Venture Capital Trends: East Meets West – Lewis Geffen, Co-chair, Venture Capital Practice
Despite political and economic uncertainties, markets and deal activity were resilient in 2019, and strong fundamentals remain in place heading into 2020. Companies continue to face a challenging litigation and enforcement...more
In recent years, fintech has been an attractive sector for growth capital, as evidenced by robust investment and M&A valuations in the sector. While interest remained high in 2019, deal volumes began to level off early in the...more
PWP Xerion Holdings III LLC v. Red Leaf Resources Inc., C.A. No. 2017-0235-JTL (Del. Ch. Oct. 23, 2019). Preferred stockholders frequently obtain the right to veto specific types of transactions....more
Silverberg v. Padda, C.A. No. 2017-0250-KSJM (Del. Ch. Sept. 19, 2019). The Court of Chancery held that plaintiff common stockholders’ fiduciary duty claims challenging the company’s overpayment for dilutive preferred...more
Presented as a flagship measure of economic reform during the five-year period, the law on growth and business transformation, known as the PACTE Act, was finally adopted by the Parliament on April 11, 2019. The...more
In common usage, a founder is an individual who creates or helps create a company, but in legal terms, there is no such thing as a “founder” or “founder’s stock,” only early participants in a company’s organization and...more
QC Holdings Inc. v. Allconnect Inc., C.A. 2017-0715-JTL (August 27, 2018) - This decision on a undisputed factual record interpreted a contractual right to put stock by rejecting one side’s argument as “commercially...more
QC Holdings Inc. v. Allconnect Inc., C.A. No. 2017-0715-JTL (Del. Ch. Aug. 28, 2018) - This decision is necessary reading for drafters of redemption rights. It involves the interpretation of a redemption rights agreement...more
Preferred stock is commonly used for venture capital and private equity investments. It gives the investor the ability to convert to common stock if the deal succeeds, and also includes protection of the liquidation...more
Venture capital firms and their director designees on portfolio company boards can find themselves stuck between their fiduciary duty to common shareholders and the terms of preferred investment documents. Before any other...more
Orrick recently released a groundbreaking new study examining the corporate governance structures of every U.S. incorporated company in the Dow Jones Technology Sector Index. Led by partner Ed Batts, the study encompasses a...more
A recent decision of the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) places certain fiduciary constraints on a company’s ability to satisfy its obligations to its preferred equity holders. While investors often seek to acquire...more
There are certain seminal Delaware corporate law cases that are so well known that corporate lawyers are wont to assume that they have been adopted and followed everywhere. One such case is Revlon, Inc. v. MacAndrews &...more
Alas, poor Erlich! We knew him; ‘a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne us on his back a thousand times; and now,’ as Jared poetically recounts, “Erlich’s Bachmanity boondoggle has led to his being...more
This Glossary contains many of the important terms and definitions used in the M&A world. The Glossary is not exhaustive, however. Like most areas of the law, M&A is a highly complex subject that involves several legal and...more
During 2013, in addition to the important changes to the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) and the Limited Liability Company Act, described here, the Delaware courts issued a number of decisions that have a direct...more