Barnaby Grzaslewicz at Morris James LLP

Chancery Dismisses Conclusory Allegations of Gross Negligence and Disloyalty Against Oracle Officers and Directors Related to...

In re Oracle Corp. Derv. Litig., C.A. No. 2017-0337-SG (Del. Ch. June 21, 2021) - While Delaware maintains a notice pleading standard, this decision reflects that conclusory allegations of breach of fiduciary duty leveled...more

8/17/2021 / Board of Directors , Breach of Duty , Derivative Suit , Fiduciary Duty , Motion to Dismiss

Chancery Holds That Claim Based on Purposeful Tanking of Merger Agreement Earnout Is Breach of Contract Claim

Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. Albertson’s Companies, C.A. No. 2020-0710-JRS (Del. Ch. June 7, 2021) - Many merger agreements include earnout provisions under which the stockholders in the acquired company are...more

8/3/2021 / Breach of Contract , Earn-Outs , Merger Agreements , Mergers

Chancery Reasons That Board’s Decision To Address Alleged “Red Flags” Related To Pending Litigation, After Litigation Is Resolved,...

Pettry v. Smith et al., C.A. No. 2019-0796-JRS (Del. Ch. June 28, 2021) - As discussed in Caremark and its progeny, fiduciary duties require directors to monitor the business and affairs of a corporation. Here, the Court...more

7/13/2021 / Board of Directors , Breach of Duty , Caremark claim , Demand Futility , Derivative Suit , Fiduciary Duty

Delaware Supreme Court Explains Delaware’s Intermediate Forum Non Conveniens Standard Under Gramercy

GXP Capital, LLC v. Argonaut Manufacturing Services, Inc. et al., Nos. 247, 2020 and 248, 2020 (Del. May, 20, 2021) - Delaware has three standards for forum non conveniens motions. The two more commonly addressed are...more

7/12/2021 / Forum Non Conveniens , Jurisdiction , Personal Jurisdiction , Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Stockholders Lack Derivative Standing to Challenge Transactions Whose Terms Were Set Before They Became Stockholders

In re SmileDirectClub, Inc., 2021 WL 2182827 (Del. Ch. May 28, 2021) - Under the “contemporaneous ownership rule,” to have standing to bring derivative claims, stockholders in a Delaware corporation must own stock at the...more

6/23/2021 / Board of Directors , Breach of Duty , Derivative Suit , Fiduciary Duty , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholders

Chancery Orders Specific Performance of Deal, Despite Lack of Debt Financing, Finding that COVID-Related Business Decline Was Not...

Snow Phipps Grp., LLC v. KCake Acquisition, Inc., 2020-0282-KSJM (Del. Ch. Apr. 30, 2021) - In Snow Phipps, the Court of Chancery refused to allow a private equity buyer with pandemic-related cold feet to back out of its...more

6/15/2021 / Breach of Contract , Contract Terms , Merger Agreements , Mergers

Chancery Refuses to Enforce Alleged Contractual Rights Not Obtained at the “Negotiating Table”

Obsidian Fin. Grp., LLC v. Identity Theft Guard Solutions, Inc., C.A. No: 2020-0485-JRS (Del. Ch. Apr. 22, 2021) - Delaware is “more contractarian” than many other jurisdictions. Accordingly, as this case illustrates, a...more

5/26/2021 / Breach of Contract , Earn-Outs , Merger Agreements , Mergers , Motion to Dismiss

Chancery Confirms the Challenges in Pleading Caremark and Non-Shareholder Action Disclosure Claims

Fisher v. Sanborn, C.A. No. 2019-0631-AGB (Del. Ch. Mar. 30, 2021) - Under Court of Chancery Rule 23.1, a plaintiff attempting to bring a derivative action on behalf of a corporation faces a heightened “particularized”...more

4/27/2021 / Board of Directors , Breach of Duty , Caremark claim , Demand Futility , Derivative Suit , Fiduciary Duty , Shareholders

Chancery Dismisses Unripe Contribution Claim but Finds That Corporate Director and Officer Adequately Pled Right to...

Wunderlich v. B. Riley Fin., Inc. et al., C.A. No: 2020-0453-PAF (Del. Ch. Mar. 24, 2021) - Delaware corporations may provide indemnification rights to their directors and officers either through the corporation’s...more

4/20/2021 / Breach of Contract , Indemnification , Mergers , Motion to Dismiss

Chancery Denies Claim Arising Out of Controller’s Announced Intention to Oppose a Transaction Unfavorable to His Interests

RCS Creditor Trust v. Schorsch et al., C.A. No: 2017-0178-SG (Del. Ch. Mar. 18, 2021) - Controlling shareholders of a Delaware corporation owe fiduciaries duties, but those duties do not require controllers to sacrifice...more

4/20/2021 / Breach of Duty , Controlling Stockholders , Fiduciary Duty , Independent Directors

Chancery Finds Implied-in-Fact LLC Agreement

Robinson v. Darbeau, C.A. No: 2019-0853-KSJM (Del. Ch. Mar. 1, 2021) - As Robinson v. Darbeau demonstrates, Delaware law recognizes implied limited liability company agreements. Plaintiff operated a daycare as a sole...more

4/15/2021 / Business Formation , Limited Liability Company (LLC) , LLC Agreements , Operating Agreements

Superior Court Addresses Scope of Privilege Waiver in Dispute Involving The American Bottling Company, Coke, and Bodyarmor

The American Bottling Co. v. BA Sports Nutrition, LLC et. al, C.A. No: N19C-03-048-AML CCLD (Del. Super. Feb. 11, 2021) - Delaware courts generally uphold the attorney-client privilege, including by recognizing waivers...more

3/4/2021 / Breach of Contract , Mergers , Privilege Waivers , Tortious Interference

Chancery Applies Forum Non Conveniens Analysis to Grant Partial Stay of Dispute Between LLCs and Former Manager

AG Resource Holdings, LLC v. Thomas Badford Terral, C.A. No. 2020-0850-JRS (Feb. 10, 2021) - In AG Resource, the Court of Chancery was tasked with determining whether it or a Louisiana state court should resolve similar...more

3/3/2021 / Breach of Contract , Employment Contract , Forum Non Conveniens , Jurisdiction , LLC Agreements , Non-Compete Agreements

Barnaby Grzaslewicz

Morris James LLP

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