Court Freezes Assets Linked to Suspicious Trading in Advance of Global-Technip Announcement

On September 16, 2011, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a Temporary Restraining Order freezing assets and trading proceeds of certain unknown purchasers of the securities of Global Industries, Ltd. (the “Unknown Purchasers”). The SEC filed a complaint alleging that the Unknown Purchasers engaged in illegal insider trading in the days preceding the September 12, 2011 public announcement that Technip SA (“Technip”), a French company, and Global Industries, Ltd. (“Global”) had entered into an agreement pursuant to which Technip would offer to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Global for $8.00 per share, a 55% premium over the closing price of Global common stock on the trading day preceding the public announcement. The Commission’s complaint alleges that the Unknown Purchasers engaged in insider trading, thereby violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief, the disgorgement of all illegal profits, and the imposition of civil money penalties.