Bryan Townsend on Breach of Contract

Superior Court Finds Defamatory Letter to Lender Breached Separation Agreement But Proposed Damages Were Largely Speculative

Feenix Payment Sys., LLC v. Blum, C.A. No. N21C-05-099 EMD CCLD (Del. Super. May 29, 2024) - Plaintiffs were various corporate entities and Keith Lee, their founder and chief executive (collectively, “Feenix”). Defendant...more

3/20/2025 / Breach of Contract , Confidential Information , Contract Terms , Damages , Non-Disparagement Provisions , Restrictive Covenants , Separation Agreement

Superior Court Sustains Alternative Claims for Breach of Contract and Implied Covenant in Dispute Between Medicare Advantage...

Premium Choice Ins. Servs. v. Innovative Fin. Group Holdings, LLC, C.A. No. N24C-01-006 PRW CCLD (Del. Super. Ct. July 9, 2024) - Plaintiff Premium and defendant IFG were middlemen in the market for Medicare Advantage...more

12/19/2024 / Acquisitions , Breach of Contract , Contract Terms , Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing , Implied Covenants , Motion to Dismiss

Chancery Finds Language in LLC Agreement Insufficient To Waive Fiduciary Duties and Permit Competing Business Ventures

Green v. McClive, C.A. No. 2023-0139-MTZ (Del. Ch. June 3, 2024) - The plaintiff filed claims against defendant McClive, alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and usurpation of corporate opportunities...more

11/6/2024 / Breach of Contract , Breach of Duty , Fiduciary Duty , Motion for Judgment , Personal Jurisdiction

Chancery Determines Pharmaceutical Company Complied with Merger Agreement’s Requirement To Use Commercially Reasonable Efforts

Himawan v. Cephalon, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0075-SG (Del. Ch. Apr. 30, 2024) - Stockholder representatives of an acquired corporation brought claims alleging that defendants had failed to use contractually-required...more

7/10/2024 / Breach of Contract , Merger Agreements , Mergers , Shareholders

Chancery Concludes Accountant Provision in Stock Purchase Agreement Calls for Expert Determination Rather than Arbitration

ArchKey Intermediate Holdings Inc. v. Mona, C.A. No. 2021-0383-JTL (Del. Ch. Oct. 3, 2023) - Parties to a stock purchase agreement disputed post-closing price adjustments. The agreement called for an independent accountant...more

2/7/2024 / Breach of Contract , Breach of Duty , Fiduciary Duty , Shareholders , Stock Purchase Agreement

Chancery Determines That Former Executives Are Not Entitled to Equity Awards Under Separation Agreement

SeaWorld Entm't, Inc. v. Andrews, C.A. No. 2020-0955-NAC (Del. Ch. May 19, 2023) - SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. granted unvested equity awards to employees. Pursuant to equity agreements, the awards would vest if the...more

9/12/2023 / Breach of Contract , Motion to Dismiss , Separation Agreement

Chancery Relies on Unanimous Dictionary Entries To Confirm Unambiguity of Supply Agreement

Thermo Fisher Scientific PSG Corp. v. Arranta Bio MA, LLC, C.A. No. 2022-0608-NAC (Del. Ch. Apr. 4, 2023) - The plaintiff and the defendant entered into a supply agreement under which the defendant would manufacture...more

8/23/2023 / Breach of Contract , Breach of Duty , Contract Terms , Fiduciary Duty

Supreme Court Affirms Chancery’s Interpretation of Word “And” in Option Agreements

Weinberg v. Waystar, Inc., No. 274, 2022 (Del. March 16, 2023) - The appellant was a former chief marketing officer of the appellee, a Delaware corporation. Soon after her termination, the appellant timely exercised her...more

6/21/2023 / Breach of Contract , Employment Contract , Restrictive Covenants

Chancery Rules That Moving Situs of Trust to Delaware Supports Personal Jurisdiction Under the State’s Long-Arm Statute

Harris v. Harris, C.A. No. 2019-0736-JTL (Del. Ch. Jan. 12, 2023) - Three children filed suit against their mother and her associates, alleging they had seized control of a family-owned corporation and engaged in...more

5/4/2023 / Board of Directors , Breach of Contract , Breach of Duty , Fiduciary Duty , Personal Jurisdiction

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

1/30/2023 / Arbitration , Arbitration Agreements , Breach of Contract , Contract Terms

Chancery Sustains Claims for Improper Termination of Agreements For Cause in Connection with a Joint Venture to Develop Data...

W.D.C. Holdings, LLC v. IPI Partners, LLC, C.A. No. 2020-1026-JTL (Del. Ch. June 22, 2022) - Two entities entered into a joint venture to develop data centers for Amazon. One entity managed the joint venture day to day,...more

11/15/2022 / Breach of Contract , Breach of Duty , Fiduciary Duty , LLC Agreements

Chancery Declines to Order Acquirer to Make Contingent Payments after Discontinuing Development of a Medical Product

Pavel Menn v. ConMed Corp., C.A. No. 2017-0137-KSJM (Del. Ch. June 30, 2022) - Plaintiff was a representative of stockholders who had entered into a stock purchase agreement (“SPA”), in which the defendant acquired a...more

11/4/2022 / Acquisitions , Breach of Contract , Contract Terms , Stock Purchase Agreement

Superior Court Classifies Cryptocurrency as a Security and Calculates Contract Damages Based on Cryptocurrency Valuation

Diamond Fortress Techs., Inc. v. Everid, Inc., C.A. No. N21C-05-048 PRW CCLD (Del. Super. Ct. Apr. 14, 2022) - Plaintiff Diamond Fortress contracted with the defendant company to provide its software to develop a trading...more

10/4/2022 / Blockchain , Breach of Contract , Calculation of Damages , Cryptocurrency , Damages , Popular

Delaware Supreme Court Interprets Deadline for Bringing Indemnification Claims

North American Leasing, Inc. v. NASDI Holdings, LLC, No. 192, 2020 (Del. Apr. 11, 2022) - Defendants acquired construction entities from plaintiffs and agreed to indemnify plaintiffs for any losses arising from performance...more

10/4/2022 / Breach of Contract , Contract Terms , DE Supreme Court , Indemnification Clauses

Delaware Uniform Arbitration Act Did Not Permit the Court of Chancery to Confirm or Vacate an Interim Partial Arbitration Award...

