his time researching Chinese and other high growth companies. Having built a very successful track record investing the last decade, he now shares all his investing ideas in his financial blog ‘Little Al’s Big Emerging Market Picks.’ Mr. Little is also a leading contributor in the China sector on Seeking Alpha.” The report provides the web address for the blog, an email address, a link to Little’s Linked In profile, and a Chinese tele
. Id.
. MTD at 18-19.
. Complaint, ¶ 63. The complaint provides a link to the Chinese audit report.
. Id., ¶ 59.
. Id., ¶84.
. Id., ¶ 87. The complaint states that "[a]c-cording to the Alfred Little Report, IFRA investigators visited the Tongchuan factory in June and October 2010, and then conducted a four-month video surveillance commencing on November 26, 2010 through March 2011.” {Id., ¶ 85.) It also states: "The Alfred Little Report linked to 40 videos of the time-lapse video surveillance of the idle 100, 000-ton Tongchuan biodiesel factory showing no meaningful activity,” and provides a link to the videos. {Id., ¶ 86.) The complaint details the results of the surveillance: over the course of four months, investigators witnessed only six tanker trucks enter and leave the facility. Of these, five arrived the same day a group of investors toured the factory. {Id., ¶¶ 87-88.)
. Id., ¶ 90. The complaint similarly provides information about the basis for plaintiffs’ allegation that the company was not obtaining the quantities of biodiesel raw materials that were needed to run the facility. {Id., ¶¶ 92, 94.)
. Id., ¶¶ 98-100.
. Id., ¶¶ 98-99.
. MTD at 19.
. Complaint, ¶ 84.
. Id.
. Id. China Integrated essentially disputes the accuracy of the images captured on the videotapes and the accuracy of the conclusions Little and plaintiffs draw from them. The court presently has before it a challenge to the sufficiency of plaintiffs’ complaint. If the allegations of the complaint are sufficiently supported under the standard imposed by Rule 9(b) and the PSLRA, the fact that the allegations may later be shown to be false or incorrect does not change that fact or suggest that the case should not move beyond the pleadings stage.
. China Integrated Energy broadly suggests that allegations made by short sellers should be discounted as a matter of course. (MTD at 17, 20). It cites no authority, however, holding that “a complaint cannot establish the falsity of a company’s SEC filings based upon the unsubstantiated and uncorroborated allegations of short sellers.” (MTD at 2.) China Integrated’s citation of Katz is unavailing, as the case neither addresses the reliability of short sellers nor the standard for evaluating confidential witnesses. See generally Katz, 2011 WL 6047093. China Integrated Energy also cites Gary Redwen v. Sino Clean Energy, Inc., No. ll-CV-03936 PA (SSx) (C.D.Cal. Jan. 30, 2011), an unpublished decision from this district that it attaches to its motion. China Integrated contends that the Gary Redwen court dismissed "claims against China-based issuers for alleged violations of Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act where plaintiffs’ allegations were based upon accusations by short sellers and alleged discrepancies between SEC and PRC regulatory filings.” The decision, however, nowhere mentions short sellers. (MTD at 20, Vasey Decl., Exh. E.) It is'not appropriate to judge the credibility of Alfred Little and Sinclair Upton at this stage of the litigation. Thus, that Alfred Little may have been a short seller of China Integrated stock, a fact that would potentially affect the credibility of his allegations, cannot be considered in deciding this motion. In re China Educ. Alliance, 2011 WL 4978483 at *4 ("The other key issue CEU raises is whether Kerrisdale had a motive to cause CEU’s stock to "decline as the impetus for issuing its report.” That question, however, is "a factual dispute not appropriate for resolution at this stage,”) citing Henning, ' 2011 WL 2909322 at *4 ("The truth of the Muddy Waters report and the audit committee’s conclusions is a factual dispute not appropriate for resolution at this stage”); In re LDK Solar Secs. Litig., 584 F.Supp.2d 1230, 1260 (N.D.Cal. 2008) ("In the main, the motion is simply an attack on the credibility of their own management executive who has turned states’ evidence and is the mainstay of the complaint. While exculpatory and inculpatory references must be considered at the pleading stage, the PLSRA in no way turns FRCP 12 into a trial-type, papers-only proceeding, much less one in which defendants get the benefit of every conceivable doubt, including credibility calls. That is reserved for the juiy”).
. At the hearing on the motion, China Integrated argued that the consolidated complaint unfairly allowed plaintiffs to skirt Rule 11, as its allegations rely on claims by short sellers and avoid factual assertions by plaintiffs that could subject to sanctions. Under Rule 11, by presenting a pleading to the court, an attorney asserts that to the best of his knowledge, formed "after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances:”
"(1) [the complaint] is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation;
(2) the claims, defenses, and other legal contentions are warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for extending, modifying, or reversing existing law or for establishing new law;
(3) the factual contentions have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified, will likely have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery; and
(4) the denials of factual contentions are warranted on the evidence or, if specifically so identified, are reasonably based on belief or a lack of information.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 11(b).
