Cases
Wins Finance Holdings, Inc.
Merger
Overview
Overview
- Date:
- 8/26/2020
- Company Name:
- Wins Finance Holdings, Inc.
- Stock Symbol:
- WINS
- Class Period:
- FROM 10/31/2018 TO 7/6/2018
- Status:
- Investigating
- Court:
- U.S. District Court: Central California
NEW YORK, August 26, 2020 – Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of investors that purchased Wins Finance Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: WINS) securities between October 31, 2018 and July 6, 2020 (the “Class Period”). Investors have until September 23, 2020 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Wins, through its subsidiaries, purports to provide financing solutions for small and medium enterprises in the People’s Republic of China. The Company purports to offer financial guarantees, as well as financial leasing, advisory, consultancy, and agency services in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, and Beijing.
In 2014, Wins entered into a RMB 580 million credit agreement with Guohong Asset Management Co., Ltd. (the “Guohong Loan”), pursuant to which Guohong’s repayment was due to Wins in October 2019.
In September 2017, Wins engaged Centurion ZD CPA & Co. (“CZD”) as its independent registered public accounting firm after dismissing its previous accounting firm.
On October 31, 2019, Wins filed a notification of inability to timely file Form 20-F on Form NT 20-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission(“SEC”) (the “2019 NT 20-F”).
The following trading day, the Company’s stock price declined from $11.90 to $11.20, or 5.8%.
On November 19, 2019, Wins issued a press release announcing its receipt of a notification letter from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications and its intent to submit a plan of compliance, adding that the filing of the 2019 20-F was untimely due to the uncertainty over recovery of the Guohong Loan but assuring investors that failure to collect on the loan would “not impact the Company’s ongoing operations.”
Then, on May 26, 2020, Wins issued a press release announcing that the Company received a delisting determination letter from Nasdaq. The press release stated, in relevant part, “[a]s disclosed previously, the Company is working assiduously to complete its delinquent filing with SEC and to regain compliance with the Nasdaq listing rule as soon as possible.”
On this news, Wins’s stock price closed at $7.81 per share on May 26, 2020, in contrast to its previous close of $10.06, a decline of 22.3%.
The Company’s undisclosed ongoing financial difficulties—including non-repayment of the Guohong Loan—and material control weaknesses came to a head on June 30, 2020, when CZD resigned as the Company’s independent auditor after less than three years in that role. On July 6, 2020, Wins issued a press release announcing CZD’s resignation.
On this news, Wins’s stock price fell $2.06 per share, or 6.1%, to close at $31.70 per share on July 7, 2020.
The Complaint, filed on July 24, 2020, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the ultimate repayment of the RMB 580 million Guohong Loan was highly uncertain; (ii) nonpayment of the Guohong Loan would have a significant impact on the Company’s financial and operating condition; (iii) weaknesses in Wins’s internal control over its financial reporting persisted despite the Company’s repeated assurances to investors that it was taking steps to remediate these weaknesses; (iv) the foregoing issues, among others, made the resignation of Wins’s independent auditor foreseeably likely; and (v) as a result, the Company’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
If you purchased Wins Finance securities during the Class Period, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Melissa Fortunato or Marion Passmore or by email at investigations@bespc.com, telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out the contact form below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
Wins, through its subsidiaries, purports to provide financing solutions for small and medium enterprises in the People’s Republic of China. The Company purports to offer financial guarantees, as well as financial leasing, advisory, consultancy, and agency services in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, and Beijing.
In 2014, Wins entered into a RMB 580 million credit agreement with Guohong Asset Management Co., Ltd. (the “Guohong Loan”), pursuant to which Guohong’s repayment was due to Wins in October 2019.
In September 2017, Wins engaged Centurion ZD CPA & Co. (“CZD”) as its independent registered public accounting firm after dismissing its previous accounting firm.
