NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against LivePerson, Inc. (“LivePerson” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: LPSN) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 23-cv- 10517, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired LivePerson securities between May 10, 2022 and March 16, 2023, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants’ violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.
If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired LivePerson securities during the Class Period, you have until January 30, 2024, 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 newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.
[Click here for information about joining the class action]
LivePerson delivers mobile and online messaging solutions through Conversational Artificial Intelligence. In February 2022, the Company acquired WildHealth, Inc. (“WildHealth”), a precision medicine service which purportedly “leverages advanced machine learning to combine DNA analysis, biometrics, microbiome testing and phenotypic data to provide people with a blueprint for truly optimized health and a maximized health span.” As part of its business model, WildHealth often receives reimbursements for providing services to certain Medicare programs.
In November 2022, unbeknownst to investors, WildHealth received notice that reimbursements for its services rendered under a Medicare demonstration program related to COVID-19 testing (the “Program”) were suspended pending further review.
Throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures contained a material weakness; (ii) accordingly, LivePerson maintained deficient internal controls over its financial reporting; (iii) as a result, LivePerson’s Q3 2022 financial statements failed to disclose the suspension of WildHealth’s Medicare reimbursements in connection with the Program and the resulting negative impact on the Company’s future revenues; (iv) accordingly, LivePerson had overstated the Company’s future financial position and/or prospects; and (v) as a result, the Company’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
On February 28, 2023, before market hours, LivePerson issued a Notification of Late Filing on Form 12b-25 regarding its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the “2022 10-K”). Among other things, the notification revealed that, as a result of LivePerson’s acquisition of WildHealth, “the Company requires more time to perform additional review and testing of revenue recognition with respect to a recently discontinued WildHealth program, for which Medicare reimbursement is suspended pending further governmental review, and to complete its in-process review of internal controls and procedures.”
On this news, LivePerson’s share price fell $1.69 per share, or 14.31%, to close at $10.12 per share on February 28, 2023.
Then on March 6, 2023, before market hours, the Company issued a current report on Form 8-K which disclosed that “the referenced review of WildHealth revenue is anticipated to affect fourth quarter 2022 revenue attributable to WildHealth’s participation in a Medicare demonstration program, due to suspension in November 2022 of Medicare reimbursements under the program and pending further governmental review.”
On this news, LivePerson’s share price fell $0.78 per share, or 6.8%, to close at $10.69 per share on March 7, 2023.
Then, on March 15, 2023, after market hours, the Company issued a press release announcing its Q4 2022 financial results on Form 8-K, which provided that “[t]otal revenue was $122.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, a decrease of 1% as compared to the same period last year” and “[w]ithin total revenue, business operations revenue for the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased 1% from the comparable prior-year period to $113.0 million, and revenue from consumer operations decreased 3% from the comparable prior-year period to $9.4 million.”
Finally, on March 16, 2023, before market hours, the Company filed the 2022 10-K with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The 2022 10-K revealed that “due to certain control deficiencies which aggregated to a material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as further described below, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2022” and “[t]he control deficiencies, which in aggregate constitute a material weakness, were identified in connection with the Company’s previously disclosed review of certain transactions related to its subsidiary WildHealth.”
On this news, LivePerson’s share price fell $5.64 per share, or 57.73%, to close at $4.13 per share on March 16, 2023, damaging investors.
As a result of Defendants’ wrongful acts and omissions, and the precipitous decline in the market value of the Company’s securities, Plaintiff and other Class members have suffered significant losses and damages.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, 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, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz 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 billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.
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CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
