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
Chancery Court Provides Additional Guidance on Disclosure Requirements for Corwin Analysis - One of the most significant decisions of the Delaware Chancery Court in the last 15 years was the court’s ruling in Corwin v....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
On March 1, 2022, Vice Chancellor Slights of the Delaware Chancery Court ordered CorePower Yoga (“CorePower”) to close the acquisition of 34 yoga studios from its largest franchisee, Level 4 Yoga (“Level 4”). The parties...more
On March 1, 2022, the Delaware Court of Chancery delivered a memorandum opinion ordering a yoga franchisor to complete the acquisition of its franchisee’s chain of yoga studios. The case arose out of the parties’ pre-COVID...more
The COVID-19 pandemic created many uncertainties and challenges for investors and operators alike across the Middle East, including in the United Arab Emirates, which is often considered a regional healthcare and business...more
Bardy Diagnostics: Chancery confirms high bar for material adverse effect - The Delaware Court of Chancery was once again required to determine whether a potential buyer should be relieved of its obligation to acquire a...more
In AB Stable VIII LLC v. MAPS Hotels and Resorts One LLC, et al., No. 71, 2021 (Del. Dec. 8, 2021), the Delaware Supreme Court, sitting en banc, affirmed a Court of Chancery judgment finding that a hotel owner violated its...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
Key Points - On December 7, 2021, the Delaware Supreme Court unanimously upheld the Court of Chancery’s decision in AB Stable VIII LLC v. MAPS Hotels and Resorts One LLC, finding that certain actions taken by the Seller...more
The Delaware Supreme Court opinion in AB Stable VIII LLC v. MAPS Hotels and Resorts One, LLC, et al., No. 71, 2021, (Del. Dec. 8, 2021), considers whether a business’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic violated an “ordinary...more
An expected tidal wave of Covid-related M&A litigation has not materialised, but the current spate of deals and rising prices could see disputes spike and investors turn once again to the courts....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
Even as economies pick up, dealmakers have maintained focus on managing the risk of broken deals - Lockdowns in 2020 brought a large uptick in terminated deals—and although broken deal rates have slowed, there has been 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
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to adversely impact businesses across the globe, for the past year lenders have been reviewing their portfolios for credit degradation. Credit agreements will often contain a clause in...more
Hogan Lovells partners Courtney Devon Taylor and Christopher Pickens, from our Philadelphia and Northern Virginia offices respectively, discuss core M&A and corporate governance doctrines – and how they will continue to...more
Delaware Chancery Court awards specific performance after finding that buyer failed to demonstrate a material adverse effect or ordinary course breach by target and that buyer failed to use reasonable best efforts to obtain...more
One year ago, when we were finalizing our outlook for 2020, the world was in the early throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we anticipated that 2021 would bring many new challenges, few, if any, of us predicted at the time...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
It has become something of a truism for English M&A lawyers to say that material adverse change (MAC) clauses are rarely triggered in practice. A recent English judgment in Travelport Ltd v Wex Inc [2020] EWHC 2670 (Comm)...more
In the recent case of Travelport Ltd v Wex Inc [2020] EWHC 2670 (Comm) (the “Travelport Case”), the High Courts of England considered the construction of a material adverse effect clause (“MAE Clause”) in which a party sought...more
This is a round-up of the most interesting finance litigation and contractual developments in 2020. The selection is necessarily subjective and draws from a wide range of cases and developments that are of direct relevance to...more
The Delaware Court of Chancery’s docket exploded with expedited “broken” deal litigation in 2020, driven by the impact of COVID-19. Beyond pandemic-related merger litigation, stockholder plaintiffs remained focused on claims...more