Litigation developments: core M&A and corporate governance doctrines
Will COVID-19 Qualify as a ‘Material Adverse Effect’?
MAE Clauses: Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton COVID-19 Litigation Podcast Series
Over the past 15+ years covered by the ABA studies, materiality scrapes have morphed from being a somewhat uncommon provision, seen in about 14% of transactions in 2005, to something near-ubiquitous in M&A purchase...more
Like most other enterprises that raise and spend capital, the federal government finances its spending in part through the issuance of debt. The federal debt limit is the maximum amount of money that the federal government is...more
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN A MINUTE OR LESS - Material Adverse Effect (MAE) or Material Adverse Change (MAC) clauses are common in merger and acquisition (M&A) agreements. They allow a buyer to opt out of a deal if some...more
In what seems like one of the speediest transaction processes ever for a deal of its size, Twitter agreed on April 25, 2022 to be acquired by Elon Musk for $54.20 per share or about $44 billion. It all started with Musk...more
Before the pandemic, it was generally accepted that establishing an MAE was very difficult—indeed, only one case in Delaware, 2018's Akorn v. Fresenius Kabi, had ever found that an MAE occurred. Following the pandemic, this...more
The American Bar Association (ABA) 2020 – 2021 Private Target Mergers & Acquisitions Deal Points Study[1] analyzed publicly available acquisition agreements for 123 transactions executed and/or completed in 2020 and the first...more
In a highly anticipated decision, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice – Commercial List held that Cineworld wrongly terminated its arrangement agreement to acquire Cineplex, which was awarded substantial damages....more
Recent Delaware cases appear to make two things clear. First, it remains extremely unlikely that a court will find an event or occurrence to fall within the general provisions of a Material Adverse Effect condition and as a...more
Williams: Court of Chancery Finds Poison Pill Unenforceable - In February, the Delaware Court of Chancery held that a shareholder rights plan (a "poison pill") adopted by The Williams Companies, Inc. at the onset of the...more
The global outbreak of COVID-19 hit the United States in March 2020. Over a year later, it has irrevocably altered the way that M&A parties negotiate and structure agreements for the purchase and sale of private companies. ...more
In AB Stable VIII LLC v. Maps Hotel and Resorts One LLC et al., the Delaware Court of Chancery has published its first ruling regarding whether or not the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic constitute a material adverse effect...more
Below is our Quarterly Corporate / M&A Decisions Update for decisions in Q4 2020. This update is designed to highlight selected important M&A, corporate, and commercial court decisions on a quarterly basis. Brief summaries of...more
In a late night, 242-page decision, the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled that the buyer in a purchase and sale agreement was relieved of its obligation to close and could terminate the agreement as a result of the changes...more
It was a whirlwind affair. The Manhattan socialite and the sophisticated Parisian. Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: “TIF”) and LVMH, Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (OTC: “LVMUY”), announced their engagement, via joint press release, on...more
When approaching a potential new M&A transaction in the face of the volatility and unpredictability created by COVID-19, dealmakers should consider a range of topics in order to determine how to best protect their interests...more
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the uncertainty surrounding its long-term implications have caused a noticeable disruption in the consummation of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions....more
With the world still grappling with the outbreak of COVID-19, companies across a variety of industries have already suffered and anticipate further declines in their businesses and financial performances. This raises many new...more
It is readily apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on transactional activity—at least in the short term—for both buyers and sellers across a range of industries. Whether parties are still moving forward with...more
Virtual Due Diligence Capabilities - As a general matter, the parties in an M&A transaction need to consider whether the target company has established sufficient protocols to enable due diligence to be conducted entirely...more
Special series focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Aerospace, Defense, and Government Services industry - While fundamentals remain healthy for much of the government market because of dedicated spending...more
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus has spread across continents, taken an enormous human toll, and disrupted business operations throughout...more
The unexpected emergence of the COVID-19 virus presents a wide range of new challenges and opportunities. The initial reaction of the syndicated market has been to pull back. In these times, private credit lenders act as...more
2018 M&A Numbers - Following 2017’s market decline, overall M&A volume trended in a positive direction in 2018. While the almost 20,000 transactions closed globally in 2018 did represent a 15 percent drop from the previous...more
On October 1, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a post-trial opinion by Vice Chancellor Laster in which the court determined that Fresenius Kabi AG validly terminated its proposed US$4.3 billion acquisition of...more