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Controlling Stockholder Transactions That Do Not Involve a Freeze-Out Merger May Satisfy MFW to Obtain Business Judgment Review

In Kahn v. M&F Worldwide, 88 A.3d 635 (Del. 2014) (MFW), the Delaware Supreme Court ruled that a controlling stockholder transaction involving a freeze-out merger, which is structured to include approval by a well-functioning...more

Chancery Awards Attorneys’ Fees to the Prevailing Party

Malkani v. Cunningham, C.A. 2020-1004-SG (Del. Ch. Feb. 28, 2024) - In this decision involving a contractual fee-shifting provision, both parties argued that they were entitled to fee-shifting as the prevailing parties....more

Chancery Upholds Challenge to TripAdvisor’s Conversion from a Delaware Corporation into a Nevada Entity

Palkon v. Maffei, C.A. 2023-0449-JTL (Del. Ch. Feb. 20, 2024) - This decision arose out of TripAdivor’s conversion from a Delaware corporation into a Nevada corporation. The company’s CEO and Chair had voting control and...more

Chancery Addresses Pleading-Stage Arguments for Dismissal in LLC Dispute

Principal Growth Strategies LLC v. AGH Parent LLC, C.A. 2019-0431-JTL (Del. Ch. January 25, 2023) - This decision provides helpful guidance to practitioners to address pleading-stage arguments for dismissal. The plaintiff...more

Plaintiffs Adequately Pled Unjust Enrichment for Materially Deficient Disclosures

Buttonwood Tree Value Partners, L.P. v. R.L. Polk & Co. Inc., C.A. No. 9250-VCG (Del. Ch. Dec. 29, 2023) - To state a claim for unjust enrichment, a plaintiff must adequately plead: (1) an enrichment; (2) an...more

2023 Delaware Corporate and Commercial Case Law Year in Review

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 meaningfully changed...more

Icahn Stockholders Not Entitled to Privileged Info Based on Stockholders' Nomination and Employment Relationship With Company...

To fulfill their fiduciary duties to oversee and properly manage a corporation governed by the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), directors have broad rights to the company’s privileged and confidential information....more

Chancery Upholds Written Consent Based on Signer’s Sophistication and Opportunity to Inspect

REM OA Holdings LLC v. Northern Gold Holdings LLC, C.A. No. 2022-0582-LWW (Del. Ch. Sep. 20, 2023) - Delaware is a contractarian state and the presumption is that parties are bound by their agreements. That presumption...more

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

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

Chancery Finds Defendants Liable for Fraud Based on the Failure to Disclose Internal Billing Practices

NetApp Inc. v. Cinelli, C.A. No. 2020-1000-LWW (Del. Ch. Aug. 2, 2023) - This decision arose out of the sale of the company Cloud Jumper to NetApp, Inc. The seller’s management had been recording internal software use as...more

Superior Court CCLD Declines to Award Costs for Special Master and Mediator, and Awards only Simple Interest on Judgment in...

LCT Capital, LLC v. NGL Energy Partners LP, C.A. No. N15C-08-109 JJC CCLD (Del. Super. Ct. June 20, 2023) - Under Superior Court Rule 54, costs are allowed as a matter of course to the prevailing party. In this post-trial...more

Chancery Finds Derivative Plaintiffs Breached Duties in Withholding Arbitration Award of the Company

Optimiscorp v. Atkins, C.A. No. 2020-0183-MTZ (Del. Ch. June 1, 2023) - As this decision explains, when stockholder plaintiffs control the derivative claims of the company, they serve as agents of the company and owe the...more

Superior Court Declines to Dismiss Counterclaims Based on “Interrelated Wrongful Act” Clause in D&O Coverage Dispute Arising Out...

