Amy Simmerman on Delaware General Corporation Law

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

Delaware Court of Chancery Addresses Validity of Stockholder Agreement-Based Restrictions over Corporate Governance Matters

On February 23, 2024, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision concluding that some provisions of a stockholder agreement purporting to give a large stockholder various governance...more

3/1/2024 / Board of Directors , Corporate Governance , Corporations Code , Delaware , Delaware General Corporation Law , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholder Rights , Shareholders , Stockholder Agreements

Delaware Court of Chancery Addresses Fiduciary Duty Claims Arising from Reincorporation to Nevada

On February 20, 2024, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued an opinion refusing to dismiss stockholder claims challenging the reincorporation of TripAdvisor from Delaware to Nevada and...more

2/22/2024 / Board of Directors , Business Entities , Corporate Governance , Delaware , Delaware General Corporation Law , Incorporation , Nevada , Shareholders , TripAdvisor

Delaware Court of Chancery Addresses Fiduciary Duty Claims in the Direct Listing Context

On February 1, 2024, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision refusing to dismiss stockholder claims against directors and officers of Coinbase Global, Inc. over their sales of...more

2/9/2024 / Board of Directors , Capital Markets , Corporate Governance , Delaware , Delaware General Corporation Law , Direct Listing , Fiduciary Duty , Publicly-Traded Companies , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholders

Delaware Court of Chancery Addresses Benefit-of-the-Bargain Damages in Busted Deals and Who Can Seek Them

On October 31, 2023, in Crispo v. Musk, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision addressing an important question that arises in mergers and acquisitions: if one of the parties...more

11/13/2023 / Acquisitions , Board of Directors , Corporate Governance , Delaware , Delaware General Corporation Law , Elon Musk , Mergers , Shareholders , Third-Party Beneficiaries , Twitter

Delaware Court of Chancery Issues Decision on Disney Board’s Obligations in the DeSantis Dispute

On June 27, 2023, Vice Chancellor Lori Will of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a much-anticipated decision addressing the obligations of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company (Disney) in overseeing Disney’s...more

6/30/2023 / Board of Directors , Books & Records , Delaware General Corporation Law , Disney , Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) , Fiduciary Duty , Florida , Gay Rights , Governor DeSantis , Shareholder Litigation , 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

Changes in Law Allow Increased Flexibility for Management of Delaware Corporations to Grant Equity Awards; Should You Take...

Among the recently enacted changes to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) that were described in our August 1, 2022 Client Alert are some that provide more flexibility for boards of directors of Delaware corporations...more

8/12/2022 / Board of Directors , Corporate Counsel , Corporate Governance , Delaware , Delaware General Corporation Law , Publicly-Traded Companies , Shareholders , Stocks

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

2021 Delaware Corporate Law and Litigation Year in Review

We are pleased to present the 2021 Delaware Corporate Law and Litigation Year in Review. A number of Delaware law and related corporate governance developments occurred in 2021 that should be of significant interest to...more

1/27/2022 / Board of Directors , Corporate Counsel , Corporate Governance , DE Supreme Court , Delaware , Delaware General Corporation Law , Publicly-Traded Companies , Shareholders

Delaware Court of Chancery Addresses Outside Director’s Use of Another Entity’s Email Account for Board Communications

The Delaware Court of Chancery recently addressed whether an outside director’s use of another entity’s email account would require the director to turn over emails from that account in stockholder litigation relating to his...more

10/5/2021 / Board of Directors , Corporate Communications , Corporate Counsel , Corporate Governance , Delaware , Delaware General Corporation Law , Email , Email Policies , Publicly-Traded Companies , Shareholders

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

Delaware Supreme Court Issues Key Decision Addressing Stockholders' Rights to Access Books and Records Under Section 220 of...

Last week, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a key decision addressing stockholders' rights to access books and records under Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Because the Supreme Court rarely weighs in on...more

12/18/2020 / Board of Directors , Books & Records , Breach of Duty , Corporate Counsel , Delaware General Corporation Law , Fiduciary Duty , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholders

Amy Simmerman

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

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