[外電] Cuban asks for dismissal of SEC case
Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4207291
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Cuban asks for dismissal of SEC case
Updated: May 26, 2009, 8:41 PM ET
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DALLAS -- Mark Cuban was uncharacteristically reserved when he appeared in a
federal courtroom Tuesday to hear attorneys argue the merits of the
Securities and Exchange Commission's case against him for insider trading.
Sitting in the front row of the gallery with members of his legal team, the
Dallas Mavericks owner wore a black suit instead of a T-shirt and jeans, his
game-night attire, and his mood rarely changed as he listened intently while
attorneys spoke for and against his motion to have the case dismissed.
After the hour-long hearing, which ended without an immediate decision from
U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater, the normally animated and combative
billionaire declined comment.
"Just write about how good I look in my suit," he said in the hallway outside
the courtroom. "I haven't worn it in 20 years."
Later, as he prepared to drive away in a black Cadillac Escalade, he told
reporters to note that he was "driving American" as well as a hybrid vehicle.
The hearing allowed attorneys to articulate arguments, sometimes in response
to questions from Fitzwater, previously stated in motions and briefs since
the suit's filing in November.
The SEC alleges that Cuban was involved in insider trading when he sold
shares in an Internet search engine company, Mamma.com Inc., after receiving
confidential information about a private offering in 2004. Selling his
600,000 shares, which represented a 6.3-percent stake in the company, allowed
Cuban to avoid a loss of $750,000, according to the SEC.
Cuban's legal team doesn't acknowledge those facts as true. But even if they
are, Cuban's lawyers contend, he didn't engage in insider trading because he
wasn't legally an "insider."
During the hearing, Cuban attorney Ralph Ferrara said Supreme Court decisions
make it clear that an "insider" is someone who had a pre-existing fiduciary
duty or similar relationship with a company. Because Cuban was simply an
investor who allegedly promised confidentiality during a phone call, he isn't
liable, Ferrara argued.
Ferrara accused the SEC of filing a "trimmed down" complaint aimed at defying
the Supreme Court's rulings and extending the agency's reach.
"This is just the latest attempt by the SEC to remove itself from those
bounds," he said.
SEC attorney Kevin O'Rourke countered by saying the case against Cuban is a
"straight down the middle" use of insider trading laws. Breaking a
confidential agreement is "the type of deception and fraud securities laws
were designed to reach," he said.
Fitzwater left the bench without comment after hearing the arguments.
Attorneys for Cuban said afterward they could not speculate on when the judge
might deliver a written opinion.
Cuban filed his motion to dismiss in January and later buttressed his
argument with a brief signed by five respected law professors. In its
response, the SEC called Cuban "shameless" for attempting to say he could
legally trade on confidential information.
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