New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Bear Stearns has triumphed in a case involving disgruntled investors seeking $141 million for the losses they incurred following the collapse of the Manhattan Investment Fund Ltd., a hedge fund where Bear served as the prime broker.

The fund, which filed for Bankruptcy in 2000, started experiencing losses almost immediately after its launch in 1995.  After shorting technology stocks to no avail, fund manager Michael Berger issued false documentation showing profits and gains and ultimately collected $575 million from investors.  Berger pleaded guilty in 2000 to securities fraud.

The suit against Bear Stearns was an attempt to hold hedge funds’ prime brokers responsible for investigating fraudulent clients. However, it was ruled that Bear Stearns had acted in good faith.  The eight person jury in Manhattan concluded on June 27th that Bear was not liable for failing to see the discrepancies in the hedge fund’s books.

Julie Scuderi
Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net
Email: julie@hedgeco.net

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