On October 31, 2019, Wins filed a notification of inability to timely file Form 20-F on Form NT 20-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission(“SEC”) (the “2019 NT 20-F”).
The following trading day, the Company’s stock price declined from $11.90 to $11.20, or 5.8%.
On November 19, 2019, Wins issued a press release announcing its receipt of a notification letter from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications and its intent to submit a plan of compliance, adding that the filing of the 2019 20-F was untimely due to the uncertainty over recovery of the Guohong Loan but assuring investors that failure to collect on the loan would “not impact the Company’s ongoing operations.”
Then, on May 26, 2020, Wins issued a press release announcing that the Company received a delisting determination letter from Nasdaq. The press release stated, in relevant part, “[a]s disclosed previously, the Company is working assiduously to complete its delinquent filing with SEC and to regain compliance with the Nasdaq listing rule as soon as possible.”
On this news, Wins’s stock price closed at $7.81 per share on May 26, 2020, in contrast to its previous close of $10.06, a decline of 22.3%.
The Company’s undisclosed ongoing financial difficulties—including non-repayment of the Guohong Loan—and material control weaknesses came to a head on June 30, 2020, when CZD resigned as the Company’s independent auditor after less than three years in that role. On July 6, 2020, Wins issued a press release announcing CZD’s resignation.
On this news, Wins’s stock price fell $2.06 per share, or 6.1%, to close at $31.70 per share on July 7, 2020.
The Complaint, filed on July 24, 2020, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the ultimate repayment of the RMB 580 million Guohong Loan was highly uncertain; (ii) nonpayment of the Guohong Loan would have a significant impact on the Company’s financial and operating condition; (iii) weaknesses in Wins’s internal control over its financial reporting persisted despite the Company’s repeated assurances to investors that it was taking steps to remediate these weaknesses; (iv) the foregoing issues, among others, made the resignation of Wins’s independent auditor foreseeably likely; and (v) as a result, the Company’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
If you purchased Wins Finance securities during the Class Period, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Melissa Fortunato or Marion Passmore or by email at investigations@bespc.com, telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out the contact form below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
The individual or institution below (“Plaintiff”) has reviewed and agrees to the Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. (“BESPC”) retainer agreement and authorizes BESPC to prosecute an action on Plaintiff’s behalf under the federal securities laws or applicable state laws to recover damages on behalf of investors in Wins Finance Holdings. BESPC will prosecute the action on a full contingency basis and will forward all costs and expenses.
Case Updates
Retainer Agreement
This will confirm that you have retained Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. (“BESPC”) to represent you in connection with potential litigation against Wins Finance Holdings (the “Company”) and its directors and officers arising out of the [describe transaction]. BESPC has conducted an investigation and believes that there is a valid basis to assert claims against the Company and its directors and/or officers for breach of fiduciary duties and other applicable laws.
In making this agreement, BESPC is relying upon your representation that you held the Company’s shares on 8/26/2020 [date of transaction] and that you continue to hold Company shares. Please provide us with documentation of your trading history in the Company’s stock by emailing a relevant copies of your brokerage statements to investigations@bespc.com. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call us at (212) 308-5858.
The terms under which we will represent you and your responsibilities as a potential representative plaintiff are set forth below.
As a representative plaintiff, you will have a duty to represent the interests of similarly situated shareholders and to participate in the prosecution of this litigation. You may also be asked to provide documents concerning your trading in Company stock and may be asked to sit for a deposition. Accordingly, you should preserve all documents that relate to this case until it has concluded or we inform you otherwise. Relevant documents include any information you have about the Company or your trading in Company stock, no matter how it is recorded or who is keeping it for you. If you have any questions about whether information should be retained, please contact us.
You will have an obligation to remain knowledgeable about the litigation and participate in decisions concerning the progress of the litigation. If BESPC is appointed as lead counsel or in a similar capacity in the action, we will provide you with copies of all pleadings in the litigation for your review and approval, circumstances permitting, before they are filed with the court. BESPC will also promptly advise you of any significant developments in the litigation.