National Amusements Inc. v. Endurance American Specialty Insurance Co. (Del. Super. April 28, 2023) - In this D&O insurance coverage dispute, the plaintiffs moved to dismiss the defendant insurers' counterclaims, which...more

Chancery Rules That Separate Accrual Periods Apply to an Information Systems Caremark Claim in Walmart Opioid Litigation

Ontario Provincial Council of Carpenters' Pension Trust Fund v. Walton, C.A. No. 2021-0827-JTL (Del. Ch. Apr. 12, 2023) - To determine the limitations period under laches, a court must determine when a claim accrued....more

Plaintiff Overcomes Rule 23.1 In Walmart Opioids Litigation Based In Part On Over-Redacted Documents In Books And Records...

Ontario Provincial Council of Carpenters’ Pension Trust Fund v. Walton, C.A. No. 2021-0827-JTL (Del. Ch. Apr. 26, 2023) - To assert a derivative claim, a stockholder plaintiff must plead demand futility. The plaintiffs...more

Covenant Not to Sue for Loyalty Breaches in an Agreement Among Stockholders May Operate Within the Space for Fiduciary Tailoring

The fiduciary duty of loyalty may be modified or eliminated in the LLC context, where freedom of contract is paramount. For corporations governed by the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), however, many Delaware...more

Director violated Revlon Duties by Tilting the Sales Process in favor of the Buyer

In re Mindbody Inc. Stockholder Litig., C.A. No. 2019-0442-KSJM (Del. Ch. Mar. 15, 2023) - Under Revlon, to demonstrate that they satisfied their fiduciary duties in connection with a sale of control, directors bear the...more

Chancery Dismisses Oversight Claim Based on Board’s Response to Red Flags

In re McDonald's Corp. Stockholder Derivative Litig., CA No. 2021-0324-JTL (Del. Ch. March 1, 2023) - A plaintiff can plead an oversight claim against a board by alleging particularized facts to support an inference that...more

Chancery Denies Motion to Dismiss Finding Primedia Argument Inapplicable

In Re Orbit/FR, Inc. Stockholders Litig., C.A. No. 2018-0340-SG (Del. Ch. January 9, 2023) - In In re Primedia, Inc. S’holders Litig., 67 A.3d 455 (Del. Ch. 2013), the Court examined whether a litigation asset being...more

Supreme Court Interprets an Alleged Irrevocable Proxy and Finds It Does Not Run with Shares and Bind Subsequent Owner

KTS Strategies brings years of experience providing clients in a diverse range of industries with comprehensive policy and advocacy advice before federal, state, and local agencies. In North Carolina, we advise local...more

Chancery Upholds Claims Post-Merger

Harris v. Harris, C.A. No. 2019-0736-JTL (Del. Ch. Jan. 6, 2023) - Delaware law allows for two exceptions to the continuous stock ownership rule for stockholders to bring and maintain standing to assert derivative claims...more

Delaware Corporate and Commercial Case Law Year in Review - February 2023

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 meaningfully changed...more

Court of Chancery Rules That Corporate Officers Have a Duty of Oversight Within Their Corporate Area of Responsibility

Delaware courts have firmly established that directors have oversight duties under the good-faith component of the fiduciary duty of loyalty. In the seminal Caremark decision, the Delaware Court of Chancery held that...more

Chancery Orders Stay of “Dr. J” Litigation Pending Arbitrator’s Decision on Arbitrability

Erving v. ABG Intermediate Holdings 2, LLC, C.A. No. 2021-0816-NAC (Del. Ch. Nov. 28, 2022) - Basketball legend Julius W. Erving II, also known as “Dr. J”, sold a majority interest in his trademark and other intellectual...more

Chancery Rules That Delisted and Long-Dark Corporation Failed To Show Harm Warranting a Confidentiality Order for Basic Financial...

Rivest v. Hauppauge Digital, Inc., C.A. No. 2019-0848-PWG (Del. Ch. Sept. 1, 2022) - Plaintiff stockholder sought to inspect the books and records of a defendant company, requesting a narrow universe of annual and...more

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