The court finds China Integrated’s argument unconvincing. First, the court does not believe an attorney can escape Rule 11 sanctions by quoting information in a third party
Additionally, China Integrated's argument is undermined by plaintiffs' allegations that their attorney independently verified the findings of the Alfred Little and Sinclair Upton reports. (See, e.g., Complaint, ¶¶ 58, 89, 91, 94, 100). Although plaintiffs cite the third party reports extensively, they have clearly adopted the allegations of the third parties as their own. (See, e.g., Complaint, ¶ 4 (“In truth, however, Defendants materially overstated the Company's revenue and net income in its SEC filings, thereby misleading investors as to the Company’s true financial condition”)). Rule 11 is as applicable to these plaintiffs as to any other. The fact that they rely on the Alfred Little and Sinclair Upton reports does not free them from the risk of sanctions, but also does not provide grounds for declining to accept their allegations of fact as true for purposes of resolving a motion to dismiss.
. Id., ¶¶ 4-5.
. Id., ¶ 59.
. MTD at 21-22.
. Id., ¶ 4; see also id., ¶¶ 61-63.
. Id., ¶ 64. This allegation is undercut somewhat by plaintiffs' further allegation that the entity's SAIC income statements shows that it paid taxes in China. (Id.; see also id., ¶ 65 (stating that Alfred Little reported that investigators contacted tax officials who confirmed that the entity was not exempt from paying income tax).) Plaintiffs contend, however, that multiplying the amounts reportedly paid by China’s effective corporate income tax rate results in much lower income than was reported to the SEC. (Id., ¶ 64.)
.Complaint, ¶ 68.
. Id., ¶ 59.
. MTD at 21-22.
. MTD Opposition at 13 (citing Complaint, ¶¶ 42-51).
. Complaint, ¶ 43.
. Id., ¶46.
. Id.
. China Integrated argues that the resignations of Pillsbury, KPMG, and China Integrated directors, and NASDAQ's decision to delist the company, do not support an inference that the company’s SEC filings were false. (MTD at 22-23.) While it is correct that resignations themselves are not indicative of falsity, the allegations concerning KPMG’s resignation suggest that at least that firm had “doubts concerning management’s representations to KPMG in connection with the 2010
. Complaint, ¶ 69.
. Id.
. Id., ¶¶ 72-74.
. Id., ¶¶ 78-80.
. Id., ¶¶ 83-88.
. Id., ¶ 14.
. Id., ¶ 87.
.Id., ¶ 101.
. Id.., ¶ 102.
. Id., ¶ 103.
. Id., ¶ 104.
. Id., Hill.
. Id., ¶ 114.
.See id., ¶ 12.
. id., ¶ 115.
. Id., ¶ 116.
. Id., ¶ 117.
. Id., HI 18.
. Id., ¶¶ 119-120.
. Id., ¶ 121.
. See MTD at 19-20. Although China Integrated asserts that Sinclair Upton did not say that Gao Bo profited from the transactions, in fact Upton states that “Gao received personal sale proceeds of over $15 million in cash, courtesy of CBEH shareholders.” (Sinclair Upton report at 10.)
. MTD at 8.
. Id. (citing Vasey Decl., Exh. J ("China Integrated Rebuttal”) at 3). The court can consider this document, which is quoted extensively in plaintiffs’ complaint, under the incorporation by reference doctrine.
. Id. (citing China Integrated Rebuttal at 3).
. Id.
. Complaint, ¶¶ 111-112,114.
. Id., ¶ 114.
. Id., ¶¶ 117, 120.
. MTD at 23-24.
. Complaint, ¶ 179.
. Id., ¶ 180.
. MTD at 24.
. Complaint, ¶ 5 9.
. Id.
. Id.
. In re Century Aluminum Co. Securities Litigation, 749 F.Supp.2d 964 (N.D.Cal. 2010), on which China Integrated relies, is not to the contrary. (MTD at 24.) There, the court found allegations of scienter insufficient, noting that plaintiffs essentially alleged that "defendants must have known about the accounting error because the mistake involved a lot of money." Id. at 973. It reasoned:
"However, as the FAC alleges and Century’s SEC filings show, the Restatement moved $929,480,000 from 'Cash Flows From Operating Activities' to 'Cash Flows From Financing Activities’; there was no effect on net change in cash, assets, liabilities, shareholders’ equity, net income (or loss), cash at the opening of the period, or on cash at the end of the period. Century disclosed all of the salient aspects of the transaction terminating the Hedges, and the termination of the Hedges was a onetime event. There are no allegations in the complaint to suggest that management had any factual basis for knowing that GAAP required that the one-time transaction should be classified under 'Cash Flows From Financing Activities' as 'Issuance of preferred stock’ rather than netted against 'Due to affiliates’ under ‘Cash Flows From Operating Activities.' ” Id.
As can be seen, the court's conclusion that scienter had not been adequately pled rested on the fact that, while the error involved a sizeable amount of money, it was technical in nature, and would not have been readily apparent to management. Here, in contrast, the discrepancies alleged did not result from a misunderstanding of accounting rules, and the differences between the SEC and SAIC filings were so dramatic that they would have been readily apparent.
. Complaint, ¶ 141.
. Id., Í 69.
. Id., ¶¶ 83-88.
. MTD Opposition at 19.
. Complaint, ¶ 88.
. Id., ¶101.
. MTD at 24.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Larry BROWN, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. CHINA INTEGRATED ENERGY, INC., Gao Xincheng, Albert C. Pu, and Li Gaihong
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published