NEW YORK, Feb. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP
announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against,
Liberty Health Science Inc. (âLibertyâ or the âCompanyâ) (LHSIF)
and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in
United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and
indexed under 19-cv-00161, is on behalf of a class consisting of
all persons and entities, other than Defendants and their
affiliates, who purchased or otherwise, acquired Liberty common
stock between June 28, 2018, and December 3, 2018, both dates
inclusive (the âClass Periodâ), seeking to recover damages caused
by Defendantsâ violations of the federal securities laws and to
pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the âExchange Actâ) and Rule 10b-5
promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top
officials.
If you are a shareholder who purchased Liberty Class A common stock between June 28, 2018, and December 3, 2018, you have until March 8, 2019, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.
[Click here to join this class action]
Liberty was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) on November 9, 2011, as SecureCom Mobile Inc. The Companyâs principal business activity is the production and distribution of medical cannabis through its wholly-owned subsidiary DFMMJ LLC (d/b/a Liberty Health Sciences Florida Ltd.)
Aphria Inc. (âAphriaâ), which also produces and distributes cannabis, has had longstanding ties with Liberty, starting from the very beginning of both companies. When Aphria was founded in 2014, Victor Neufeld (âNeufeldâ) joined the firm as CEO and co-founder. One of Aphriaâs other early institutional backers included The Delavaco Group, Front St. Capital, York Plains, and Broadband Capital of NYC.
Neufeld became the Chairman of Liberty while Cole Cacciavillani, Aphriaâs chief agronomist and co-founder, also became one of the executives at Liberty. Liberty was heavily influenced by Aphria and individuals involved in the management of Aphria. Neufeld and the Serruya are large shareholders in both companies.
The complaint alleges throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companyâs business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Liberty, in conjunction with Aphria, was involved in a scheme whereby numerous fraudulent acquisitions and transactions were made to provide undue benefits to both companiesâ insiders; and (ii) as a result, Libertyâs public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
In September 2018, Aphria announced that it had sold off its stake in Liberty. On December 3, 2018, Quintessential Capital Management and Hindenburg Research issued a report entitled âAphria: A Shell Game with a Cannabis Business on the Side,â claiming that Aphria was part of a scheme involving the acquisition of shell companies at artificially inflated prices. Specifically, the report alleged: âAphria is part of a scheme orchestrated by a network of insiders to divert funds away from shareholders into their own pockets.â The article detailed a thorough and on-the-ground investigation into Aphriaâs latest investments that revealed the poor quality and worth of the assets of those investments. For example, the article was accompanied by pictures showing that Aphriaâs latest investment in Jamaica was an abandoned building on dilapidated property.
On this news, Libertyâs stock fell $0.36, or nearly 34%, over the next two trading days to close at $0.70 on December 4, 2018.
The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
[email protected]
888-476-6529 ext. 9980