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Chancery Approves Reduced Fee Award for Derivative Settlement Based on Therapeutic Benefits

Sciabacucchi v. Howley, C.A. No. 2021-0938-LWW (Del. Ch. July 3, 2023) - A stockholder filed a derivative action alleging breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment in connection with a board compensation committee’s...more

Chancery Denies Books and Records Request Related to Disney’s Opposition to Florida Legislation Prohibiting LGBTQ+ Topics in...

Simeone v. The Walt Disney Company, C.A. No. 2022-1120-LWW (Del. Ch. June 27, 2023) - The Walt Disney Company opposed Florida legislation that limits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida...more

Chancery Grants Single-Member Special Litigation Committee’s Motion To Terminate Derivative Claims

In re Baker Hughes, a GE Company, Derivative Litigation, C.A. No. 2019-0201-LWW (Del. Ch. Apr. 17, 2023) - After the Court of Chancery made a pleadings stage determination that the demand was futile, a board of directors...more

Court of Chancery Sustains Derivative Complaint Based on Allegations That the Board Acted in Bad Faith

Delaware’s demand futility analysis for derivative claims is designed to prevent stockholders from divesting the board of its control of an asset and enabling stockholders to pursue weak claims. To plead demand futility under...more

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

Following Flawed Business Acquisition, Chancery Dismisses Derivative Complaint for Failure to Plead Demand Futility

City of Coral Springs Police Officers' Pension Plan v. Dorsey, C.A. No. 2022-0091-KSJM (Del. Ch. May 9, 2023) - A terrible business decision does not ensure the Court of Chancery will sustain a derivative claim. A...more

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

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

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

Court of Chancery Re-Affirms that Director-Designating Investor is Entitled to Privileged Communications from Company Counsel in...

An employee, agent or principal of an investor is often designated to serve on a company’s board of directors when that company receives an investment or acquires the investor. That board member then becomes privy to legal...more

Supreme Court Interprets an Alleged Irrevocable Proxy and Finds It Does Not Run with Shares and Bind Subsequent Owner

KTS Strategies brings years of experience providing clients in a diverse range of industries with comprehensive policy and advocacy advice before federal, state, and local agencies. In North Carolina, we advise local...more

Delaware Corporate and Commercial Case Law Year in Review - February 2023

This top ten list summarizes significant decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery over the past calendar year. Our criteria for selection are that the decision either meaningfully changed...more

Chancery Denies Bid to Dismiss Derivative Claims Amid Alleged “Gamesmanship” Regarding Composition of LLC’s Board of Managers

Schoenmann v. Irvin, C.A. 2021-0326-SG (Del. Ch. Jun. 2, 2022) - After the plaintiff filed his direct and derivative claims in April 2021, the defendants – the company and its controller – circulated in June 2021 a written...more

Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Dismissal Under Zapata

Diep v. Trimaran Pollo Partners, No. 313, 2021 (Del. June 28, 2022) - After the Court of Chancery denied an initial motion to dismiss, the company formed a special litigation committee (“SLC”) to investigate the claims and...more

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

The Parable of the Tesla and SolarCity Deal

The Delaware Court of Chancery’s April 27 Tesla Motors opinion likens some decisions to “parables”—stories that illustrate important lessons. In the words of presiding Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights III, the story of Tesla...more

Chancery Curtails Discovery in Appraisal Action Instituted as a Substitute for Books and Records Demand

Wei v. Zoox, Inc, C.A. No. 2020-1036-KSJM (Del. Ch. Jan. 31, 2022) - Often, stockholders who suspect corporate wrongdoing in connection with M&A transactions demand to inspect the company’s books and records under Section...more

Language and Context Lead Chancery to Conclude That Irrevocable Proxy Does Not Bind Subsequent Transferee

Under Section 212(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, a stockholder may exercise voting rights through a proxy agent—that is, a person empowered to vote in the stockholder’s stead. Such an arrangement is commonly...more

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

Chancery Rejects Challenge to Director’s Appointment and Dismisses Derivative Claims

Simons v. Brookfield Asset Mgmt., Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0841-KSJM (Del. Ch. Jan. 21, 2022) - If a derivative plaintiff does not make a pre-suit demand on the board, then under Court of Chancery Rule 23.1, the plaintiff must...more

Delaware Supreme Court Permits Substitution of Bankruptcy Trustee as Plaintiff to Resolve “Procedural Conundrum”

Lenois v. Lawal, No. 33, 2021 (Del. Dec. 9, 2021) - A company’s bankruptcy filing during an appeal of a dismissal of a derivative action presents questions of who, if anyone, has the standing to pursue the company’s...more

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

Chancery Dismisses Derivative Action Based On Alleged Liability Under DGCL § 174 For Stock Repurchases and Dividends

In re The Chemours Co. Deriv. Litig., C.A. 2020-0786-SG (Del. Ch. Nov. 1, 2021) - Broadly speaking, Sections 160 and 173 of the DGCL prohibit a corporation from repurchasing stock or issuing dividends if doing so would...more

Delaware Corporate and Commercial Case Law Year in Review

Our 2021 Top 10 list summarizes decisions from the Delaware courts likely to affect business transactions and business litigation going forward. Our criteria for selection are that the decision either meaningfully changed...more

Court Dismisses Derivative Complaint Where Plaintiff Fails to Plead a Substantial Risk of Personal Liability by Directors...

A plaintiff seeking to bring derivative claims on behalf of a Delaware corporation bears a heavy burden if she has not made demand and seeks to demonstrate that demand would be futile based on directors’ alleged substantial...more

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