Oracle Blog of Tactical Law Group LLP

Lead Plaintiff in Sunrise Firefighters' Case Takes a Swing at Oracle Motion to Dismiss

6/14/2019

Pamela K. Fulmer

In a hard hitting opposition brief to Oracle’s motion to dismiss, lead Plaintiff Union Asset Management Holding AG shreds many of Oracle’s arguments and again reasserts the myriad of specific facts that were pled to support Plaintiff’s contention that Oracle used coercive audit tactics to improperly drive sales of cloud revenue, which it then misleadingly reported to investors and the public.

Correctly pointing out that at this juncture of the litigation Plaintiff does not have access to Oracle books and records so that it is not required to “plead the precise amount of overall revenue affected by Oracle’s improper sales tactics”, Plaintiff nonetheless asserts that “the Complaint’s detailed allegations give rise to the inference that the artificial sales were material in scope.”  As we have pointed out in previous blog posts, if Plaintiff can get past the pleading stage and into discovery, it may well learn from Oracle’s own documents that Oracle revenue generated from these predatory audit tactics was very substantial indeed.

Plaintiff argues that Oracle misled investors about the driver of cloud sales growth and that it was the abusive audit tactics that were driving cloud sales, rather than Oracle having a superior cloud product.  Plaintiff also contends that Oracle misled investors about the sales growth being sustainable, when Oracle knew very well from its own people that it was not. Finally, Plaintiff once again presents a strong argument as to how it has adequately alleged scienter on the part of Oracle’s senior management to deceive the public concerning the strength of Oracle’s cloud sales.  Writing that “[s]cienter is “a mental state that not only covers intent to deceive, manipulate, or defraud, but also deliberate recklessness,” Plaintiff sets out a litany of allegations that present a strong inference that senior management knew and most likely approved of the use of Oracle compliance audits to drive cloud deals.

If you believe your company has been forced into an unwanted cloud purchase arising out of an Oracle audit, you may have legal remedies. Please contact [email protected] if you would like to discuss your potential legal options.

Tactical Law Group LLP is continuing to monitor the litigation. Check back here for periodic updates.

You may read Plaintiff’s opposition to Oracle's motion to dismiss here by clicking below.