30-10-315. Requirements for securities fraud actions -- definition. (1) In any private action arising under this part, if the plaintiff alleges that the defendant made an untrue statement or omitted a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, the complaint must specify each statement alleged to have been misleading and the reason or reasons why the statement is misleading. If an allegation regarding the statement or omission is made on information and belief, the complaint must state with particularity all facts on which that belief is based.
(2) In any private action arising under this part in which the plaintiff may recover money damages only on proof that the defendant acted with a particular state of mind, the complaint must, with respect to each act or omission alleged to violate this part, state with particularity facts giving rise to a strong inference that the defendant acted with the required state of mind.
(3) In any private action arising under this part, the court shall on the motion of any defendant, dismiss the complaint if the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) are not met.
(4) (a) In any private action arising under this part, all discovery and other proceedings must be stayed during the pendency of any motion to dismiss unless the court finds, upon the motion of any party, that particularized discovery is necessary to preserve evidence or to prevent undue prejudice to that party.
(b) During the pendency of any stay of discovery pursuant to this subsection (4), unless otherwise ordered by the court, any party to the action with actual notice of the allegations contained in the complaint shall treat all documents, data compilations, including electronically recorded or stored data, and tangible objects that are in the custody or control of the party and that are relevant to the allegations as if they were the subject of a continuing request for production of documents from an opposing party under the Montana Rules of Civil Procedure.
(5) A party aggrieved by the willful failure of an opposing party to comply with subsection (4) may apply to the court for an order awarding appropriate sanctions.
(6) In any private action arising under this part, the plaintiff has the burden of proving that the act or omission of the defendant alleged to violate this title caused the loss for which the plaintiff seeks to recover damages.
(7) As used in 30-10-316 through 30-10-323 and this section, "private action arising under this part" means an action against a person referred to in 30-10-319(2).
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 468, L. 1997.