Anthem disclosed the newest shareholder lawsuit in a financial filing this week, adding that the company "intends to vigorously defend this lawsuit." Based on events disclosed in the financial filings and subsequent litigation, the 86-page complaint (PDF) alleges that Anthem's top executives either knew the merger with Cigna would "stifle competition" or were "willfully blind" to the intended purpose of eliminating Cigna as a competitor. Bittman claims the board "did not conduct even a minimal investigation as to the risk that the merger would fail regulatory scrutiny for violating the antitrust laws." "Either way, the Board engaged in willful misconduct," the suit lawsuit states.