Southern District Judge Jed Rakoff (See Profile) has become the latest judge to deliver a ruling favorable to bond insurers on a crucial issue in a crush of mortgage repurchase suits against banks that issued toxic mortgage-backed securities.

The ruling came in a case Assured Guaranty Ltd. and its lawyers at Susman Godfrey brought against Flagstar Bank over $1 billion in mortgage-backed securities that Assured insured and that dropped in value in the subprime meltdown.