Several interesting stories are in the news and deserve our attention. Why would you ask? Because they could change the "too big to fail" theory that has been introduced in the public opinion by the same "too big to fail" financial institutions and their servants and be replaced by "too big and too rich to miss the opportunity". These stories could in fact ends like "the cigarette's companies opportunity" where everyone -and their little brothers and sisters- went after these well protected "untouchable" companies to get cash money.

The first story -Bloomberg- is related to a European city - Milan, Italy - charging big financial institutions for fraud: "Deutsche Bank AG, JPMorgan Chase & Co., UBS AG and Hypo Real Estate Holding AG’s Depfa Bank Plc unit were charged with fraud linked to the sale of derivatives to the City of Milan."
This story is important because other similar actions have been taken by cities and even states in the USA and the propagation to "old Europe" is a sign that if successful -and believe me if countries start to follow the idea it will be- these legal actions could kill these huge "too big to fail" institutions.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aC.ZO2bOdS2A&pos=3

The second is about New York Attorney General suing Bank of America
http://www.businessinsider.com/cuomo-set-to-announce-major-action-against-big-bank-at-1100-2010-2

The third story is different and closer to heart: It is about investors in a gold mine suing Canadian brokerage firms: " Gammon Gold Inc. and three Canadian brokerages lost a bid to fend off a group lawsuit claiming they misrepresented the mining company's production when they sold shares in a 2007 public offering, an Ontario judge ruled."
But it is still about the same problem: Big institutions allegedly making money on the back of investors!
http://www.financialpost.com/news-sectors/mining/story.html?id=2694240

You are going to see more and more of these stories in the media and when the crisis explodes, these institutions will be gone and, unfortunately, many innocent bystanders with them.

Hubert

B.