The recent case of Greb v. Diamond International Corp. highlights the need for dissolved corporations and their insurers to consider the survival statute of their state of incorporation when defending against actions brought in California.

In Greb, the California Supreme Court held that California law does not preclude the application of a foreign jurisdiction’s survival statute. The defendant, a Delaware corporation, argued that Delaware’s three-year survival statute barred the action. Plaintiffs contended that California corporate law – which places no time limit on suits against dissolved corporations – governed their suit.

The trial court agreed with the defendant and sustained its demurrer with prejudice on the grounds that Delaware’s survival statute barred the action which was filed more than three years after defendant dissolved. The court of appeal affirmed.

The Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the appellate court’s judgment. The opinion, authored by Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye, rejected plaintiffs’ arguments that foreign corporations that qualified to do business in California were thereby organized under the laws of California.

The court found “no evidence” that the legislature intended to accomplish that “dramatic result.” Furthermore, “such a scheme would require foreign corporations to ‘follow a litany of requirements regarding various corporate activities that their home state already regulates.’”

For more information on this matter, please contact the article authors: James Hazlehurst, Ed Oster or Robert Renner.