Not long ago, we wrote about the vital need for strict compliance with contractual options to buy or sell closely-held business equity interests. As we noted then, failure to strictly comply with any contractual conditions...more
New York’s appellate courts are breaking new ground in 2025.
Until a month ago, I would have said that “deadlock” most certainly is not enough on its own to dissolve a New York LLC....more
Is a limited liability company a party to and bound by its own operating agreement?
Many folks would say, “Yes, of course.” But it turns out the answer varies depending upon the law of the company’s state of...more
Buy-sell agreements come in all shapes and sizes. Some are straightforward. Others are outrageously complex, especially purchase price formulas. Some have triggers for death. Others disability. Retirement. Expulsion....more
Closely-held business owner breakups often defy easy categorization. What seem at first blush to be traditional business divorce cases sometimes end up treading far into other legal practice areas. Other disputes blur...more
Food trucks have become as ubiquitous on the streets of Manhattan as pigeons in Central Park. Unsurprisingly, the New York City food truck business is highly regulated, requiring licensure of those participating in the...more
In last week’s New York Business Divorce, we wrote about an important decision from New York’s highest court, Sage Sys., Inc. v Liss (___ NY3d ___, 2022 NY Slip Op 05918 [Ct App Oct. 20, 2022]). In Sage, the Court of Appeals...more
The universe works in mysterious ways. Four days ago, when I sat down to write this article, my plan was to feature a decision from Manhattan Commercial Division Justice Andrea J. Masley denying dismissal of a closely-held...more
In Congel v Malfitano, New York’s highest court wrote that business partners are free to include in partnership contracts practically “any agreement they wish,” including about “the means by which a partnership will dissolve,...more
3/14/2022
/ Appeals ,
Business Divorce ,
Closely Held Businesses ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Terms ,
Delaware General Corporation Law ,
Dissolution ,
Judicial Dissolution ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Operating Agreements ,
Partnership Agreements ,
Public Policy
The harried realities of modern life are such that business entity organizational documents, like LLC operating agreements, sometimes do not get drafted or executed until long after the entity’s initial formation with the...more
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that a little over two months ago, New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation reform advocates and stoners alike have dreamt of for decades,...more
7/6/2021
/ Breach of Contract ,
Business Disputes ,
Business Divorce ,
Contract Terms ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Letters of Intent ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Partnership Agreements ,
Partnerships ,
Private Equity ,
Startups
Ten months ago, we wrote about an unusual case involving an LLC member who documented two irreconcilable membership interest transfers upon death. In Harris v Harris, 2020 NY Slip Op 31570(U) [Sup Ct, NY County Apr. 23,...more
A recent decision from Bronx County Supreme Court Justice Llinet M. Rosado, Sebrow v Sebrow, 2020 NY Slip Op 20269 [Sup Ct, Bronx County Oct. 9, 2020], is a stark reminder to corporate shareholders, attorneys who plan their...more
Oral agreements – and oral modifications of written agreements – are a constant source of litigation in business divorce cases. Alleged oral agreements are subject to attack based upon legal enforceability – as well as their...more
8/24/2020
/ Business Disputes ,
Business Divorce ,
Contract Terms ,
Covered Transactions ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Operating Agreements ,
Oral Argument ,
Partnership Agreements ,
Partnerships ,
Shareholders ,
Unenforceable Contract Terms
Corporate shareholder and LLC operating agreements routinely contain provisions addressing the transfer of equity interests upon the death of an owner of a closely-held business. Such provisions are vital for succession...more
6/8/2020
/ Business Continuity Plans ,
Business Divorce ,
Business Litigation ,
Business Succession ,
Closely Held Businesses ,
Contract Terms ,
Decedent Protection ,
Equity ,
Estate Planning ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Operating Agreements ,
Ownership Interest ,
Probate
The ongoing coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic has quite literally impacted everyone and everything in New York, including the courts, which were forced to temporarily cease non-essential functions. The result was a short-lived...more
Often business owners enter into arbitration agreements because they hope it will result in a speedier, less expensive resolution than litigation to disputes with their co-owners. ...more
The sudden death of Alexander Calderwood, the brilliant but troubled co-founder of the Ace brand of hotels, resulted in some fierce litigation between Calderwood’s estate and Calderwood’s LLC co-member over the nature of his...more
12/27/2017
/ Appeals ,
Business Ownership ,
Contract Terms ,
Decedent Protection ,
Declaratory Judgments ,
Delaware Limited Liability Company Act ,
Discovery ,
Dismissals ,
Estate Claims ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Operating Agreements ,
Real Party in Interest ,
Transfer of Interest ,
Wills