News & Analysis as of

Shareholders Section 220 Request

Morris James LLP

Chancery Determines Certain Suits and Investigations Against Amazon Were Insufficient to Meet Credible Basis Standard to Inspect...

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Wong Leung Revocable Tr. v. Amazon.com Inc., C.A. No. 2023-1251-BWD (Del. Ch. May 1, 2024) - In order to inspect books and records under Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, a stockholder-plaintiff must...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Finds Egregious Conduct in Books and Records Action Justifying Fee-Shifting Against Corporation

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PVH Polymath Venture Holdings Ltd. v. TAG Fintech Inc., C.A. No. 2023-0502-BWD (Del. Ch. Jan. 26, 2024) - Under the “bad faith” exception to the American Rule, Delaware courts will consider shifting fees when aggressive...more

Hogan Lovells

2024 Securities, Shareholder, and M&A Litigation Outlook

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2023 was a busy year, with both the Delaware courts and others, including the U.S. Supreme Court, weighing in on shareholder and M&A litigation issues. The Delaware Court of Chancery issued several notable decisions on issues...more

Mayer Brown

A Matter Of Propriety: Delaware Courts Reject Books-and-Records Demand Driven by Ulterior Motive

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Section 220 demands are a commonly used tool for stockholders to gain access to a company’s books and records. Although this provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law vests stockholders with a right of access thereto,...more

Hogan Lovells

Pietrasik v. Kraus Hamdani Aerospace: Despite Plaintiff’s “Rancor,” Delaware Court Grants 220 Demand

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After a de novo review of the record following a Magistrate in Chancery’s final report, Vice Chancellor Fioravanti of the Delaware Court of Chancery declined to accept the Magistrate’s recommendation to deny a...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Largely Denies Books-and-Records Inspection Exploring Dividend Potential

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Greenlight Capital Offshore Partners, LTD., v. Brighthouse Financial Inc., C.A. No. 2022-1067-LWW (Del. Ch. Nov. 20, 2023) - Valuation is a well-established proper purpose to inspect corporate books and records. While each...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Limits Section 220 Books-and-Records Production to Formal Board Materials

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In re Zendesk, Inc. Section 220 Litigation, C.A. No. 2023-0454-BWD (Del. Ch. Aug. 25, 2023) - The background of this books-and-records decision involved a failed acquisition, a strategic review, a proxy contest, and a...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Insights: The Delaware Edition - December 2023

In this issue, we discuss recent Delaware court developments regarding officer liability, who can recover “lost-premium” damages, and trends in books and records actions, among other topics....more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Books and Records Demands 2023 Recap: Courts Continue To Develop the Law Regarding the Scope of Inspection

As discussed in prior articles, stockholder plaintiffs have increasingly sought to obtain companies’ books and records under 8 Del. C. § 220 (Section 220) and the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act’s analogous provision,...more

Hogan Lovells

Seidman v. Blue Foundry: eregious defense against books and record request prompts fee shifting

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In Lawrence B. Seidman v. Blue Foundry Bancorp, the Delaware Court of Chancery awarded US$223,651.60 in attorneys’ fees and expenses to a plaintiff stockholder because of the defendant’s “glaringly egregious litigation...more

Morris James LLP

Supreme Court Affirms Court of Chancery’s Decision Directing “Long Dark” Company to Produce Books and Records to a Stockholder...

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Hauppauge Digital, Inc. v. Rivest, C.A. No. 2019-0848 (Del. July 10, 2023). Under Delaware law, once a stockholder has established a proper purpose to inspect a corporation's books and records, the Court of Chancery has...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Denies Books and Records Request Related to Disney’s Opposition to Florida Legislation Prohibiting LGBTQ+ Topics in...

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Simeone v. The Walt Disney Company, C.A. No. 2022-1120-LWW (Del. Ch. June 27, 2023) - The Walt Disney Company opposed Florida legislation that limits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida...more

Morris James LLP

Plaintiff Overcomes Rule 23.1 In Walmart Opioids Litigation Based In Part On Over-Redacted Documents In Books And Records...

