News & Analysis as of

Merger Agreements Mergers Breach of Contract

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Key Considerations Relating to “Superior Proposals” in Canada

The Canadian public mergers & acquisitions (M&A) market saw a relative rarity in the first quarter of 2025 — an alleged “superior proposal” made by an alternative bidder during the interim period of an already announced...more

Goodwin

Delaware Court Awards More Than $180 Million for Breach of Commercially Reasonable Efforts Obligation in Drug Development...

Goodwin on

On June 11, 2025, the Delaware Court of Chancery found Alexion Pharmaceuticals liable for more than $180 million in damages to former stockholders of Syntimmune, Inc., following the Court’s September 2024 ruling that Alexion...more

Mayer Brown

Delaware Law Alert: Court of Chancery Orders Specific Performance in Acquisition of a Company Approaching Insolvency

Mayer Brown on

On March 24, 2025, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a post-trial opinion in Desktop Metal, Inc. v. Nano Dimension Ltd.,1 ordering the parties to comply with a merger agreement and close...more

Morris James LLP

Court of Chancery Endorses Default Pro-Sandbagging Stance in Representation and Warranty Litigation

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In the M&A context, the term “sandbagging” refers to one party asserting a claim based on a representation made in connection with the transaction despite knowing or having had reason to know pre-closing that the...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Delaware Chancery Court Enforces Specific Performance and Forces Merger to Close

A recent decision of the Delaware Court of Chancery reinforces the importance of deal certainty, particularly when it comes to efforts-based covenants in merger agreements. In Desktop Metal Inc. v. Nano Dimension Ltd., the...more

Jenner & Block

The Importance of Drafting Precise Earnout Provisions in M&A Transactions

Jenner & Block on

In spring 2019, Pacira Biosciences, Inc. (Pacira) acquired MyoScience, Inc. (MyoScience). At the time of the merger, MyoScience only had one product, called “iovera,” which is a handheld device used primarily for pain relief....more

Paul Hastings LLP

A Victory for Deal Certainty: Reasonable Best Efforts Covenants Should be Taken Seriously

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The recent decision of the Delaware Court of Chancery in Desktop Metal, Inc. v. Nano Dimension Ltd. and Nano USI I, Inc. provides valuable lessons for both sellers and buyers on deal certainty and reasonable best efforts...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Closing Time: Hell, High Water, and Insights from the Delaware Chancery Court Decision in Desktop Metal v. Nano Dimension

Cross-border M&A deals frequently present unique issues and strategic closing considerations for transaction parties to navigate—including national security approvals. In a recent Delaware Chancery Court decision, these...more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Series of Delaware Court of Chancery Decisions Highlights Importance of Earnout Drafting

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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

Morris James LLP

Chancery Determines Pharmaceutical Company Complied with Merger Agreement’s Requirement To Use Commercially Reasonable Efforts

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Himawan v. Cephalon, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0075-SG (Del. Ch. Apr. 30, 2024) - Stockholder representatives of an acquired corporation brought claims alleging that defendants had failed to use contractually-required...more

Morris James LLP

Court of Chancery Dismisses Aiding And Abetting Fraud Claim Against Corporate Officers And Directors On Grounds That A Corporation...

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Urvan v. AMMO, Inc., Consol. C.A. No. 2023-0470 PRW (Del. Ch. Feb. 27, 2024, corrected Mar. 14, 2024) - It is an axiom of Delaware law that a corporation acts through its human agents. This principle informs the causes of...more

Morris James LLP

Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Busted-Deal Decision and Attorneys’ Fees for Contingency Fee Based Representation

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Energy Transfer LP v. The Williams Companies, Inc., No. 391, 2022 (Del. Oct. 10, 2023) - Busted-deal litigation is commonplace in Delaware and often requires Delaware courts to interpret provisions in merger agreements...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Delaware Court of Chancery Questions Enforceability of Con Ed Provisions

