Episode 322 -- Checking in on Caremark Cases
Mark Zuckerberg and other current and former Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) executives have reached a settlement with a group of Meta shareholders. The parties reached this settlement at the beginning of the second day of an...more
On January 28, 2025, Skadden hosted a webinar on recent developments in Delaware corporate law. Skadden partners Howard Ellin (Mergers and Acquisitions/New York), Ed Micheletti (Litigation/Wilmington) and Jenness Parker...more
Next, I explore the TD Bank AML/BSA enforcement action by looking at the expansion of the Caremark Doctrine. In the McDonald’s case, the Delaware Court of Chancery took the Caremark Doctrine further by applying the Duty of...more
Over the last ten years, we have seen a marked shift from the Delaware Chancery Court chipping away at corporate board member liability claims. In a number of seminal cases involving Boeing airplane crashes (In re the Boeing...more
A recent opinion from the Delaware Supreme Court could be viewed by some as expanding plaintiffs’ ability to viably plead a duty of oversight (or “Caremark”) claim against directors. In Lebanon County Employees’ Retirement...more
During a panel at the October 2023 Berkeley Fall Forum on Corporate Governance, Delaware Court of Chancery Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick and Vice Chancellor Paul Fioravanti, along with lawyers Shannon Eagan (Cooley),...more
The decision articulates the standard for plaintiffs asserting derivative claims based on an alleged failure of oversight by directors and officers of California companies. Nearly three decades ago in the seminal case In...more
Over the years, I have commented on the fact that the California Court of Appeal has yet to apply In re Caremark International Inc., 698 A.2d 959 (Del. Ch. 1996) to the directors of a California corporation. Last Friday,...more
In a posting on the Business Law Prof Blog, Professor Stefan J. Padfield recently highlighted a complaint filed by America First Legal Foundation with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The complaint alleges...more
Here we have another in a string of McDonald’s cases—all of them arising out of workplace misconduct at McDonald’s, none even dipping its toe into employment law. First, you’ll remember, there were settled charges brought by...more
On March 1, 2023, in In re McDonald’s Corporation Stockholder Derivative Litigation, Vice Chancellor Travis Laster of Delaware’s Court of Chancery granted a motion to dismiss derivative claims against McDonald’s directors...more
Since the “Blue Bell Creameries” case in 2019, directors have been justifiably concerned about the rise in popularity of Caremark claims (breaching the duty of oversight in a way that implicates the duty of loyalty)....more
According to a recent decision handed down by the Delaware courts, corporate officers must now contend with a new avenue of liability: the duty of oversight. Previously, only a company’s board could face personal liability...more
In a far-reaching decision with significant implications, the Delaware Chancery Court recently issued a decision confirming that Caremark duty of oversight obligations extends to senior officers. This will have an immediate...more
SEC Amends Trading Plan Rule, Requires More Disclosure for Insider Trading Amended - Rule 10b5-1 for trading plans takes effect on February 27, 2023. The amended rule adds new conditions to the affirmative defense against...more
Non-director officers may face liability for failing to properly oversee the corporation’s affairs and ignoring “red flags” within their “areas of responsibility.” Key Points: ..The McDonald’s Corporation’s response...more
On January 25, 2023, in In re McDonald’s Corporation Stockholder Derivative Litigation, Vice Chancellor Travis Laster of Delaware’s Court of Chancery denied a motion to dismiss a derivative lawsuit against David Fairhurst,...more
Recent developments in the Court of Chancery concerning a corporate board’s duty to monitor and provide oversight over a corporation’s operations, so-called Caremark claims, are likely to intersect with the Securities and...more
The law doesn’t demand that you get things right, only that you tried; the recent dismissal of a derivative lawsuit against SolarWinds Corporation illustrates this perfectly. The cyber catastrophe that was SolarWinds in 2020...more
In Construction Industry Laborers Pension Fund v. Bingle, (C.A. No. 2021-0940-SG (Del. Ch. Sept. 6, 2022)) (SolarWinds), the Delaware Court of Chancery granted a motion to dismiss a derivative suit against the directors of...more
We constantly hear about the importance of “accountability,” meaning that organizations and individuals have to be held accountable for misconduct or failures to act. The focus on accountability is a positive trend,...more
Takeaways - Delaware courts have become more willing to allow stockholders to pursue claims that directors breached their duty to oversee risk management and compliance. Directors are most vulnerable to suits where they have...more
Earlier this year, the Delaware Chancery Court approved a breathtaking $237.5 million settlement of derivative claims brought against Boeing’s board for breach of fiduciary duties regarding safety oversight. While the Boeing...more
It’s a banner year for Delaware corporations when it comes to protecting their directors and officers. Earlier this year, the Delaware legislature took steps that will allow captives to become a more viable alternative to...more
Recent rulings in the United States and overseas, coupled with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recently proposed disclosure rules covering climate-risk disclosures, underscore the attention boards of directors...more