Driven largely by continuing turmoil related to the subprime mortgage/credit crunch, securities-related class action lawsuit filings have nearly doubled in the year-ended June 30, according to a report released today by Cornerstone Research - which has offices in Massachusetts - in cooperation with Calif.-based Stanford Law School's securities class action clearinghouse.

Through June, there were 110 class action filings, suggesting approximately 220 by year’s end, the study found. In the 12 months ended June 2007, there were 119 filings. The 12 months ended June 2008 saw 217 such filings, an 82 percent increase.

At the same time as class action filings were rising, so too was stock market volatility, the study found, which could have helped press more shareholders to file suits against securities companies.