Steinberg v. Bearden, C.A. No. 2017-0286-AGB (Del. Ch. May 30, 2018) -
This is an interesting decision for its discussion of when pre-suit demand on the board is not excused for a derivative complaint alleging the...more
CBS Corp., et al. v. National Amusements, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 2018-0342-AGB (Del. Ch. May 17, 2018) (Letter Op.) -
Arising out of the highly-publicized dispute over the proposed transaction involving CBS and Viacom,...more
In re Tesla Motors Inc. Stockholder Litigation, C.A. No. 12711-VCS (Del. Ch. Mar. 28, 2018) -
Under Delaware law, a controlling stockholder need not be a majority stockholder. Rather, a controlling stockholder might be a...more
In Re Oracle Corporation Derivative Litigation, C.A. No. 2017-037-SG (Del. Ch. Mar. 19, 2018) -
Delaware law requires a derivative plaintiff to make a pre-suit demand on the board unless excused as futile. Because some...more
Carr v. New Enterprise Associates, Inc., C.A. No. 2017-0381-AGB (Del. Ch. Mar. 26, 2018) -
This decision addresses a host of interesting topics. First, it declines to invoke the so-called step-transaction doctrine under...more
The Ravenswood Investment Company LP v. The Estate Of Bassett S. Winmill, C.A. No. 3730-VCS (Del. Ch. Mar. 21, 2018) -
It is easy to assume that some form of meaningful relief must be available when a fiduciary bears the...more
This top ten list summarizes significant decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery over the past calendar year. Our criteria for selection are that the decision either changed the law in a...more
2/22/2018
/ Appraisal ,
Appraisal Rights ,
Books & Records ,
Breach of Duty ,
Business Litigation ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Derivative Suit ,
Directors ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Master Limited Partnerships ,
Partnership Agreements ,
Section 220 Request ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholders
California State Teachers Retirement System v. Alvarez, No. 295, 2016 (Del. Jan. 25, 2018) -
This is an important decision clarifying the rules regarding the preclusive effect a dismissal of a derivative suit may have on a...more
Peter Van Der Fluit v. Yates, C.A. No. 12553-VCMR (Nov. 30, 2017) -
Briefly, under Corwin, the informed vote of a majority of the disinterested stockholders subjects a transaction to the business judgment rule when the...more
Wilkinson v. A. Schulman, Inc., C.A. No. 2017-0138-VCL (Nov. 13, 2017) -
This decision has potential far-reaching consequences for shareholder-plaintiff litigation. As is well known, some entrepreneurial plaintiff-side...more
In Re Meadwestvaco Stockholders Litigation, C.A. No. 10617-CB (August 17, 2017) -
As this decision explains, to state a claim attacking a merger on the basis that the Board acted in bad faith you need more than ...more
Salberg v. Genworth Financial Inc., C.A. No. 2017-0018-JRS (July 27, 2017) -
This is an important decision for its analyses implicating the Garner and Corwin rules. The Garner rule is that, under certain narrow...more
H&N Management Group Inc. v Couch, C.A. No. 12847-VCMR (Del. Ch. Aug. 1, 2017) -
This is a rare case involving apparent lack of care in approving a conflicted transaction and a failure to employ almost any safeguards to...more
In re Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Delaware Derivative Litig., C.A. No. 7455-CB (Del. Ch. July 25, 2017) -
This is an important decision holding that just because one derivative litigation was dismissed for failure to overcome...more
Henry v. Phixios Holdings Inc., C.A. No. 12504-VCMR (July 10, 2017) -
This is the rare decision explaining when restrictions on stock transfers (permitted by Section 202 of the DGCL) can be enforced. While the statute...more
While directors have the right to issue options, when the grant is to themselves and there are specific facts suggesting unfairness, those directors will have the burden of proving the grants were entirely fair in a...more
Recent criticism of appraisal arbitrage argues that it comes without real risk to the petitioners. This appraisal decision, which values the company below the deal price based on a discounted cash flow analysis, should be...more
A derivative plaintiff who fails to make a pre-suit demand on the board must show why demand is excused using particularized facts. Here, the plaintiff argued that demand was automatically excused by sufficiently pleading a...more
This decision begins with a conventional analysis of a claim that disclosure violations and director self-interest have tainted a merger vote. That claim was rejected for want of factual support. More unusual, the decision...more
This is an interesting decision because it examines an intriguing legal theory for holding a controlling stockholder liable in a sale: the “known looter” theory. Generally speaking, controllers can sell their stock to whoever...more
Litigation involving Delaware corporate law is undergoing major changes. Some commentators predict that Delaware will cease to be the favored forum for M&A litigation. While we disagree with that forecast, it is important to...more
Stockholder approval of an equity compensation plan may or may not constitute ratification over awards to the directors under the plan. When it does, the Court of Chancery will review challenges under the business judgment...more
This is a significant decision because it is the first to find that a stockholder vote did not invoke business judgment review under Corwin because the vote was coerced and not fully informed. Under Corwin, a transaction...more
Distributing the proceeds from a class action settlement is not as easy as you might think. Tracing ownership is complicated by the use of various intermediaries such as Cede & Co. This decision explains why that is so and...more
On the same day the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the widely-reported TransPerfect decision, which ordered the sale of a successful company by custodian under Section 226 of the DGCL in order to break deadlock, the Court of...more