Fiduciary Duty, Contract Terms, Partnerships

Avoiding a Tragic End to a Fiduciary Relationship

Robins Kaplan LLP on 6/18/2025

Blockbuster movies follow varied plotlines—some tragic, some heartwarming, some a mix. Often they are based on human dramas. In the real world, fiduciary relationships can set the proverbial stage for unwelcomed high drama,...more

A New York Partnership?

Robins Kaplan LLP on 3/18/2025

In determining whether parties are, in fact, in a partnership depends on the conduct of the parties. Titles, labels, and disclaimers are often meaningless. Consider this scenario: In a New York City bar, two successful...more

I’ll Cry if I Want To – But Taking Steps to Avoid Tears Is a Better Strategy for Private Company Business Partners

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP on 1/14/2025

In recent years, the headlines have tracked the news of high-profile breakups among business partners in private companies. These business partner fallouts include: - 2023: Sam Altman was ousted as Open AI CEO (for...more

Freedom of Contract Cited as the Reason for Texas Supreme Court's Affirmation of Court of Appeals Judgment in ETP v. Enterprise

King & Spalding on 2/6/2020

On January 31, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court (the “Court”) affirmed the 2017 judgment of the Dallas Court of Appeals that Texas law upholds the rights of contracting parties to agree not to be partners unless certain...more

Texas Court Addresses Bad Acts in a Lease Play

Gray Reed on 1/31/2019

An opinion that observes “Obviously the jury was not overly enamored with Appellants.” is worth discussing. The decision is Stephens et al v. Three Finger Black Shale Partnership et al....more

Attempt to Prove a Texas Partnership Fails

Gray Reed on 8/8/2018

Like breaking into CIA headquarters, sneaking into the Vatican, or hanging off the side of the Burj Khalifa, sometimes getting the deal done seems impossible. The key to any successful mission is planning for disastrous...more