Citing Continued Pattern of Misleading and Defamatory Statements, Abacus Moves to Amend Complaint and Seek Increased Damages Against Coventry and its Chairman, Alan Buerger

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Key Terms

defamation per se regulatory

A legal doctrine treating certain false statements as automatically harmful without the person claiming harm having to prove actual damages. Examples typically include false accusations of criminal conduct, having a disease that carries social stigma, professional incompetence, or unchastity; courts treat these as so clearly damaging that harm is presumed. For investors, allegations labeled defamation per se can trigger lawsuits, rapid reputational damage and stock volatility because the threshold to claim harm is lower.

defamation by implication regulatory

A legal claim that arises when truthful statements, selective facts or context are presented in a way that leads a reasonable reader to a false and damaging conclusion about a person or company. It matters to investors because such implied accusations can trigger defamation lawsuits, hurt reputations, and prompt sudden changes in share price or trading behavior — like arranging puzzle pieces that make an untrue picture.

deceptive and unfair trade practices act regulatory

A deceptive and unfair trade practices act is a type of consumer-protection law that bans businesses from using misleading advertising, hidden fees, false claims, or other unfair tactics in selling goods or services. Enforcement can come from government regulators or private lawsuits and can result in fines, orders to change behavior, refunds or damages. For investors it signals a legal and reputational risk that can affect a company’s costs, sales and valuation—like traffic rules that, when broken, can lead to tickets and repairs.

tortious interference regulatory

Tortious interference is a legal claim that someone intentionally and wrongfully disrupts a company’s contracts or business relationships—for example, persuading a supplier to break an agreement or spreading false information to scare away customers. Investors care because such disputes can lead to costly lawsuits, lost revenue, damaged reputation and uncertainty about future contracts; think of it like a deliberate shove that knocks over a partner network and slows business growth.

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08/19/2026 - 08:09 AM

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Abacus Global Management, Inc. ("Abacus" or the "Company") (NYSE: ABX), a leader in the alternative asset management space, announced today that it has filed a Motion for Leave to File a Second Amended Complaint in its ongoing defamation lawsuit against defendants Coventry First LLC ("Coventry") and Alan Buerger, who co-founded Coventry and serves as its Executive Chairman. The proposed filing details Coventry and Buerger’s rampant use of false and misleading statements and includes a claim for defamation per se which carries punitive damages. Coventry’s potential liability for the conduct described in the complaint may exceed 100 million dollars.

“This amended complaint makes clear what we’ve said from the beginning: Coventry’s attacks on Abacus over the last three years were never a series of isolated remarks, but rather part of a sustained, coordinated misinformation campaign intended to harm Abacus’s business and reputation,” said Jay Jackson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Abacus. “After having lost significant market share to Abacus based on our superior product, pricing and transparency, Coventry and Mr. Buerger have turned to an increasingly desperate smear campaign to try and achieve what they could not in the fair and open market.”

The proposed amended complaint catalogs nearly 20 distinct false and misleading statements about Abacus, its business model, and its use of third-party life expectancy data, repeated during public appearances and in direct appeals to media sources by Coventry and Buerger. The complaint alleges four counts: defamation, defamation by implication, violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and defamation per se; the Court already denied Coventry and Buerger’s motion to dismiss the first three claims on June 25, 2026. The complaint adds Coventry and Buerger’s recent selective and misleading use of discovery materials in an August 4, 2026 press release. If granted, the proposed amended complaint will show that Coventry’s and Buerger’s recent public attacks are their latest publication of previously discredited statements—filed weeks after a federal court denied Coventry’s motion to dismiss and allowed the case to proceed to depositions.

Abacus’s proposed second amended complaint details the dozens of false and misleading statements made by Coventry and Mr. Buerger.

The amended complaint specifically alleges:

Coventry’s bad-faith, defamatory conduct. Coventry and Buerger waged a systematic campaign of false and misleading statements aimed at damaging Abacus’s reputation and undermining investor confidence—conduct the pleading describes as crossing the line from lawful competition into tortious interference and defamation.

Coventry’s mischaracterization of Abacus’s reliance on Lapetus, the life expectancy provider Coventry drove out of business over a year ago.

Abacus’s valuations are based on the appropriate use of audited, market-based valuation methodology.

Coventry’s defamatory conduct included a letter-writing campaign to state and federal regulators.

Coventry was one of Lapetus’s biggest customers. Coventry itself purchased more than 4,000 life-expectancy reports from Lapetus, and Coventry and its affiliates consistently purchased more Lapetus reports than Abacus did between 2019 and 2022—including in the year Abacus went public—even as Coventry now claims that same data is unreliable.

Today’s motion was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division (Case No. 6:25-cv-01401-RBD-RMN). The proposed Second Amended Complaint, attached to the motion as an exhibit, would become the operative pleading in the case if the Court grants Abacus leave to file it.

The motion follows a June 26, 2026 ruling in which the Court denied Coventry’s motion to dismiss. The Court found that Abacus plausibly alleged defamation and anticompetitive conduct, and, according to the Company's characterization of the ruling, pointed to what it called a "scheme to destroy Abacus." Three of Abacus’s claims—defamation, defamation by implication, and its FDUTPA claim—were allowed to proceed to discovery. Discovery, including depositions of Coventry’s executive team, is underway.

A copy of the Motion for Leave to File Second Amended Complaint, including the proposed Second Amended Complaint attached as an exhibit, is available on the docket in Case No. 6:25-cv-01401-RBD-RMN and can be found here.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the anticipated outcome, scope, and impact of pending litigation, and the Court’s ruling on Abacus’s Motion for Leave to File a Second Amended Complaint. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Those risks include the possibility that the Court may deny leave to amend, that discovery may not develop as anticipated, that the litigation may take longer or cost more than expected, or that a court or jury may reach conclusions different from those described here. Abacus undertakes no obligation to update these statements except as required by law.

About Abacus Global Management, Inc.

Abacus Global Management (NYSE: ABX) is a leading financial services company specializing in alternative asset management, data‑driven wealth solutions, technology innovations, and institutional services. With a focus on longevity‑based assets and personalized financial planning, Abacus leverages proprietary data analytics and decades of industry expertise to deliver innovative solutions that optimize financial outcomes for individuals and institutions worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.abacusgm.com