Astrum Fund I GP, LP v. Maracci, C.A. No. 2020-0919-PAF (Del. Ch. Jan. 27, 2022) - Maracci v. Astrum Fund I GP, LP, C.A. No. 2021-0073-PAF (Del. Ch. Jan. 27, 2022) A limited partnership agreement’s dispute resolution...more

4/25/2022 / Arbitration , Breach of Contract , Breach of Duty , Duty of Care , Fiduciary Duty , Limited Partnership Agreements

Chancery Dismisses Action for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction on Grounds that the...

Qlarant, Inc. v. IP Commercialization Labs, LLC, C.A. No. 2021-0574-MTZ (Del. Ch. Jan. 25, 2022) - Pursuant to an asset purchase agreement, the plaintiff buyer purchased assets from a seller and several of its affiliates....more

4/22/2022 / Asset Purchase Agreements , Breach of Contract , Motion to Dismiss , Shareholders

Chancery Applies Plain Language of a Merger Covenant To Dismiss Acquirer’s Untimely Indemnification Claim and Deny Sellers’...

Supernus Pharms., Inc. v. Reich Consulting Grp., Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0217-MTZ (Del. Ch. Oct. 29, 2021) - Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. acquired biotech startup Biscayne Neurotherapeutics, Inc. pursuant to a 2018 merger...more

1/11/2022 / Breach of Contract , Contract Terms , Merger Agreements , Mergers , Representations and Warranties

Chancery Denies Motion to Dismiss, Awaits Development of Factual Record to Rule on Laches Defense

Kim v. Coupang, LLC, C.A. No. 2020-0772-JRS (Del. Ch. Aug. 19, 2021) - If a court can rule on the affirmative defense of laches on the face of a complaint, it may grant a motion to dismiss. As this case illustrates,...more

10/19/2021 / Breach of Contract , Laches , Motion to Dismiss , Statute of Limitations

Applying Plain Contract Language, Chancery Awards $147 Million in Damages to Start-Up Company for Breach of Joint Venture...

Symbiont.io, Inc. v. Ipreo Hldgs., LLC, C.A. No. 2019-0407-JTL (Del. Ch. Aug. 13, 2021) - Delaware is a pro-contractarian state. When fashioning an award for a breach of contract, a Delaware court can consider: (1) the...more

10/14/2021 / Board of Directors , Breach of Contract , Joint Venture , Non-Compete Agreements

Superior Court Enforces $48 Million Liquidated Damages Provision

Smart Sand Inc. v. US Well Servs. LLC, C.A. No. N19C-01-144 PRW CCLD (Del. Super. June 11, 2021) - A liquidated damages provision is enforceable under Delaware law if: (1) damages are uncertain at the time of contracting;...more

8/9/2021 / Breach of Contract , Breach of Implied Contract , Counterclaims , Damages , Liquidated Damages

Superior Court Upholds Claims that Entities Transferred Funds in Violation of Agreements with Creditor

CIBC Bank USA v. JH Portfolio Debt Equities, LLC, C.A. No. N18C-07-130 EMD CCLD (Del. Super. June 2, 2021) - Plaintiff CIBC Bank USA (“CIBC”) entered into a credit agreement with a group of borrowers to provide them with a...more

7/23/2021 / Breach of Contract , Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing , Implied Covenants , Personal Jurisdiction

Clean-Up Doctrine to Adjudicate Legal Claims in Chancery May Take Precedence Over Request for Jury Trial

Firststring Research, Inc. v. JSS Medical Research Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0332-KSJM (Del. Ch. May 28, 2021) - Delaware has not merged its courts of law and equity, which may have implications for a litigant seeking a jury...more

7/22/2021 / Breach of Contract , Jury Trial , Motion to Transfer , Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Chancery Finds After Trial That $10 Billion Unit-for-Unit Merger Was “Fair and Reasonable” Under Partnership Agreement

Dieckman v. Regency GP LP, C.A. No. 11130-CB (Del. Ch. Feb. 15, 2021) - This matter concerned limited partners’ challenge under the governing limited partnership agreement to an acquisition of the partnership by another...more

3/18/2021 / Breach of Contract , Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing , Mergers , Partnership Agreements , Partnerships

Chancery Construes Notice Provisions Associated With Escrowed Funds Under an Asset Purchase Agreement

Schillinger Genetics, Inc. v. Benson Hill Seeds, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0260-MTZ (Del. Ch. Feb. 1, 2021) - Delaware courts will apply the plain terms of an unambiguous asset purchase agreement (“APA”), including its...more

2/25/2021 / Asset Purchase Agreements , Breach of Contract , Indemnification

Superior Court Applies Affiliate Privilege Doctrine To Dismiss Tortious Interference Claim Against Controller, While Sustaining...

Surf’s Up Legacy Partners, LLC v. Virgin Fest, LLC, C.A. No. N19C-11-092 PRW CCLD (Del. Super. Jan. 13, 2021) - In adjudicating a dispute over a scuttled deal in the music festival industry, the Delaware Superior Court...more

2/25/2021 / Breach of Contract , Fraud , Limited Liability Company (LLC) , Motion to Dismiss

Bryan Townsend

Morris James LLP

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