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Ontario Provincial Council of Carpenters’ Pension Trust Fund v. Walton, C.A. No. 2021-0827-JTL (Del. Ch. Apr. 26, 2023) - To assert a derivative claim, a stockholder plaintiff must plead demand futility. The plaintiffs...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Current Bounds on Books and Records Demands

For decades, Delaware courts have encouraged stockholders to use the “tools at hand” — before initiating lawsuits — by obtaining corporations’ books and records through 8 Del. C. § 220 (Section 220). As described in prior...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Rules That Delisted and Long-Dark Corporation Failed To Show Harm Warranting a Confidentiality Order for Basic Financial...

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Rivest v. Hauppauge Digital, Inc., C.A. No. 2019-0848-PWG (Del. Ch. Sept. 1, 2022) - Plaintiff stockholder sought to inspect the books and records of a defendant company, requesting a narrow universe of annual and...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

The Corporate Guide: Stockholders Demanding Corporate Records? What You Should Know

What is a books and records demand? Under Delaware General Corporation Law Section 220, stockholders have the right to inspect corporate records. Strict compliance with the statute is mandatory....more

Hogan Lovells

Delaware Chancery Court finds Boeing Board oversight allegations satisfy Caremark standards

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In In re The Boeing Company, the Delaware Court of Chancery held that Boeing stockholders that sued the company over losses relating to safety problems with Boeing’s 737 MAX airplane had adequately pleaded that a majority of...more

Goodwin

Delaware Court of Chancery Awards Attorneys’ Fees After Gilead’s “Glaringly Egregious” Litigation Conduct

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Delaware Court of Chancery Awards Attorneys’ Fees After Gilead’s “Glaringly Egregious” Litigation Conduct; S.D.N.Y Grants Plaintiffs’ Partial Summary Judgment in Securities Class Action Against Perrigo; SPAC Investors Launch...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Access to Corporate Books and Records Under Delaware Law: Can Shareholders Obtain Privileged Documents Too?

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Requests for the inspection of books and records pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law is an important part of corporate litigation in Delaware. One important issue for these types of proceedings is...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Yes, Federal Investigations May Require Your Company to Comply With a Stockholder’s Books-and-Records Demands

Gross v. Biogen Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0096-PAF (Del. Ch. Apr. 14, 2021). On October 11, 2016, plaintiff Melvin Gross, served the first of four books-and-records demands on defendant Biogen Inc., under DGCL Section 220. Mr....more

Morris James LLP

Delaware Corporate and Commercial Case Law Year in Review: 2020

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This top ten list summarizes significant decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery over the past calendar year. Our criteria for selection are that the decision either meaningfully changed...more

Snell & Wilmer

How Much Information Must a Shareholder Provide to a Corporation to Inspect Books and Records Under Section 220?

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The Supreme Court of Delaware recently affirmed a decision by the Court of Chancery that ordered a corporation to produce certain books and records to a shareholder, and which granted leave to the shareholder to take a...more

Locke Lord LLP

Delaware Supreme Court Rules Stockholders Are Entitled to ‎Books and Records Based on “Investigatory Purpose” Without Stating...

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In an important decision, the Delaware Supreme Court, in AmerisourceBergen Corp. v. Lebanon ‎Cty. Employees’ Ret. Fund, No. 60, 2020, 2020 WL 7266362 (Del. Dec. 10, 2020), ruled that ‎stockholders may obtain access to a...more

Morris James LLP

Mindbody Deal Case Provides Conflict Takeaways For Boards

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The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in In re: Mindbody Inc. Stockholders Litigation is important reading for lawyers whose practices include evaluating, addressing and — when necessary — litigating potential...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Rebukes Party for “Distracting” and “Detrimental” Rule 11 Arguments

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POSCO Energy Co., Ltd. v. FuelCell Energy, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0713-MTZ (Del. Ch. Oct. 22, 2020) - Under Court of Chancery Rule 15, a Delaware plaintiff may request leave from the Court to amend or supplement a complaint....more

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