Amy Simmerman on Corporate Officers

Significant Amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law Are Set to Become Effective

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

7/31/2024 / Board of Directors , Corporate Counsel , Corporate Governance , Corporate Officers , Delaware General Corporation Law , General Corporation Law , Shareholders

Delaware's Status as the Favored Corporate Home: Reflections and Considerations

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 / Board of Directors , California , Corporate Governance , Corporate Officers , Delaware , Delaware General Corporation Law , Franchise Taxes , Nevada , Popular , Shareholders , Texas

Recent Delaware Law Developments and Proposed Legislative Responses

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

4/15/2024 / Acquisitions , Board of Directors , Corporate Officers , DE Supreme Court , Delaware General Corporation Law , Fiduciary Duty , Mergers , Proposed Legislation , Shareholders , Stockholder Agreements

Lessons from the 2023 Proxy Season: Advance Notice Bylaws and Officer Exculpation

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

8/22/2023 / Board of Directors , Bylaws , Corporate Charters , Corporate Governance , Corporate Officers , Proxy Season , Proxy Statements , Publicly-Traded Companies , Shareholders

Delaware Court of Chancery Addresses Drag-Along Provisions and Covenants Not to Sue in the Private Company M&A Context

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

5/16/2023 / Acquisitions , Board of Directors , Corporate Governance , Corporate Officers , Delaware General Corporation Law , Mergers , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholder Rights , Shareholders

Delaware Court of Chancery Issues Important Ruling for Multi-Class Companies Addressing Class Votes

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

3/30/2023 / Board of Directors , Corporate Governance , Corporate Officers , Delaware General Corporation Law , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholder Rights , Shareholders , Voting Rights

In Rare Decision, Delaware Court of Chancery Imposes Liability on CEO and Acquiror Post-Trial

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

3/22/2023 / Board of Directors , Breach of Duty , Corporate Counsel , Corporate Officers , Delaware General Corporation Law , Directors , Fiduciary Duty , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholders

Delaware Court of Chancery Concludes That Duty of Oversight Applies to Officers

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

2/1/2023 / Board of Directors , Breach of Duty , Corporate Governance , Corporate Officers , Delaware General Corporation Law , Fiduciary Duty , Sexual Harassment , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholder Rights , Shareholders

Delaware Implements New Amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law

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

8/2/2022 / Board of Directors , Corporate Governance , Corporate Misconduct , Corporate Officers , Delaware General Corporation Law , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholders

Delaware Supreme Court Eliminates Gentile Dual Natured Claims

On September 20, 2021, the Delaware Supreme Court overruled its 2006 decision in Gentile v. Rossette, eliminating so-called "dual natured" simultaneous direct and derivative claims for breach of fiduciary duty. The decision...more

9/24/2021 / Board of Directors , C-Suite Executives , Controlling Stockholders , Corporate Governance , Corporate Officers , DE Supreme Court , Fiduciary Duty , Shareholder Litigation

Delaware Supreme Court Enforces Waiver of Statutory Appraisal Rights

Earlier this week, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a significant decision reinforcing Delaware's strong policy favoring private ordering and giving effect to agreements among sophisticated stockholders. The decision...more

9/17/2021 / Appraisal Rights , Board of Directors , Controlling Stockholders , Corporate Governance , Corporate Officers , DE Supreme Court , Delaware General Corporation Law , Directors , Fiduciary Duty , Shareholder Litigation

Amy Simmerman

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

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