Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (TSX: VRX, NYSE: VRX, FRA: BVF, BMV: VRXN, SIX: VRX)

Superior Court of Quebec, Court File No.: 500-06-000783-136

Settlement with Valeant:
On November 16, 2020, the settlement between the plaintiffs and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (now Bausch Health Companies Inc). et al. was approved without any admission of liability on the part of the Defendants.

To be eligible for a portion of the Settlement Funds, A CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION MUST BE MADE BY FEBRUARY 15, 2021.

The shorter version of the Notice of Settlement Approval can be found here in English and French.

The longer (more detailed) version of the Notice of Settlement Approval can be found here in English and French.

The Claim Form (to make a claim for compensation) can be found here in English and French.

For more information or to submit your claim form, please visit www.ValeantSecuritiesSettlement.ca.

Lawsuit Details:
On October 26, 2015, Morganti & Co. with Faguy & Co. issued the first claim against Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (“Valeant”) across Canada.  Subsequently, we teamed up with Siskinds LLP, Rochon Genova LLP, and others to advance, perhaps, the largest shareholder class action claim ever advanced under the statutory secondary market laws.

This securities class action relates to Valeant publishing core documents and making other statements containing misrepresentations regarding: (1) its policies and accounting practices in relation to the acquisition of new corporate entities; (2) its relationship with speciality pharmacies such as Philidor RX Services LLC and the business practices of those specialty pharmacies; and (3) its policies and accounting practices in relation to the recognition of revenue.

On August 27, 2017, the Plaintiffs’ Motion for Authorization was heard and granted, and subsequently the Court of Appeal denied the Defendants’ motion to appeal that decision.  Since mid-2018, the parties have been engaged in discovery reviewing several hundred thousand pages of documents that are relevant to the claims.

Settlement with PWC:
On May 28, 2019, the Plaintiffs reached a partial settlement of the action, subject to Court approval, with defendant PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) to settle the action as against PwC for the all-inclusive sum of CAD thirty million dollars ($30,000,000). A copy of that settlement agreement can be found here.

On September 5, 2019, The Honourable Justice Peter Kalichman of the Superior Court of Quebec authorized the class action under s. 575 of the Quebec Code of Civil Procedure as against PwC for the purposes of settlement and approved the form, content and mode of publication of the Notice of Authorization (Certification) and Settlement Approval Hearing (the “Notice”). A copy of the Court’s Order can be found here. A copy of the Court-approved Long Form Notice can be found here in English and in French and a copy of the Court-approved Short Form Notice can be found here.

On November 11, 2019, the Superior Court of Quebec approved the Settlement, the Plan of Allocation, and the fees and disbursements of Class Counsel. A copy of the Plan of Allocation can be found here in English and in French.

The Settlement requires that the parallel actions in Ontario and British Columbia be dismissed as against PwC and discontinued as against the other defendants before it becomes final.  The Superior Court of Justice for Ontario granted an order dismissing the claim against PwC and discontinuing the balance of the claim on December 5, 2019.  The motion to deal with British Columbia Action remains pending. For more information, please view the following documents:

Notice of Discontinuance of Class Actions in Ontario (regarding PwC Settlement) (English)

Judgment Approving Settlement Agreement with PwC, dated November 12, 2019

Judgment Approving Class Counsel Fees, dated November 12, 2019

Judgment Approving the PwC Settlement Agreement Fund Plan of Allocation

Claim or Motion for Authorization issued:  October 26, 2015 (Quebec) and November 16, 2015 (Ontario)

Class Period: February 28, 2013 to October 26, 2015

Trial Readiness Date: April 17, 2020

Shareholders’ Canadian Counsel:  Andrew J. Morganti, Morganti & Co., and Shawn Faguy, Faguy & Co., with a larger syndicate of Canadian Counsel including Siskinds LLP and Rochon Genova LLP

Corporate Defendants’ Canadian Counsel: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Defendant Howard B. Schiller’s Canadian Counsel: Bennett Jones LLP

Auditor Defendant’s Canadian Counsel: Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

Underwriter Defendant’s Canadian Counsel: Torys LLP

Corporate Defendants’ U.S. or European Counsel:  Paul C. Curnin, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP; and Eric T. Vissichelli, McCarter & English, LLP

Claim Administrator: Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc.
Attention: Valeant Securities Class Action Settlement Claims Administrator
P.O. Box 507 STN B
Ottawa ON K1P 5P6
Telephone: 1-833-290-4729
Fax: 1-866-262-0816
Email: info@ValeantSecuritiesSettlement.ca