Legal

Lawsuit Filed Against Credit Suisse Over Oligarch-Linked Case – Media

Tom Burroughes Group Editor New York May 3, 2022

Lawsuit Filed Against Credit Suisse Over Oligarch-Linked Case – Media

The law firm alleged disclosure shortcomings around a securitization deal, the report said.

Various groups and people have sued Credit Suisse in a claim that alleges the bank misled investors over business dealings related to Russian oligarchs, according to Reuters. 

The Zurich-listed bank declined to comment to this news service when contacted on the matter. In recent weeks the bank has set out its position on a number of controversies, such as here.

The lawsuit was filed in a New York district court, according to law firm Pomerantz LLP. It is on behalf of people and entities who acquired Credit Suisse securities between March 19, 2021 and March 25, 2022, Pomerantz is quoted as having said in a statement filed late last week. (This publication has sought the statement from the law firm.)

"The complaint alleges that, throughout the class period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the company's business, operations, and compliance policies," Pomerantz is quoted as saying.

The law firm alleged disclosure shortcomings around a securitization deal. It cited in its statement a Financial Times story from February in which the newspaper reported that Credit Suisse had securitized a portfolio of loans linked to its wealthiest customers' yachts and private jets, in an unusual use of derivatives to offload the risks associated with lending to ultra-rich oligarchs and entrepreneurs.

The lawsuit also referred to a request made by US lawmakers in March for Credit Suisse to hand over documents related to the financing of yachts and private jets owned by potentially sanctioned individuals.

In March Credit Suisse detailed its exposures to Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s decision to order a military invasion of Ukraine. A number of other major banks have also itemized their exposures. The latest allegations against Credit Suisse come following earlier claims that Switzerland’s second-largest lender had suffered a “massive leak” supposedly showing that the bank harbored the wealth of clients involved in crimes including torture and money laundering. The Guardian website said details of accounts linked to 30,000 Credit Suisse clients all over the world are contained in the leak, which has unmasked the beneficiaries of more than SFr100 billion ($108.6 billion). Credit Suisse argued that many of the accounts referred to had been closed years ago. More than half were shut before 2015. 

The claims about Credit Suisse come as it is trying to move on from losses sustained by the Greensill and Archegos sagas of a year ago.

Register for FamilyWealthReport today

Gain access to regular and exclusive research on the global wealth management sector along with the opportunity to attend industry events such as exclusive invites to Breakfast Briefings and Summits in the major wealth management centres and industry leading awards programmes