SECURITIES

State Seeks Lien Against Lloyd’s: In its ongoing battle with Lloyd’s of London, the California Department of Corporations announced it filed a preliminary injunction request seeking a $500-million lien against the insurer’s bank accounts. The giant British insurance company has come under fire in recent months from state regulators, who say the firm engaged in securities fraud in recruiting investors. A spokesman for Lloyd’s was not immediately available for comment. In its complaint, filed Feb. 12 in Los Angeles, the Department of Corporations alleges Lloyd’s sold securities to more than 500 California investors that executives knew, as early as the 1970s, had “inherent” risks, such as pollution and asbestos contamination liabilities.