The boyfriend of a Disney executive’s aide admits he tried to sell earnings data to investment companies before they were made public.

The boyfriend of an assistant to a top Walt Disney Co. executive pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit securities fraud  and wire fraud in federal court in New York in an insider trading scheme that garnered notoriety for its lack of sophistication.

Yonni Sebbag was arrested in May along with Bonnie Hoxie, a former aide to Zenia Mucha, the head of corporate communications for Disney. Both were charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud by selling inside information to investment companies. Read the rest…

Apollo Group Inc and several of its top executives have been slapped with a class action lawsuit for allegedly making misleading statements about the for-profit education company's operations.

The complaint filed in a federal court in Arizona alleges that Apollo and some of its executives made "materially false and misleading statements" between December 7, 2009, and August 3, 2010, about its business.

The complaint also alleges that these statements artificially inflated the trading price of Apollo common stock during that time, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Complainants are seeking compensatory damages, Apollo said, adding that it intends to defend the lawsuit vigorously.

The executives named in the lawsuit include Apollo's executive chairman, co-chief executive officers, chief financial officer and others.

Apollo, parent of the University of Phoenix, and the rest of the for-profit industry has come under intense regulatory scrutiny over enrollment practices and use of federal aid.

Last year, Apollo, considered bellwether of the industry, was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for its revenue recognition practices.

Apollo's shares, which have fallen 20 percent in the last 3 months, fell about 3 percent in pre-market trade to $42.

The revelation that BP's Texas City refinery emitted toxic benzene for more than a month has ignited a furor in the port community that has suffered its share of deadly industrial accidents and toxic spills.

Thousands of residents who fear they may have been exposed to the known carcinogen released at the oil refinery from April 6 to May 16 have been flooding parking lots and conference halls where local trial attorneys hosted information sessions and sought clients for class-action lawsuits against the oil giant.

BP faces the new challenge just as it is reaching a key milestone in another crisis — plugging the Gulf of Mexico well that blew out in an oil spill disaster that is costing the company billions of dollars.

On Wednesday, more than 3,400 people lined the hallways and sidewalks around the Nessler Center to sign on to a $10 billion class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in Galveston federal court by Friendswood attorney Anthony Buzbee.

The lawsuit alleges the release of 500,000 pounds of chemicals - including 17,000 pounds of benzene - has jeopardized the health and property values of people who live and work in the area. At the nearby College of the Mainland, a separate town hall meeting drew a crowd of 600.

Utah's Supreme Court has rejected a petition from members of a southern Utah-based polygamous sect seeking a reversal of changes made to its communal land trust.

In a ruling issued Friday, justices say members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints waited too long to challenge the state's intervention in the United Effort Plan Trust.

Valued at $110 million, the trust holds the property in Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz., the twin border towns where most church members live.

Utah seized the trust in 2005 after allegations of mismanagement by church leaders. A court-appointed accountant has since converted the trust into a secular entity.

FLDS members consider state control of the UEP a violation of their religious rights.

The Securities Law Firm of Menzer & Hill, P.A., www.suemyadvisor.com or www.menzerhill.com, announced today an investigation into the 1861 Capital Management municipal arbitrage funds sold by UBS (NYSE:UBS) and other broker dealers. The funds we are currently investigating include: 1861 Capital Municipal Enterprise Domestic Fund, LP, 1861 Capital Municipal Enterprise Offshore Fund, Ltd., 1861 Capital Discovery Domestic Fund, LP, and 1861 Capital Discovery Offshore Fund, Ltd. In marketing 1861 to investors, UBS targeted high net worth individual investors who were generally risk averse, took a conservative approach to investing and were interested in the safety and security offered by tax free municipal bonds. The firms that used municipal arbitrage attempted to take advantage of differences between municipal bonds and other types of debt, including Treasury securities and corporate bonds. This was the strategy of the 1861 Municipal Arbitrage Fund. Unfortunately, many of these types of strategies are highly leveraged. The leverage, often downplayed in marketing material, caused massive losses with the collapse of the market in 2008 and 2009. Based on our analysis, there was lack of disclosure and/or misrepresentations concerning the risks of these products, and investors who were looking to preserve their capital sustained substantial losses.

Investors who purchased 1861 Capital Management municipal arbitrage funds are urged to explore their legal rights and options. The attorneys at the Securities Law Firm of Menzer & Hill, P.A. are dedicated to pursuing claims on behalf of investors who have suffered investment losses.

For a free case evaluation or to discuss any other investment losses, please contact the Securities Law Firm of Menzer & Hill, P.A., at 888-923-9223, or visit us on the web at www.suemyadvisor.com or www.menzerhill.com.

CONTACT:  Securities Law Firm of Menzer & Hill, P.A.          888-923-9223