Private Backdating Options Suits Wind Down

As the SEC appears to be winding down its backdating investigations, private suits appear to be settling or are being dismissed.  The Wall St. Journal reports that about 160 derivative suits were filed, and some are being settled on modest terms -- typically, the executives pay back some money, stock options are repriced, the corporations agree to corporate governance changes, and the plaintiffs' attorneys get their fees paid.  Far fewer securities fraud class actions have been filed, because the corrective disclosures did not cause drops in the stock price; many of them have been dismissed.  WSJ, Firms Settle Backdating Suits.