As a representative plaintiff, you cannot have any interest antagonistic to or in conflict with other shareholders concerning the claims we are pursuing or any relationships with any of the named defendants that would in any way impair your ability or incentive to obtain the best possible result. You agree that neither you nor any of your affiliates or agents will trade stocks while in the possession of any material non-public information you may receive in connection with the litigation. In addition, as a representative plaintiff, you may be required to continue holding Company shares. Please contact us before buying or selling Company shares.
BESPC will prosecute this litigation on a contingency basis. You will not be responsible for paying any legal fees, costs, or out-of-pocket expenses arising out of or related to the prosecution of this litigation, regardless of the outcome of the matter. If there is a monetary recovery in this action, BESPC will, at the conclusion of the litigation or any segment thereof, apply to the court for approval of an award of attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of expenses. BESPC may also seek a fee if we obtain substantial non-monetary relief for the Class or the Company. The court will then award fees and disbursements (if any) from the proceeds of any judgment or settlement obtained in this litigation, based on factors considered relevant by the court. Such fees, costs, and disbursements will be paid from the entire settlement amount and not only from your share of the settlement amount.
BESPC may associate with other counsel to assist in the prosecution of this litigation. Any recovery of fees and costs will be shared with such counsel, determined on a percentage basis or based upon the time spent on the matter, as approved by the court if applicable. The division of work and or fees among co-counsel will not affect the amount of fees received upon a successful completion of the litigation. From time to time, BESPC may utilize contract attorneys to supplement the work of its own employed attorneys. BESPC will supervise the work of all contract attorneys and adopt their work product as its own. You authorize BESPC, as we deem appropriate, to associate with other counsel and to hire experts and consultants to assist in the handling of your claims.
It is possible that you will not be appointed as a lead plaintiff in the action. However, we may wish to represent you in other litigation related to the wrongful acts giving rise to this case. In such event, we will contact you to discuss the scope of such representation and obtain your approval before moving forward. You also agree that we may contact you with respect to other potential matters on your behalf.
You understand that in the event we secure a recovery, you will not receive any special treatment or receive a greater share of any recovery based on your service as a named plaintiff. However, we may ask the Court to approve an additional award to you to compensate you for the time and effort you expend on this matter. Any such award is solely within the discretion of the Court.
BESPC will consult with you regarding any settlement negotiations and seek to obtain your approval for any proposed resolution of this litigation before entering into a final settlement agreement with defendants.
You expressly acknowledge that we have not made any representation to you, express or implied, concerning the outcome of any litigation or other matter in which we represent you.
If you are not chosen as a representative plaintiff and we do not choose to pursue other related litigation on your behalf, we will provide you with notification and this Agreement shall terminate. Otherwise, this Agreement shall remain in effect until the conclusion of the relevant litigation. However, you may terminate this Agreement at any time.
Upon termination, BESPC’s files and papers compiled in connection with its investigation and prosecution of this matter constitute the work product and property of BESPC over which it has complete control with respect to its use and/or disclosure.
This agreement sets forth the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all other oral or written communications.
Please feel free to contact us at any time should you have any questions or comments in this regard.
In making this agreement, BESPC is relying upon your representation that you held the Company’s shares on 8/26/2020 [date of transaction] and that you continue to hold Company shares. Please provide us with documentation of your trading history in the Company’s stock by emailing a relevant copies of your brokerage statements to investigations@bespc.com. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call us at (212) 308-5858.
The terms under which we will represent you and your responsibilities as a potential representative plaintiff are set forth below.
