The Southern District U.S. Attorney’s office will drop insider trading charges against five defendants because of a recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bauer told Southern District Judge Andrew Carter on Thursday that U.S. v. Newman, 13-1837 (NYLJ, Dec. 11, 2014), a circuit decision imposing a tougher standard for criminal liability, undermined the prosecution in the current case, U.S. v. Conradt, 12 Cr. 887.