The Delaware Court of Chancery recently dismissed a “hybrid” of Malone1 false disclosures and Caremark oversight claims brought by two stockholder plaintiffs. In In re FibroGen, Inc. Derivative Litigation,2 Vice Chancellor...more
12/31/2024
/ Breach of Duty ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Delaware ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Shareholders
In 2024, Delaware courts continued to address important areas of corporate law, particularly regarding controlling stockholders. Several of those high-profile decisions were decided at the trial level and are now on appeal....more
12/30/2024
/ Aiding and Abetting ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Board of Directors ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Officers ,
Delaware ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Executive Compensation ,
Nominal Damages ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Ratification ,
Shareholders
In this issue, we discuss recent Delaware court developments regarding officer liability, who can recover “lost-premium” damages, and trends in books and records actions, among other topics....more
12/27/2023
/ Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Corporate Officers ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Misappropriation ,
Section 220 Request ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholders ,
Trade Secrets
In a case of first impression, the Court of Chancery held recently that officers, like directors, owe their companies a duty of oversight, although the scope of that will vary with their responsibilities. Two other Chancery...more
6/12/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Aiding and Abetting ,
Board of Directors ,
Breach of Duty ,
CEOs ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Officers ,
Data Preservation ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Duty of Oversight ,
Evidence ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Mergers ,
Oracle ,
Oversight Duties ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Revlon ,
Shareholders ,
Spoliation
Delaware courts have historically been reluctant to allow Caremark (or “board oversight”) claims to gain traction, describing such a claim as “possibly the most difficult theory in corporation law upon which a plaintiff might...more
12/27/2022
/ Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Delaware ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Popular ,
Red Flags Rule ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Shareholders ,
Standard of Review
In this issue, we discuss recent Delaware court decisions further developing the bounds around books and records demands. Other articles focus on recent developments concerning advance notice bylaws and the standards used by...more
12/21/2022
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Board of Directors ,
Books & Records ,
Bylaws ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Delaware ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Enforcement ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Shareholders ,
Standard of Review
In Manti Holdings, LLC v. Authentix Acquisition Co., Inc., the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Chancery’s decision to enforce a waiver of appraisal rights included in a stockholders agreement executed by...more