Expert or Arbitrator? — PE Pathways Podcast
Earn-Out Arrangements – Interview with David Lagasse, Member, Mintz Levin
A recent Delaware Chancery Court opinion offers a significant example of how courts may apply complex probability analysis to determine the amount of damages in an earnout dispute. The case arose from Alexion Pharmaceuticals,...more
In 2024, Delaware courts issued multiple instructive decisions on earnout provisions in life sciences M&A transactions. ...more
The High Court has ruled that earn-out calculations, emailed by the buyer to the sellers in relation to a share sale, were not validly communicated. Earnout calculations and notice provisions - Under an earnout provision...more
The Delaware Court of Chancery has weighed in on a number of recent cases interpreting earnout provisions in transactional agreements. The Court has demonstrated a reluctance to rule against seller-plaintiffs during the...more
In two significant recent opinions, the Delaware Chancery Court ruled against the buyers of life sciences companies, holding that they failed to apply commercially reasonable efforts to achieve earnout milestones. In Fortis...more
In recent months, the Delaware Court of Chancery has decided four significant cases regarding merger agreement earnout provisions. Most notably, in one of the largest judgments ever awarded by the Court, it found Johnson &...more
In the October edition of our Public Company Watch, we cover key issues impacting public companies, including a recent SEC enforcement sweep, key takeaways stemming from the SEC’s recent adoption of EDGAR Next, two recent...more
Recently, the Delaware Chancery Court and the Third Circuit issued three significant decisions on key issues affecting licensing and M&A transactions in the life sciences industry....more
A pivotal decision by a New York Appellate Division court holding that earnouts based on the future revenue of a dental practice violated the NY Fee Splitting Prohibition could substantially impact the structuring of health...more
Global Investigations expert Frank Lazzara, CPA, CFF, ABV, CFE, and Economic Damages & Valuations expert David Golbahar, CPA, CFF, CGMA, will present a one-hour* course, which will cover: - An overview of purchase price...more
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
Williams: Court of Chancery Finds Poison Pill Unenforceable - In February, the Delaware Court of Chancery held that a shareholder rights plan (a "poison pill") adopted by The Williams Companies, Inc. at the onset of the...more
In Shareholder Representative Services LLC v Albertsons Companies, Inc., the aggrieved former shareholders of DineInFresh, Inc., d/b/a Plated, sought recovery of earnout consideration from Plated’s acquirer, Defendant,...more
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
In M&A transactions, the buyer and seller often disagree about the value of the business or asset being sold. A popular solution is an earnout clause that entitles either the seller or buyer to future payments from the...more
A great deal has been written about the M&A wars, including our prior alerts regarding the issues that arise when a buyer attempts to terminate a deal as a result of a seller material adverse effect (MAE) or the inability of...more
Collab9, LLC v. En Pointe Technologies Sales, LLC, C.A. No. N16C-12-032 (MMJ) (CCLD) (Del. Super. Sept. 17, 2019). Under an asset purchase agreement (“APA”), the purchaser (“PCM”) acquired substantially all of the assets...more
In Western Standard, LLC, v. SourceHOV Holdings, Inc. and Pangea Acquisitions, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0280-JRS (Del. Ch. July 24, 2019), the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) refused to the grant SourceHOV Holdings, Inc....more
Western Standard, LLC v. SourceHOV Holdings, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0280-JRS (Del. Ch. July 24, 2019). Defendant Pangea acquired BancTec through a merger agreement that provided for an earn-out to former BancTec stockholders...more
On December 28, 2018, Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock III of the Delaware Court of Chancery declined to dismiss a breach of contract claim brought by former stockholders of Ception Therapeutics, Inc. (“Ception”) against...more
Glidepath Limited v. Beumer Corporation, C.A. No. 1220-VCL (Del. Ch. June 4, 2018) - This decision addresses two contracting parties’ divergent expectations relating to whether a delayed closing affected the agreement’s...more
HBMA Holdings LLC v. LSF9 Stardust Holdings LLC, C.A. 12806-VCMR (December 8, 2017) - This decision illustrates the dangers of not following the limited contractual time to file a dispute and instead relying on an...more
Greenstar IH Rep. LLC v. Tutor Perini Corporation, C.A. No. 12885-VCS (Oct. 31, 2017) - With every contract under Delaware law comes the obligation to not act so as to deprive the counter party of the benefit of its...more
A recent Delaware Chancery Court opinion in American Capital Acquisition Partners, LLC, et. al. v. LPL Holdings, Inc., et.al. held that a seller’s claim that its buyer diverted opportunities from the acquired business to a...more