Bill on Bankruptcy: What's in the $83M ResCap Examiner's Report?
In Gordon v. Gordon, a couple created a revocable trust and named a friend, who provided financial advice, as successor trustee. No. 03-22-00454-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 3611 (Tex. App.—Austin May 23, 2024, no pet. history)....more
Whitestone REIT Operating Partnership L.P. v. Pillarstone Capital REIT, C.A. No. 2022-0607-LWW (Del. Ch. Jan. 25, 2024) - In Delaware, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is inherent in all contracts and...more
On August 24, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Kirschner unanimously held that notes evidencing syndicated loans do not plausibly qualify as “securities” covered by state and federal securities laws...more
There are many ways that an owner of a closely-held business can use their superior financial resources to gain an advantage over their co-owners in a dispute. One common way is the use of a capital call provision to dilute...more
On April 12, 2023, a Manhattan judge in the lawsuit regarding the sale of golf legend Jack Nicklaus’s intellectual property portfolio narrowed the claims against Nicklaus. In 2007, Nicklaus sold his intellectual property...more
LLC managers owe fiduciary duties of loyalty, care, and good faith and fair dealing to both the LLC and the LLC’s members. (Corp Code §17704.09.) One of the most common claims in LLC litigation is “breach of fiduciary duty”...more
Just like a bride and groom vow to join together for better or for worse, commercial parties joining together through a joint venture must make a similar promise to share in profits and losses. ...more
Servaas v. Ford Smart Mobility LLC, C.A. No. 2020-0909-LWW (Del. Ch. Aug. 25, 2021) - Delaware common law requires that contracts be read on their own terms. Accordingly, contracts cannot be “combined” to supply missing...more
Last week, Peter Mahler blogged about a recent decision holding that a minority shareholder’s claim against its majority co-owners for breach of fiduciary duty in connection with a sale of the business to a third party...more
Smith v. Scott, C.A. No. 2020-0263-JRS (Del. Ch. Apr. 23, 2021) - The Delaware LLC Act provides that fiduciary duties may be expanded or limited by the provisions of an LLC agreement. If the agreement is silent, then...more
Can contracting parties waive all common law fiduciary duties? That was one of the questions presented to the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department (the “Court”) in 111 West 57th Investment LLC, on...more
On May 22, Judge Gardephe granted a motion to dismiss in Kirschner v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., a case that, among other things, considered whether the origination and distribution of a syndicated bank loan is subject to...more
During an interview with Bloomberg TV on March 6th, Lawrence Summers, former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, observed: “Economic time has stopped but financial time has not stopped.” An incisive summary as any of the current...more
In Garcia v. Communities in Schools of Brazoria County, a director sued a nonprofit’s board for breach of fiduciary duty arising from his removal. 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97017 (S. D. Tex. June 10, 2019)....more
Klein v. Wasserman, C. A. No. 2017-0643-KSJM (Del. Ch. May 29, 2019). The typical claim for breach of fiduciary duty arises out of a single transaction or event, or several closely-related transactions or events. ...more
When the Nevada legislature enacted the state's limited-liability company act, it did not prescribe the fiduciary duties, if any, owed by managers. As I observed...more
Switching from defense to offense, Zillow Group, Inc., best known for its residential real estate marketplace technology, recently filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington alleging a...more
The Delaware Supreme Court recently affirmed the dismissal of a co-founder’s claim that a private equity investor and its affiliated managers breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in connection with the...more
On July 6, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery imposed $20.3 million in damages on Georgetown Basho Investors, LLC (Georgetown), an investment fund, its President and Managing Member, Chester Davenport, and Board member...more
In the recent decision of Edinburgh Holdings, Inc. v. Education Affiliates, Inc., C.A. No. 2017-0500-JRS (Del. Ch. June 6, 2018), the Delaware Court of Chancery considered whether claims for breach of contract, breach of...more
A recent Delaware Chancery Court opinion highlights the flexibility of alternative entities such as limited liability companies, the court’s focus on enforcing contracts as written, and the limited circumstances in which the...more
In May, the Southern District of California handed ING a win in a case involving allegations that the company targeted seniors with annuities that hid an embedded derivative structure that made them worth less than promised....more
In Young v. Heins, Young brought third-party claims against the board of trustees of a nonprofit home owner association for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, breach of contract,...more
In Fornesa v. HSBC Bank USA, N.A., plaintiff sought a damage award against a defendant mortgagor for compensatory and punitive damages, based on alleged predatory lending practices. 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 2011 (S.D. Tex. May 13,...more
Hollywood’s heavy-hitters often enter the ring over unauthorized biographies. Elizabeth Taylor famously invoked her rights of publicity and privacy in an attempt to shut down an unofficial docudrama about her life; Clint...more