Latest Legal News: Vivendi Loses; Hope May Take the Fifth

A daily look at legal news and the business of law:

Vivendi Gambled on a Jury ... and Lost

Vivendi (VIVEF) inflated the value of its shares by lying to investors 57 times between 2000 and 2002, a federal jury in Manhattan found this week. The case was the biggest securities class action to go trial, ever. Because the stakes in such cases can be so high, most are settled before reaching a jury. According to one of the plaintiff law firms, Vivendi's damages could be $9.3 billion. Vivendi has said it will appeal.