McGuireWoods LLP on

So-called Con Ed provisions emerged as M&A practitioners’ response to Consolidated Edison, Inc. v. Northeast Utilities, a 2005 case in which the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that stockholder plaintiffs did not have...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Denies Specific Performance in De-SPAC Transaction Based on Difficulty of Enforcement and Plaintiff’s Inequitable Conduct

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26 Capital Acquisition Corp. v. Tiger Resort Asia Ltd., CA No. 2023-0128-JTL (Del. Ch. September 7, 2023) - Even where the parties have contractually agreed that specific performance is the preferred remedy for a breach,...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Denies Sellers’ Claim Against Buyers for Failure to Close, Finds That Sellers’ Award of “Phantom Equity” to Former...

Morris James LLP on

HControl Holdings LLC vs. Antin Infrastructure Partners S.A.S., C.A. 2023-0283-KSJM (Del. Ch. May 29, 2023) - In Delaware, buyers bear the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence their claims for breach of a...more

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Case Alert: AluminumSource, LLC v. LLFlex, LLC

A recent post-trial decision from Delaware regarding alleged breaches of representations and warranties in an asset purchase agreement is noteworthy. First, the decision highlights how buyers may not be able to rely on...more

Woodruff Sawyer

M&A Insurance: 2023 First Quarter Roundup

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With March now squarely in the rearview mirror, we thought it was time to look at the first quarter of 2023 from a historical perspective in terms of pricing and retentions and to discuss some emerging trends....more

J.S. Held

[Webinar] Post-Merger & Acquisition Dispute Resolution - December 7th, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm EST

J.S. Held on

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

Woodruff Sawyer

R&W Claims 101: Types of Claims

Woodruff Sawyer on

Representations and warranties (R&W) insurance covers a breach of the reps and warranties contained in the purchase agreement governing a merger or acquisition. Since reps and warranties insurance policies are...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Hell-or-High-Water Clauses in Uncertain Regulatory Times

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​​​​​​​In a deal market as uncertain as this one, we have seen transactional lawyers more frequently resorting to pushing what are known as “hell or high water” clauses - clauses that obligate parties to take “any and all...more

Morgan Lewis - Power & Pipes

Real-World Litigation Impacts of Contract Clauses in Energy Contracts: The Power of Merger Clauses

If you’ve ever been involved in negotiating a contract, whether for the provision of services or a $200 million energy transaction, you’ve likely seen a merger clause. They are typically universal in their use and, while the...more

Morris James LLP

Court Rejects Franchisor’s Attempt Based on Business Effects of COVID-19 to Escape Contractual Obligation to Purchase Franchisee’s...

Morris James LLP on

Level 4 Yoga, LLC v. CorePower Yoga, LLC, C.A. No. 2020-0249-JRS (Del. Ch. March 1, 2022) - In this post-trial decision, the Court of Chancery awarded specific performance to Plaintiff/franchisee who sought to enforce...more

Hicks Johnson

The Basics: Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing Under Delaware Law

Hicks Johnson on

Under Delaware law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing attaches to every contract by operation of law and is best understood as an implied term. The purpose of the doctrine is to ensure that parties deal...more

Morris James LLP

Court of Chancery Holds That Exclusive Remedy Provisions Alone Are Not Enough To Bar Fraud Claims Based On Extra-Contractual...

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Fortis Advisors LLC v. Johnson & Johnson, C.A. No. 2020-0881-LLW(Del. Ch. Dec. 13, 2021) - Delaware public policy respects freedom of contract, but it is also intolerant of fraud. These dueling policy aims are often pitted...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Applies Plain Language of a Merger Covenant To Dismiss Acquirer’s Untimely Indemnification Claim and Deny Sellers’...

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Supernus Pharms., Inc. v. Reich Consulting Grp., Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0217-MTZ (Del. Ch. Oct. 29, 2021) - Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. acquired biotech startup Biscayne Neurotherapeutics, Inc. pursuant to a 2018 merger...more

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