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Executive Compensation Breach of Duty

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

Cleveland Retirement Fund Sues Elon Musk for Stealing AI Assets from Tesla

Elon Musk’s Ventures and Controversies - Elon Musk is well known for his many ventures as well as his disdain for convention. While serving as the CEO of Tesla, Inc., Musk acquired Twitter (now X Corp.) and founded a private...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Corporate Governance Takeaways Following Rescission of Elon Musk’s $55.8 Billion Equity Compensation Package

“Was the richest person in the world overpaid?” That’s how the Delaware Court of Chancery (the Court) began the 200-page opinion in Tornetta v. Musk to rescind Elon Musk’s entire $55.8 billion 10-year equity compensation...more

BCLP

Tesla’s Super-charged Equity Award to Elon Musk Unplugged by Delaware Court Cautionary Tale for Boards and Executives

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The Delaware Chancery Court invalidated a substantial equity award to Elon Musk – the largest in history. It applied the entire fairness test instead of the more deferential business judgment rule, finding that Musk...more

Goodwin

Delaware Court of Chancery Rescinds Elon Musk’s $55.8 Billion Compensation Package in Cautionary Tale About Director Independence...

Goodwin on

On January 30, 2024, the Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery struck down the $55.8 billion compensation plan that Tesla, Inc.’s board of directors had granted to Tesla’s well-known CEO, Elon Musk, finding that the...more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Not Lovin’ It: SEC’s Settlement With McDonald’s Former CEO Highlights Continued Focus on Executive-Related Disclosures

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On January 9, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued a cease-and-desist order (the “Order”)1 charging McDonald’s Corporation (“McDonald’s”) and its ex-CEO, Stephen Easterbrook, with multiple disclosure...more

Stinson - Corporate & Securities Law Blog

Chancery Considers Whether Acceptance of Equity Grant Violated Fiduciary Duties

In Knight v. Miller et al the Delaware Court of Chancery considered, among other things, whether the acceptance of an equity grant violated fiduciary duties. The case was before the Court on a motion to dismiss....more

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation Newsletter – March 2021

Welcome to the 29th issue of the Blakes Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation Newsletter. This newsletter provides a summary of recent jurisprudential developments that affect pensions, benefits and executive...more

Stinson - Corporate & Securities Law Blog

Proxy Statement Adequately Described Purpose of Equity Incentive Plan

In Pascal v. Czerwinski et al, the Delaware Court of Chancery considered whether disclosures in Columbia Financial’s 2019 proxy statement related to the adoption of an equity incentive plan, or EIP, were adequate. ...more

Jones Day

Shareholder Derivative Litigation Concerning Diversity in Corporate Leadership Is an Emerging Trend

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The Situation: A number of shareholder derivative lawsuits in federal court have been filed seeking to hold directors and officers of major companies accountable for alleged failures to uphold their commitment to diversity....more

Morris James LLP

Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Materiality Standard for Director Disclosure

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A plaintiff challenging a merger when a majority of the board approving the transaction is disinterested and independent and there is no controlling stockholder on both sides cannot state a cognizable claim of breach of...more

Jones Day

Chancery Court Requires Entire Fairness Review of Tesla CEO Compensation

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The Background: A shareholder challenged an extraordinary and extremely lucrative incentive-based compensation package awarded by Tesla to its chair, CEO, and controlling shareholder, claiming a breach of fiduciary duties. ...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Recent Director and Executive Compensation Lawsuits Heighten Need for Robust Corporate Governance

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Over the past two years, there has been an uptick in the number of lawsuits challenging director and executive compensation. Cases such asIn Re: Investors Bancorp, Stein v. Blankfein, Hertz v. Frissora and, most recently,...more

Dechert LLP

Electricity in the Air: Court Decides that Stockholder Ratification Not Enough to Insulate Tesla CEO’s $55.8 Billion Compensation...

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The Delaware Chancery Court rejected an attempt by Tesla’s Board of Directors to dismiss a challenge to CEO Elon Musk’s “extraordinary” 2018 compensation package. Because Musk is also Tesla’s controlling stockholder, the...more

A&O Shearman

Delaware Court Of Chancery Finds Allegations Of Personal And Professional Relationships Sufficient To Excuse Pre-Suit Demand

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On September 30, 2019, Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard of the Delaware Court of Chancery denied defendants’ motion to dismiss a stockholder derivative action for breach of fiduciary duties in connection with BGC Partners, Inc.’s...more

Locke Lord LLP

Attempt to Limit Directors’ Liability for Setting Their Own Compensation is Rejected

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A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision on a challenge to Goldman Sachs directors’ setting their own compensation is interesting because the court rejected the company’s attempt to make an end run around current law. The...more

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Delaware Court Provides Further Guidance on Stockholder Challenges to Director Compensation

On May 31, 2019, Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision refusing to dismiss a stockholder's fiduciary duty claims challenging the compensation of Goldman Sachs' board of directors.1...more

Verrill

December 2018 Client Advisory

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This Client Advisory highlights important developments in the law governing employee benefit plans and executive compensation over the past year. It offers insight into what these developments mean for employers and plan...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

ERISA Newsletter - First Quarter 2018

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Despite the change in seasons, there appears to be no change in the pace of complex and class action ERISA litigation. Investments in defined contribution plans—both 401(k) and 403(b) plans—continue to be the leading target...more

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Business Judgment Rule Applies to a Board’s Response to Take “All Necessary Actions”

What legal standard applies to assess a corporate board’s refusal to pursue litigation in response to a shareholder’s demand to take “all necessary actions” to correct alleged director misconduct?...more

Cooley LLP

Alert: Delaware Supreme Court Changes Conversation on Director Compensation

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In recent years, there has been an increase in Delaware breach of fiduciary duty claims (including stockholder demands and actual cases) asserted against public company boards alleging that the directors engaged in...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Impact of Compensation-Related Litigation on Public Companies

Compensation-related litigation and threats of litigation continued to significantly impact public companies in 2017. These companies should be mindful of issues that were raised in recent litigation: proxy disclosure,...more

Troutman Pepper

Hot Topic for 2018 Proxy Season: Director Compensation in Wake of New Delaware Supreme Court Ruling

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In an important recent opinion, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled in In re Investors Bancorp, Inc. Stockholder Litigation that certain director compensation decisions would be reviewed under the “entire fairness” standard...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Boards Beware: Delaware Supreme Court Limits Application of Deferential Standard for Reviewing Director Equity Awards

On December 13, 2017, the Delaware Supreme Court issued an opinion, In re Investors Bancorp, Inc. Stockholder Litigation, Case No. 169, holding that, except under limited circumstances, the court will not apply the...more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

Another Reminder that Director Limits set forth in Equity Plans Allow Director Compensation to be Reviewed under the more Lenient...

Earlier this month, in In re Investors Bancorp, Inc. Stockholders Litigation, the Delaware Court of Chancery reiterated its view that placing a meaningful limit on director equity awards to be granted under a stockholder...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

"Key Takeaways: Corporate Governance Series — Key Trends in Executive Compensation, Employment Law and Compensation Committee...

On February 28, 2017, Skadden hosted a webinar titled “Key Trends in Executive Compensation, Employment Law and Compensation Committee Practices.” The Skadden panelists were labor and employment law partner David Schwartz,...more

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