Vicarious Liability for Bad Corporate Governance: Are We Wrong about 10b-5?

Abstract

I formulate a rational expectations signaling model of vicarious liability for securities fraud, particularly the much criticized “fraud-on-the-market” private class action arising under Rule 10b-5. I show that fraudulent misreporting by managers occurs in the absence of managerial moral hazard—that is, where managers simply maximize shareholder payoffs—and that vicarious liability can serve as an appropriate deterrent, creating separating equilibrium. I then show that the particular remedy under Rule 10b-5 can perfectly deter fraud and perfectly compensate purchasers, and that Rule 10b-5 class actions may function better than critics claim.

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