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Energy Transfer LP v. The Williams Companies, Inc., No. 391, 2022 (Del. Oct. 10, 2023) - Busted-deal litigation is commonplace in Delaware and often requires Delaware courts to interpret provisions in merger agreements...more
26 Capital Acquisition Corp. v. Tiger Resort Asia Ltd., CA No. 2023-0128-JTL (Del. Ch. September 7, 2023) - Even where the parties have contractually agreed that specific performance is the preferred remedy for a breach,...more
When the prospects of an acquired business are uncertain, an earnout can bridge the valuation gap between buyer and seller and help get the deal done. Taking this route is not without risk, however, particularly where...more
HControl Holdings LLC vs. Antin Infrastructure Partners S.A.S., C.A. 2023-0283-KSJM (Del. Ch. May 29, 2023) - In Delaware, buyers bear the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence their claims for breach of a...more
A recent posttrial decision from Delaware regarding an alleged breach of a capitalization representation in a merger agreement is noteworthy. The decision establishes that a party is within its rights to back out of a deal...more
A recent post-trial decision from Delaware regarding alleged breaches of representations and warranties in an asset purchase agreement is noteworthy. First, the decision highlights how buyers may not be able to rely on...more
With March now squarely in the rearview mirror, we thought it was time to look at the first quarter of 2023 from a historical perspective in terms of pricing and retentions and to discuss some emerging trends....more
Earnouts, which provide sellers payouts if certain post-closing milestones are reached, have become increasingly popular in recent M&A transactions given today’s uncertain regulatory and financial climate. Inflation, supply...more
Representations and warranties (R&W) insurance covers a breach of the reps and warranties contained in the purchase agreement governing a merger or acquisition. Since reps and warranties insurance policies are...more
In a deal market as uncertain as this one, we have seen transactional lawyers more frequently resorting to pushing what are known as “hell or high water” clauses - clauses that obligate parties to take “any and all...more
Under Delaware law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing attaches to every contract by operation of law and is best understood as an implied term. The purpose of the doctrine is to ensure that parties deal...more
Fortis Advisors LLC v. Johnson & Johnson, C.A. No. 2020-0881-LLW(Del. Ch. Dec. 13, 2021) - Delaware public policy respects freedom of contract, but it is also intolerant of fraud. These dueling policy aims are often pitted...more
In Sutter Hill Management Corporation v. Mpire Capital Corporation (Sutter), the British Columbia Court of Appeal found that the acquiror of an Abbotsford, B.C. care home had breached the purchase and sale agreement by...more
Supernus Pharms., Inc. v. Reich Consulting Grp., Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0217-MTZ (Del. Ch. Oct. 29, 2021) - Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. acquired biotech startup Biscayne Neurotherapeutics, Inc. pursuant to a 2018 merger...more
The ruling of the Delaware Court of Chancery in Yatra Online v. Ebix highlights the need for M&A practitioners to exercise care when drafting termination and remedies provisions in merger agreements and other contracts and to...more
In its recent decision in Yatra Online, Inc. v. Ebix, Inc., Case No. 2020-0444-JRS, 2021 WL 3855514 (Del. Ch. Aug. 30, 2021) (Slights, V.C.), the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed plaintiff’s breach of contract and other...more
Yatra Online, Inc., v. Ebix, Inc. concerned an abandoned merger that Plaintiff, Yatra Online Inc. (“Yatra”), asserts was sabotaged post-signing by Defendants, Ebix, Inc. and EbixCash Travels, Inc. after Ebix determined the...more
Snow Phipps Grp., LLC v. KCake Acquisition, Inc., 2020-0282-KSJM (Del. Ch. Apr. 30, 2021) - In Snow Phipps, the Court of Chancery refused to allow a private equity buyer with pandemic-related cold feet to back out of its...more
In Shareholder Representative Services LLC v Albertsons Companies, Inc., the aggrieved former shareholders of DineInFresh, Inc., d/b/a Plated, sought recovery of earnout consideration from Plated’s acquirer, Defendant,...more
Market Trends: What You Need to Know - Over the past almost 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...more
On August 31, 2020, the Delaware Chancery Court issued an opinion in litigation between Anthem and Cigna related to the contract in their terminated merger. In its sprawling 306-page opinion, the court detailed a “corporate...more
Acquisition agreements customarily address risk associated with significant downward changes to the target’s business prior to closing through a variety of provisions, including through the use of the “material adverse...more
When one party to an M&A agreement alleges that the other breached its representations and warranties, the damages analysis can be complex, depending on the terms of the agreement. Generally, a claim for indemnification due...more
We focus on two H2 2019 rulings that could affect M&A transactions in the future. Genuine Parts: Acceptance of termination fee does not prevent further remedies - In September 2019, the Delaware Chancery Court refused to...more
The Delaware Court of Chancery’s recent decision, Genuine Parts Company v. Essendant Inc., provides a helpful reminder that Delaware courts will enforce the clear and unambiguous terms of a merger agreement, and will consider...more