Where does your company want to be sued? Of course, the obvious answer is “nowhere.” But in this litigious country that is not realistic. However, to a large extent, companies can chose the forum to decide claims made against...more
Silverberg v. ATC Healthcare Inc., C.A. 2017-0242-JRS (December 5, 2017) -
While the standard to win the right to inspect corporate records to investigate alleged wrongdoing is a lenient one, it is still not enough to just...more
Henry v. Phixios Holdings Inc., C.A. No. 12504-VCMR (July 10, 2017) -
This is the rare decision explaining when restrictions on stock transfers (permitted by Section 202 of the DGCL) can be enforced. While the statute...more
This decision resolved a matter of first impression: a plaintiff seeking corporate records under Section 220 of the DGCL must be a stockholder at the time he files his complaint to have standing. Thus, when a stockholder...more
When asked to choose the lead plaintiff and class counsel, the Court of Chancery applies the well-known Hirt factors. As this decision demonstrates, the Court also will place some significant weight on which of the competing...more
On the same day the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the widely-reported TransPerfect decision, which ordered the sale of a successful company by custodian under Section 226 of the DGCL in order to break deadlock, the Court of...more
The Supreme Court has affirmed the Court of Chancery decision that Section 226 of the DGCL permits the Court to appoint a custodian to sell a Delaware corporation when the board of directors and stockholders are deadlocked...more
It is not enough that certain forward-looking statements failed to come true to justify requiring an inspection of corporate records. More evidence of wrongdoing is needed if your inspection is based on a theory of...more
After the enactment of Section 109(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, one would have thought that fee-shifting bylaws were invalid. However, this decision deals with another attempt to shift fees, this time when a...more
Delaware recently amended Section 111 of the DGCL to confer jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery over certain actions arising out of asset sales. The intent was not to divest Superior Court of jurisdiction when the dispute...more
Now that disclosure-only settlements seem almost a thing of the past, so-called “mootness” fee awards or settlements may become more common. These occur when the corporation moots the claim by doing what the plaintiff says...more
This is one of two recent Court of Chancery decisions explaining that the Corwin case really does mean that there is an “irrebuttable business judgment rule” that bars challenges to a merger approved by a majority of the...more
This decision holds that when stock issued is void, the recipient is not entitled to records inspection even if he is listed as a stockholder on the company's stock ledger....more
This is another in a series of decisions dealing with the allegation that a minority stockholder controlled a deal through its control of a majority of the board of directors....more
3/3/2016
/ Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
Consent ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Derivative Suit ,
Dilution ,
Duty of Loyalty ,
Mergers ,
Minority Shareholders ,
Rescission ,
Shareholder Litigation
Bonanno v. VTB Holdings Inc., C.A. 10681-VCN (February 8, 2016)
- Section 115 of the Delaware General Corporation Law addresses forum selection provisions in corporate charters or bylaws....more
Under the fairly new provisions of Section 205 of the DGCL, the Court may validate certain “defective corporate acts,” including “any act or transaction purportedly taken by or on behalf of the corporation that is … within...more
In a case of first impression, the Court holds that Section 205 of the DGCL can only be used to validate defective corporate actions, not to declare an action invalid. While a similar claim might be made in a Section 225...more
In this unusual case, the Court of Chancery has reinstated a director who was tricked into resigning. The opinion has a good discussion of how directors may resign and when their resignation is not effective....more
The Delaware State Bar Association is submitting new legislation that will prohibit the use of fee-shifting bylaws or corporate charters for litigation involving “intracorporate” disputes. ...more
A Master holds that the Court should not impose trading restrictions after a books and records inspection but should impose a confidentiality provision. ...more
Business lawyers frequently face mistakes their clients make in documenting what they want to accomplish in terms of corporate actions, such as issuing stock. Clients will ask for advice years after they have delivered stock...more
This decision reinforces that the joint venture statute for Delaware corporations, Section 273, requires the Court to dissolve the entity upon a deadlock. Absent extraordinary circumstances amounting to a fraud...more
This is a helpful reminder that the DGCL governs what may be in the certificate of incorporation and what may be in the bylaws. Giving one director extra tie-breaking voting rights must be in the certificate to be valid....more