Eric Hacker on Mergers

Chancery Refuses to Order Specific Performance Due to Inaccurate Representations and Warranties

Restanca, LLC v. House of Lithium, Ltd., C.A. No. 2022-0690-PAF (Del. Ch. Jun. 30, 2023) - The parties seeking specific performance of an agreement must establish a clear right to performance, including that all conditions...more

11/30/2023 / Acquisitions , Breach of Contract , Contract Termination , Contract Terms , Mergers

Chancery Provides Additional Analysis of Primedia Claims in MFW Context

City of Dearborn Police and Fire Revised Retirement System (Chapter 23) et al. v. Brookfield Asset Management Inc., C.A. No. 2022-0097-KSJM (Del. Ch. June 21, 2023) - In a short letter decision, Chancellor McCormick...more

10/25/2023 / Derivative Suit , Mergers , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholders

Chancery Court Again Applies Entire Fairness to Claims Challenging SPAC Transaction

Laidlaw v. GigAcquisitions2, LLC, C.A. No. 2021-0821-LWW (Del. Ch. Mar. 1, 2023) - In the aftermath of a SPAC merger, the plaintiff (a public stockholder) brought claims for breaches of fiduciary duty against the SPAC's...more

8/23/2023 / Breach of Duty , Fiduciary Duty , Mergers , Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)

Court Rejects Franchisor’s Attempt Based on Business Effects of COVID-19 to Escape Contractual Obligation to Purchase Franchisee’s...

Level 4 Yoga, LLC v. CorePower Yoga, LLC, C.A. No. 2020-0249-JRS (Del. Ch. March 1, 2022) - In this post-trial decision, the Court of Chancery awarded specific performance to Plaintiff/franchisee who sought to enforce...more

9/9/2022 / Breach of Contract , Material Adverse Effects , Merger Agreements , Mergers

Chancery Rejects Argument that Omitted Information Prevents Corwin Dismissal

Galindo v. Stover, C.A. No. 2021-0031-SG (Del. Ch. Jan. 26, 2022) - If a majority of fully informed, uncoerced, disinterested stockholders vote to approve a merger not involving a conflicted controlling stockholder, then...more

4/28/2022 / Board of Directors , Breach of Duty , Corwin Doctrine , Fiduciary Duty , Mergers , Shareholders

Chancery Awards $9.5 Million Mootness Fee for Reduction of Voting Control and Other Benefits

Hollywood Firefighters Pension Fund v. Malone, C.A. 220-0880-SG (Nov. 8, 2021) - A plaintiff may be entitled to a mootness fee if it shows that its action had merit and produced a corporate benefit. This case outlines the...more

2/24/2022 / Attorney's Fees , Breach of Duty , Fee Awards , Fiduciary Duty , Mergers

Chancery Enforces Parties’ Merger Agreement That Barred Claims Upon Termination of the Agreement

Yatra Online, Inc. v. Ebix, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0444-JRS (Del. Ch. Aug. 30, 2021) - Agreements frequently specify how the termination of the agreement affects the parties’ rights and obligations. This case illustrates that...more

11/4/2021 / Breach of Contract , Contract Termination , Merger Agreements , Mergers

For the First Time, the Court of Chancery Recognizes the Viability of Reverse Veil-Piercing in Rare Circumstances

In a case of first impression, Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights III in Manichaean Capital, LLC v. Excela Technologies, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0601-JRS (Del. Ch. May 25, 2021) refused to dismiss a claim to use reverse...more

6/9/2021 / Corporate Veil , Limited Liability Company (LLC) , Mergers , Piercing the Corporate Veil , Shareholders

Chancery Holds Prior Rulings in Appraisal and Securities Litigation Do Not Bar New Columbia Pipeline Fiduciary Duty Action

In re Columbia Pipeline Group, Inc. Merger Litigation, C.A. No. 2018-0484-JTL (Del. Ch. Mar. 1, 2021) Certain judicial doctrines, including collateral estoppel and stare decisis, promote efficiency and finality by barring...more

4/6/2021 / Appraisal , Breach of Duty , Collateral Estoppel , Fiduciary Duty , Mergers

Superior Court Dismisses Successor-by-Merger’s Claims Where Underlying Contract Contained Anti-Assignment Clause

MTA Royalty Corp. v. Compania Minera Pangea, S.A. DE C.V., C.A. No. N19C-11-228 AML CCLD (Del. Super. Sept. 16, 2020) - Plaintiff’s predecessor-in-interest conveyed mineral rights to Defendant. Under the agreement,...more

11/23/2020 / Anti-Assignment Clauses , Breach of Contract , Buyers , Mergers , Sellers

Surveying the Law, Chancery Declines to Dismiss a Claim that a 35% Holder was the Controlling Stockholder of the Acquirer (as Well...

Voigt v Metcalf, C.A. No. 2018-0828-JTL (Del. Ch. Feb. 10, 2020). This decision contains an instructive review of the factors the Court of Chancery will examine to determine whether a minority stockholder may in fact be a...more

4/7/2020 / Breach of Duty , Controlling Stockholders , Fiduciary Duty , Mergers

Chancery Explains When Deal Price is a Persuasive Indicator of Fair Price in an Appraisal Proceeding

In re Appraisal of Stillwater Mining Co., Consol. C.A. No. 2017-0385-JTL (Del. Ch. Aug. 21, 2019). Recent Delaware Supreme Court decisions on appraisal proceedings have stressed the pivotal importance of the deal price in...more

9/18/2019 / Appraisal , Deal Price , Fair Market Value , Mergers , Stock Prices

Chancery Dismisses Merger Challenge Concerning Board’s Delegation of Merger Negotiations and Management’s Undisclosed Compensation...

In re Towers Watson & Co. Stockholder Litigation, C.A. No. 2018-0132-KSJM (Del. Ch. July 25, 2019). The ultimate responsibility for considering a merger falls on the board to carry out consistent with each directors’...more

8/6/2019 / Board of Directors , Breach of Duty , Business Judgment Rule , Fiduciary Duty , Mergers , Shareholder Litigation , Shareholders

Chancery Holds Tension Between “Bespoke” Provision Governing Post-Closing Conduct and a Boilerplate Survival Clause Requires...

Dolan v. Altice USA, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0651-JRS (Del. Ch. Jun. 27, 2019). The founders of Cablevision Systems Corp., the Dolan family, in connection with a $17.7 billion acquisition of that entity by Altice Europe N.V....more

7/17/2019 / Breach of Contract , Declaratory Rulings , Merger Agreements , Mergers

Merger Agreement’s Preservation of Privilege for Pre-Merger Communications Found to be Adequate, Notwithstanding that the...

Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. RSI Holdco, LLC, C.A. No. 2018-0517-KSJM (Del. Ch. May 29, 2019). This decision confirms that, in a post-merger dispute between an acquirer and the selling stockholders, broad...more

7/3/2019 / Attorney-Client Privilege , Merger Agreements , Mergers , Privileged Communication , Shareholders

Eric Hacker

Morris James LLP

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