On August 1, 2024, an extensive and important set of amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL) will become effective. The amendments, which will apply both prospectively and retrospectively, were largely...more
This latest edition features articles on biotech client Siolta Therapeutics, the use of safety and efficacy findings to extend drug exclusivity periods, life sciences venture financings for clients in 2023, and updated USPTO...more
In recent months, a conversation has emerged as to whether Delaware should remain the favored state of incorporation for business entities. Indeed, many of our clients have asked us whether they should remain in Delaware or...more
4/24/2024
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California ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Officers ,
Delaware ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Franchise Taxes ,
Nevada ,
Popular ,
Shareholders ,
Texas
The last several months have marked an extremely busy time in Delaware corporate law, with regard to decisions out of the Delaware courts, proposed legislative responses, and shifting market practices. In recent weeks in...more
On February 23, 2024, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision concluding that some provisions of a stockholder agreement purporting to give a large stockholder various governance...more
On February 20, 2024, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued an opinion refusing to dismiss stockholder claims challenging the reincorporation of TripAdvisor from Delaware to Nevada and...more
As we enter the 2024 proxy season, public companies should consider a number of key disclosure and governance matters. Below is a high-level summary of applicable rule changes, guidance, and disclosure considerations for the...more
On February 1, 2024, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision refusing to dismiss stockholder claims against directors and officers of Coinbase Global, Inc. over their sales of...more
We are pleased to share the December 2023 issue of Wilson Sonsini’s Sustainability and ESG Advisory Practice Update. Each issue combines news, key legal developments, and resources related to sustainability and environmental,...more
Join the Wilson Sonsini AI and Corporate Governance teams and prominent legal scholar and Harvard Law professor, Noah Feldman, for a webinar exploring the key considerations for AI companies and how they are governed....more
We are pleased to share the November 2023 issue of Wilson Sonsini's Sustainability and ESG Advisory Practice Update. Each issue combines news, key legal developments, and resources related to sustainability and environmental,...more
On October 31, 2023, in Crispo v. Musk, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision addressing an important question that arises in mergers and acquisitions: if one of the parties...more
With the 2023 proxy season now over for most companies, we took a fresh look at recent bylaw and charter amendments at the Silicon Valley 150 (the SV150) to better understand how companies are addressing i) new Rule 14a-19,...more
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Completes the Launch of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Opportunities -
On July 14, 2023, the EPA announced two notice of funding opportunities for up to $20 billion. Up to $14 billion...more
7/28/2023
/ China ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Delaware ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
European Commission ,
France ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainability ,
UK ,
USPTO
On July 6, 2023, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued an important opinion that seeks to further limit the “merger tax” imposed on many companies in the context of significant M&A transactions. The court declared that future...more
On June 27, 2023, Vice Chancellor Lori Will of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a much-anticipated decision addressing the obligations of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company (Disney) in overseeing Disney’s...more
6/30/2023
/ Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Disney ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Florida ,
Gay Rights ,
Governor DeSantis ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholders
Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery recently issued a decision addressing whether a covenant not to sue set forth in a stockholders’ agreement is enforceable under Delaware law, with the result...more
Earlier today, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued an important ruling concluding that two companies with multiple classes of common stock were not required, under the Delaware statute,...more
On March 15, 2023, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a rare post-trial decision finding a CEO personally liable for millions of dollars in damages for breaching his fiduciary...more
In an important decision addressing an issue of first impression, the Delaware Court of Chancery determined that corporate officers owe a fiduciary duty of oversight under Delaware law. The case, In re McDonald’s Corporation...more
Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A). MD&A rules require companies to “describe any known trends or uncertainties that have had or that are reasonably likely to have a material favorable or unfavorable impact on net...more
On November 17, 2022, Glass Lewis released its 2023 U.S. Policy Guidelines (U.S. Guidelines) and its 2023 ESG Initiatives Policy Guidelines (ESG Guidelines), effective for shareholder meetings on or after January 1, 2023. On...more
12/14/2022
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Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Diversity ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Glass Lewis ,
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ,
Proxy Season ,
Proxy Voting Guidelines ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Shareholders
During an M&A process, the seller and its stockholders may consider whether it would be beneficial to exercise any drag-along rights under its stockholder agreements or equity plans. Drag-along rights generally allow a subset...more
Among the recently enacted changes to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) that were described in our August 1, 2022 Client Alert are some that provide more flexibility for boards of directors of Delaware corporations...more
Effective August 1, 2022, the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL)—the statutory code that governs Delaware corporations—has been amended to make several significant changes. Among other things, the amendments will...more