A strike suit is a

lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil acti ...

of questionable merit brought by a single person or group of people with the purpose of gaining a private settlement before going to court that would be less than the cost of the defendant's legal costs. Such suits frequently appear where the

defendant In court proceedings, a defendant is a person or object who is the party either accused of committing a crime in criminal prosecution or against whom some type of civil relief is being sought in a civil case. Terminology varies from one jurisdi ...

is a considerably larger entity than the

plaintiff A plaintiff ( Π in legal shorthand) is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an ''action'') before a court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy. If this search is successful, the court will issue judgment in favor of the ...

, such as a corporation or an estate.

Strike suits in securities law

Company shareholders sometimes use strike suits as a means of addressing perceived failures by or discontentment with the company while avoiding becoming embroiled in litigation themselves. *A minor shareholder sues a company for falling short on projected earnings. The lawsuit makes multiple technical claims of incompetence by the company. *A minor shareholder sues a company for failure to follow bylaws set by the company. The lawsuit makes multiple technical claims of bylaw infractions by the company.

References

{{reflist Corporate law United States securities law Lawsuits

Strike suits in securities law

See also

References