Litigation developments: core M&A and corporate governance doctrines
Compliance Perspectives: Due Diligence and Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO)
The Governor of Delaware has signed into law Senate Bill 21 (SB 21), which amends certain sections of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) governing controlling stockholder transactions under DGCL Section 144 and...more
In late March 2025, the Delaware General Assembly enacted, and Governor Matt Meyer signed, bipartisan legislation making significant amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL)....more
On March 25, 2025, Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), introducing notable changes to Sections 144 and 220 of the DGCL. These amendments took immediate effect and may...more
Delaware amended the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) to create safe harbors for transactions involving directors, officers and controlling stockholders and to limit both the documents subject to and the purposes...more
The State of Delaware, home to a majority of the so-called “Fortune 500” corporations, has been the subject of a variety of criticisms relating to corporate governance, director and officer litigation risk, controlling...more
On March 25, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer enacted a sweeping reform of the state’s corporate law, signing Senate Bill 21 into effect. The bill, which received bipartisan support in the legislature, aims to attract and retain...more
Several recent decisions in Delaware courts have driven a variety of companies to publicly initiate actual or threatened reincorporation out of Delaware. After fallout from these cases and corporate actions, Delaware...more
On March 25, 2025, the Delaware Governor, Matthew Meyer, signed into law Senate Bill 21 (“SB 21”) which amends Sections 144 and 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). SB 21 codifies (a) the process to...more
On March 25, 2025, the Governor of Delaware signed into law Senate Bill 21 (SB 21) which amends Sections 144 and 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) to codify and clarify safe harbors for transactions involving...more
On March 25, 2025, the governor of Delaware signed into law Senate Bill 21, over much opposition from the plaintiffs’ bar and some academics. The bill, which amends Sections 144 and Section 220 of the Delaware General...more
On March 25, 2025, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed into law amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (Amendments). In a February 28, 2025, client alert, we addressed the initial iteration of the Amendments, and...more
The safe harbors provide protection against claims for equitable relief or damages, subject to certain limitations, as described below. The amendments became effective immediately for all acts and transactions, whether...more
Last week, Delaware approved legislation overhauling the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL). As detailed below, the amendments to the DGCL ease certain restrictions applicable to “conflicted controller” transactions, and...more
The governor of the State of Delaware—consistent with his pledge to protect the “Delaware franchise”—recently signed into law amendments to Section 144 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL) relating to certain...more
On March 25, 2025, Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed into law significant amendments to §§ 144 and 220 the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL)....more
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed Senate Bill 21 into law on March 26 this year. Setting aside the polarized rhetoric that occasioned the Bill’s proposal and journey through the approval process, it is significant – and...more
On March 25, 2025, Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed Senate Bill 21 into law. The new laws amend Section 144 of Title 8 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) to change how interested-director, interested-officer and...more
On March 25, 2025, sweeping changes to the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL) took effect (the amendments). The amendments introduce new “safe harbor” provisions designed to cleanse conflict transactions involving...more
Proposed amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) introduce safe harbors for liability from transactions involving directors, officers and controlling stockholders and define and limit a stockholder’s right...more
Consistent with trends in recent years, in 2019 Delaware corporation law largely was shaped by post-closing suits for money damages against directors who had approved mergers and acquisitions. Two Delaware Supreme Court...more
Since the start of 2018, state and, to a lesser extent, federal courts around the country, as well as state legislatures and Congress, have issued decisions or considered legislation having a substantial impact on corporate...more
This top ten list summarizes significant decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery over the past calendar year 2018. Originally published in Transaction Advisors....more
Under Corwin v. KKR Financial Holdings LLC1 and its progeny, “when disinterested, fully informed, uncoerced stockholders approve a transaction absent a looming conflicted controller,” the irrebuttable business judgment rule...more
This quarter's issue includes summaries and associated court opinions of selected cases principally decided between November 2017 and January 2018. The cases address developing trends in appraisal, class certification, core...more
Developments in appraisal law, the application of Corwin v. KKR Financial Holdings LLC in post-closing damages actions and the potential expansion of Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corporation (MFW) — a case examining the standard of...more