In the last edition of the SPAC Notebook, we examined the current risks to SPACs incorporating in the Cayman Islands. In this edition, we turn our focus to Delaware and its new set of amendments to the Delaware General...more
On March 25, 2025, the governor of Delaware signed into law significant changes to Section 144 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”). The changes provide safe harbors to Boards of Directors and controlling...more
Since the early 1990s, the U.S. stock exchanges have long been home to many prominent Chinese companies as they tried to attract a wide spectrum of investors and enhance their global profile. Over the past decade, waves of...more
On February 3, 2023, in the matter In re Tesla Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 3:18-cv-04865, a California federal jury cleared Tesla, Inc. (Tesla), and CEO Elon Musk of claims that they committed securities fraud,...more
On December 19, 2022, Chief Justice Seitz issued an opinion for a unanimous Delaware Supreme Court, sitting en banc, reversing and remanding the Delaware Court of Chancery’s decision in Bandera Master Fund LP v. Boardwalk...more
A public-to-private transaction ("P2P") is one in which a publicly listed company is acquired and taken into private ownership. Because they involve changes in ownership of public companies, P2Ps are subject to various...more
The Delaware Supreme Court ruled that Delaware law applies to the interpretation of directors and officers liability (“D&O”) insurance coverage issued to Delaware corporations. RSUI Indem. Co. v. Murdock, et al., 248 A.3d 887...more
PE dominance - Private equity and family offices are exerting increasing influence over public takeovers in the UK, with public to private transactions ("P2Ps") making up more than 2/3 of all bids in H1 2021 and...more
A Win for Deal Certainty, Delaware Court of Chancery Orders Closing of Cake Supplier Acquisition; Under Armour to Pay $9M to Settle SEC Charges Involving Disclosure Failures; First Circuit Upholds Decision Applying Federal...more
On May 6, 2021, Vice Chancellor Zurn of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a 200-page decision denying a motion to dismiss in In re Pattern Energy Group Inc. Stockholders Litigation, a class action challenging the $6.1...more
DoorDash is entering the public markets fray today with hopes of “cash[ing] in on the frenzy in initial public offerings” of late. The food-delivery company is expected to price shares “at the high end of or above its...more
A previous article by our firm has sorted out and summarized privatization transactions. As a companion article, this article will discuss a very important but easily overlooked issue in privatization transactions. The...more
The Delaware Court of Chancery (the Court) in In re Homefed Corporation Stockholder Litigation chronicles a controlling stockholder’s failed attempt to use the protections outlined in Kahn v. M & F Worldwide Corp. (MFW) to...more
Since the early 1990s, the U.S. stock exchanges have long been home to many prominent Chinese companies as they tried to attract a wide spectrum of investors and enhance their global profile. However, waves of the reverse...more
Morrison v. Berry, C.A. No. 12808-VCG (Del. Ch. June 1, 2020) - Even if fiduciary duty of care claims against a target company’s board of directors are exculpated, an aiding-and-abetting claim against a financial advisor...more
To assist interested parties in navigating a going-private transaction in Canada, we have prepared the following summary of key considerations. What is a Going-Private Transaction? A going-private transaction converts a...more
A corporation may not deduct previously capitalized costs that facilitated an initial public offering (IPO) even when it later ceases to be a publicly traded company, according to an internal memorandum by the Internal...more
In a decision of interest to private equity investors, the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) adopted a new framework for determining whether minority stockholders are part of a control group with a separately...more
HEADLINES - In 2019, European take-private deals backed by private equity reached €34.5 billion over 31 deals - This is 14 per cent higher than 2018 and more than five times the total deal value seen just five years...more
PE activity in Western Europe may have dipped in 2019 but this is not the full picture. Buyout activity remains impressive, although exits subsided as PE funds focused on purchases instead of sales. Western Europe had a...more
Direct listings have been a hot topic in the news lately, particularly in light of the recent submission of proposals to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (and indications...more
Bloomberg is reporting that Walgreens Boots is weighing a potential deal “to take the company private in what could become the largest leveraged buyout in history.” PE firms like KKR are apparently in the mix to assist in the...more
After a panel rehearing, the Seventh Circuit in Emmis Communications Corp. v. Illinois National Insurance Co., No. 18-3392 (7th Cir. Aug. 21, 2019), vacated a prior judgment and withdrew an opinion issued in July 2019,...more
Adherence to secrecy, pre-announcement preparations, realistic expectations-setting, and strategic plans for taking control are keys to P2P deal success. The deal market has seen a resurgence in public to private (P2P)...more
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced an increase in the filing fees to be paid by public companies and other issuers during the SEC’s 2020 fiscal year. ...more