Your Responsibilities as a Representative Plaintiff
As a representative plaintiff, you will have a duty to represent the interests of similarly situated shareholders and to participate in the prosecution of this litigation. You may also be asked to provide documents concerning your trading in Company stock and may be asked to sit for a deposition. Accordingly, you should preserve all documents that relate to this case until it has concluded or we inform you otherwise. Relevant documents include any information you have about the Company or your trading in Company stock, no matter how it is recorded or who is keeping it for you. If you have any questions about whether information should be retained, please contact us.You will have an obligation to remain knowledgeable about the litigation and participate in decisions concerning the progress of the litigation. If BESPC is appointed as lead counsel or in a similar capacity in the action, we will provide you with copies of all pleadings in the litigation for your review and approval, circumstances permitting, before they are filed with the court. BESPC will also promptly advise you of any significant developments in the litigation.
As a representative plaintiff, you cannot have any interest antagonistic to or in conflict with other shareholders concerning the claims we are pursuing or any relationships with any of the named defendants that would in any way impair your ability or incentive to obtain the best possible result. You agree that neither you nor any of your affiliates or agents will trade stocks while in the possession of any material non-public information you may receive in connection with the litigation. In addition, as a representative plaintiff, you may be required to continue holding Company shares. Please contact us before buying or selling Company shares.
Contingency Fee and Advancement of Expenses
BESPC will prosecute this litigation on a contingency basis. You will not be responsible for paying any legal fees, costs, or out-of-pocket expenses arising out of or related to the prosecution of this litigation, regardless of the outcome of the matter. If there is a monetary recovery in this action, BESPC will, at the conclusion of the litigation or any segment thereof, apply to the court for approval of an award of attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of expenses. BESPC may also seek a fee if we obtain substantial non-monetary relief for the Class or the Company. The court will then award fees and disbursements (if any) from the proceeds of any judgment or settlement obtained in this litigation, based on factors considered relevant by the court. Such fees, costs, and disbursements will be paid from the entire settlement amount and not only from your share of the settlement amount.
Association with Counsel
BESPC may associate with other counsel to assist in the prosecution of this litigation. Any recovery of fees and costs will be shared with such counsel, determined on a percentage basis or based upon the time spent on the matter, as approved by the court if applicable. The division of work and or fees among co-counsel will not affect the amount of fees received upon a successful completion of the litigation. From time to time, BESPC may utilize contract attorneys to supplement the work of its own employed attorneys. BESPC will supervise the work of all contract attorneys and adopt their work product as its own. You authorize BESPC, as we deem appropriate, to associate with other counsel and to hire experts and consultants to assist in the handling of your claims.
Other Actions
It is possible that you will not be appointed as a lead plaintiff in the action. However, we may wish to represent you in other litigation related to the wrongful acts giving rise to this case. In such event, we will contact you to discuss the scope of such representation and obtain your approval before moving forward. You also agree that we may contact you with respect to other potential matters on your behalf.
No Special Treatment
You understand that in the event we secure a recovery, you will not receive any special treatment or receive a greater share of any recovery based on your service as a named plaintiff. However, we may ask the Court to approve an additional award to you to compensate you for the time and effort you expend on this matter. Any such award is solely within the discretion of the Court.
Settlement
BESPC will consult with you regarding any settlement negotiations and seek to obtain your approval for any proposed resolution of this litigation before entering into a final settlement agreement with defendants.
No Guarantee of Success
You expressly acknowledge that we have not made any representation to you, express or implied, concerning the outcome of any litigation or other matter in which we represent you.
Termination of This Agreement
If you are not chosen as a representative plaintiff and we do not choose to pursue other related litigation on your behalf, we will provide you with notification and this Agreement shall terminate. Otherwise, this Agreement shall remain in effect until the conclusion of the relevant litigation. However, you may terminate this Agreement at any time. Upon termination, BESPC’s files and papers compiled in connection with its investigation and prosecution of this matter constitute the work product and property of BESPC over which it has complete control with respect to its use and/or disclosure.
This agreement sets forth the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all other oral or written communications.
Please feel free to contact us at any time should you have any questions or comments in this regard.