The Delaware Supreme Court recently clarified for the first time the test to be used in Delaware to determine whether a contract’s terms are sufficiently definite to create an enforceable contract. In Eagle Force Holdings, LLC v. Campbell, No. 399, 2017 (Del. Supr., May 24, 2018), the court addressed whether various documents signed by the … Continue Reading
A recent Delaware Supreme Court decision should be required reading for anyone involved with a forum non conveniens case in Delaware. Aranda v. Philip Morris USA Inc., Del. Supr., No. 525, 2016 (March 27, 2018), provides an overview of the Delaware law on forum non conveniens and clarified that even if it is a minority view among the 50 … Continue Reading
A recent article on The Harvard Law School Corporate Governance Blog collected decisions, mostly based on Delaware law, that address Earn Out disputes, which generally involve agreements for the sale of a company that allow for post-closing payments subject to various milestones or revenue targets being satisfied. Commonly, the buyer of the company is required to use a … Continue Reading
The Delaware Supreme Court recently issued an epic opinion, ending the lengthy saga of litigation involving efforts by some stockholders of Wal-Mart to pursue claims in connection with alleged improprieties relating to the Mexican subsidiary of Wal-Mart, in California State Teachers’ Retirement System v. Alvarez , Del. Super., No. 295, 2016 (Jan. 25, 2018). Multiple prior decisions in this … Continue Reading
This is the 13th year that I have created an annual list of the key corporate and commercial decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery. I chose the following rulings from among the more than 100 corporate and commercial decisions that have been highlighted on this blog over the past … Continue Reading
The recent Delaware Supreme Court decision in Exelon Generation Acquisitions, LLC v. Deere & Company, No. 28,2017 (Del. Supr., Dec. 18, 2017), reversed the trial court ruling and rejected an earn-out claim based on the application of well-settled contract interpretation principles. The specific contract terms that were interpreted are fairly sui generis and not widely … Continue Reading
In a split decision, the Delaware Supreme Court applied the nuanced standards for demand futility in the context of Caremark claims against Duke Energy Company. In City of Birmingham Retirement and Relief System v. Good, No. 16-2017 (Del. Supr., Dec. 15, 2017), a clear majority of the Delaware Supreme Court, sitting en banc, found that … Continue Reading
In its first explicit clarification of Delaware law on stockholder ratification in many years, the Delaware Supreme Court provided a virtual restatement of the prerequisites for valid stockholder ratification of director actions. In doing so, Delaware’s High Court allowed a claim to proceed which challenged allegedly excessive director compensation. In the case styled: In re Investors … Continue Reading
The Delaware Supreme Court issued an important decision a few days ago on the right to bear arms outside one’s home. This right includes at its core the right to self defense which is a natural right that every person is born with–an exalted right not shared with many of our laws. Thus, the importance of … Continue Reading
This post was prepared by Brian E. O’Neill, Esq. of Eckert Seamans. The Delaware Supreme Court recently declined to adopt a presumption in appraisal actions of deal price as fair value in a robust, market-driven sales process. In DFC Global Corporation v. Muirfield Value Partners, L.P., (Del. Aug. 1, 2017), the Delaware Supreme Court reversed … Continue Reading
For my latest column in Directorship, the publication of the National Association of Corporate Directors, I discuss a recent Delaware Supreme Court decision that addresses fiduciary duties as modified in the context of a limited partnership agreement. The case of Brinckerhoff v. Enbridge Energy Company was previously highlighted on these pages, but the opinion remains … Continue Reading
A recent Delaware Supreme Court decision dismissed a claim for post-closing adjustments to the purchase price for the sale of a company. Anecdotally, almost every merger or acquisition agreement that includes a purchase price that provides for an adjustment after closing for such things as net working capital or an earnout will generate a dispute. The … Continue Reading
Last week the Delaware Supreme Court reversed its prior decision interpreting a master limited partnership agreement that provided what Delaware’s high court described as a contractual fiduciary standard. The Court’s opinion is necessary reading for anyone who drafts or litigates alternative entity agreements that waive fiduciary duties but provide other contractual replacement standards. In Brinckerhoff … Continue Reading
The Delaware Supreme Court recently analyzed, for the first time, a common contractual standard in business agreements. The legal meaning of the phrase “commercially reasonable efforts” does not enjoy clarity in the law. Lawyers and jurists alike should be excused if they view the law on this topic as not entirely self-evident. The split decision … Continue Reading
The Supreme Court’s recent affirmance of penalties imposed by the Delaware Court of Chancery for litigation misconduct is a useful tool for litigators of all stripes to brandish as an incentive for both their clients and opposing parties to comply with the rules of the road in connection with obligations to preserve evidence during discovery–and to … Continue Reading
This Delaware Supreme Court decision must be read by anyone who hopes to understand the nuances of the rarely successful claim for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, especially in the context of a limited partnership agreement which waives all fiduciary duties. In Dieckman v. Regency GP LP, No. 208, 2016 (Del. … Continue Reading
In a short order, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed in Aleynikov v. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., No. 366, 2016 (Del. Supr., Jan. 20, 2017), the Court of Chancery’s decision, which was highlighted on these pages, denying advancement claims based on the decision of a federal court that had addressed the issue before it reached … Continue Reading
The Delaware Supreme Court recently heard the appeal in a case involving the Lululemon company which addressed the impact of a decision in another forum on the ability of stockholder in a Delaware derivative suit to make the same or similar claims. Laborers’ District Council Construction Industry Pension Fund et al. v. Bensoussan et al., … Continue Reading
Readers of these pages who make their living by practicing law in private law firms will be interested in the recent Delaware Supreme Court opinion captioned Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP v. Sutherland, No. 151, 2015 (Del. Jan. 6, 2017). Others–not so much. Why would private lawyers care about this decision? Because, generally speaking, it will make it easier to collect … Continue Reading
The Delaware Supreme Court explains in this short opinion the public policy supporting the expedited nature of advancement proceedings for officers and directors of corporations, and managers of LLCs. Trascent Mgmt. Consulting, LLC v. Bouri, No. 126, 2016, 2016 WL 6947014 (Del. Nov. 28, 2016). Although the principles discussed in this opinion are not new, the result … Continue Reading
The Delaware Supreme Court addressed the related but distinct defenses of recoupment and setoff, and the statutes of limitations that applied to them, in the context of an appeal from a Court of Chancery decision which decided claims and counterclaims based on overlapping agreements related to multiple entities. In Finger Lakes Capital Partners, LLC v. Honeyoye … Continue Reading
The Delaware Supreme Court in Andrikopoulos v. Silicon Valley Innovation Co., LLC, No. 490, 2015 (Order) (Del. June 8, 2016), affirmed the Chancery decision which was highlighted here, and which determined that the decision of a receiver to deny advancement rights was not in error, and that claims for advancement were appropriately treated as other … Continue Reading
We previously highlighted on these pages a Delaware Supreme Court decision in Hazout v. Tsang, that expanded the orthodox interpretation of a Delaware statute with the net result of making it easier to sue in Delaware an officer or director who has agreed to serve in that capacity for a Delaware entity. Now, readers have the benefit … Continue Reading
The difference between a direct claim by a stockholder against a corporation as compared to a derivative claim, is a subtlety that even the most astute corporate litigator cannot always easily discern. Many Delaware court opinions have addressed the nuances that distinguish between such claims–and to make it more interesting for everyone the Delaware Supreme Court has … Continue Reading
