Search results for: forum-selection clause

A fair amount of legal scholarship has focused recently on providing for the selection of a litigation forum in the organizational documents of a corporation. Professor Joseph Grundfest has been a prime proponent of the idea and we wrote here about a speech he gave about it recently. Professor Steven Davidoff has written about it here. A decision of the Delaware Court of Chancery last year intimated the legitimacy of the concept in the case of In re Revlon, Inc. Shareholders Litigation, 990 A.2d 940, 960 (Del. Ch., 2010).

Just this week, however, one federal judge in California decided he was not willing to "join the party" on this concept. In Galaviz v. Berg, N.D. CA, No. C 10-3392-RS (Jan. 3, 2011), available here, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California applied federal law to reject the argument that directors can amend bylaws to require (without seeking shareholder approval), all derivative suits to be filed in a particular jurisdiction, such as the state of formation. The Court did not make its decision based on Delaware law. The Court also suggested that the analysis would be different if the forum selection clause, requiring derivative suits against the company to be filed exclusively in Delaware, were made a part of the corporate charter instead of the bylaws only. Reportedly, this is the first reported decision to address the issue directly. Jim Hamilton has a helpful post about this case here.

Perhaps this ruling is an insight for those who might favor the federalization of corporate law. This decision was based on federal law and was made by one of the hundreds of federal judges sitting among dozens of U.S. District Courts around the country. Conceivably, the future could present us with hundreds of other decisions on this corporate issue that we may need to sort out in the coming years.

SUPPLEMENT: Frank Reynolds writes for Westlaw’s Securities Litigation Newsletter here with his insights on this decision. Prof.Bainbridge links to this post here. Max Kennerly comments on the topic in general here.

Ashall Homes Limited v. ROK Entertainment Group, Inc., C.A. No. 4643-VCS (Del. Ch. Apr. 23, 2010), read opinion here.

 This Court of Chancery decision upheld a forum selection clause that required the dispute between the parties to be litigated in the Courts of the United Kingdom and to be governed by the laws of England. Notably, the Court observed that the internal affairs doctrine did not require the application of Delaware corporate law to this dispute. This instant decision spends a large proportion of its 25-pages addressing the public policy reasons why forum selection clauses are upheld including the Court’s aversion to “issue splitting”.
 

Compare a more recent Court of Chancery opinion that upheld a forum selection clause requiring the case to be litigated in Texas even though the internal affairs doctrine in that separate case did require the application of Delaware corporate law. See Baker opinion from Chancery here.

 

Over the last 14 years that I have published this blog, I have compiled an annual review with a list of key Delaware corporate and commercial decisions that have widespread utility to practitioners, especially those court decisions that are not widely covered by other legal publications or the mainstream press. On a few occasions, I have prepared a mid-year review. This is one of those years.

A few weeks ago, I prepared highlights of key decisions published over the last 6 months or so (and in some instances a little beyond that period), for presentation to a large law firm based on the west coast. I’m “repurposing” my materials for that presentation by providing those case highlights below. For each blurb below, there is a link to a fuller overview as well as a link to the complete court opinion.

HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT KEY DELAWARE CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL DECISIONS–as of May 30, 2019

DELAWARE SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Appraisal Law

The Delaware Supreme Court, in a per curiam decision, recently determined that “deal price less synergies” was the appropriate determination of fair value in the appraisal action before it.  In Verition Partners Master Fund Ltd. v. Aruba Networks, Inc., C.A. No. 11448-VCL (Del. Apr. 16, 2019), the Court reversed the Court of Chancery’s holding that “unaffected market price” was the fair value on the date of the merger. This case is the third in a recent trilogy of precedent-setting Delaware appraisal cases, preceded by DFC Global Corp. v. Muirfield Value Partners, L.P., 172 A.3d 346 (Del. 2017) and Dell, Inc. v. Magnetar Global Event Driven Master Fund Ltd, 177 A.3d 1 (Del. 2017).  This case has been the subject of extensive commentary by scholars and practitioners in the short time since its publication.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/04/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/delaware-supreme-court-clarifies-appraisal-law/

Company Required to Produce Emails Among Management to Stockholders

The Delaware Supreme Court recently issued an opinion that clarifies the duty of a company to produce emails among its management in a Section 220 case. In KT4 Partners LLC v. Palantir Technologies, Inc., Del. Supr., No. 281, 2018 (Jan. 29, 2019), Delaware’s High Court addressed a demand under Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) Section 220 by a stockholder for corporate books and records, including emails among management, to allow the stockholder to investigate possible wrongdoing, such as the reasons behind amendments to an Investors’ Rights Agreement that severely reduced the original rights granted under that agreement.

Notably, the court in its opinion quoted from a law review article that yours truly co-authored on the topic, which explained why demands under DGCL Section 220 should often include electronically-stored information (ESI) such as emails. See footnote 76.

This opinion is noteworthy because it clarifies Delaware law and authoritatively describes those circumstances when a demand for books and records under DGCL Section 220 will require the company to produce ESI, such as emails among management, to the extent necessary for the proper purpose established in a Section 220 case.

Brief Overview:

The stockholder demand in this case stated as its purpose the investigation of mismanagement, including depriving investors of their right of first refusal under an investors’ agreement that was amended without the consent of all investors, as well as interfering with the sale of stock by a large stockholder. The Court of Chancery, in a decision highlighted on these pages, determined that although some books and records had to be produced, emails need not be. The Supreme Court disagreed with that ruling and affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.

Importantly, the facts of this case include an acknowledgment by the company that it often did not follow corporate formalities such as preparing board resolutions and keeping minutes of board meetings, but rather often communicated by email and took action by email–including on matters that were the subject of the investigative purpose of the Section 220 demand.

Highlights of Key Aspects of the Court’s Ruling:

For busy readers, I provide bullet points of key aspects of this crucial decision, but those who need to be familiar with the nuances of this aspect of Delaware corporate litigation should read the entire 49-page opinion linked above.

Procedural Background:

  • The court discussed what appeared to be an issue of first impression about the standard of review regarding a dispute over the interpretation of the stated purpose in a Section 220 demand. The court explained that the standard of review for the scope of relief is abuse of discretion, but de novo review applies to questions of law such as whether the stated purpose under Section 220 is proper. Although contract interpretation is also subject to de novo review as a question of law, fact-intensive and judgment-based determinations are reviewed for abuse of discretion, and factual determinations that underlie the trial court’s interpretation of an ambiguous written document deserve the deference given to factual findings.
  • The Delaware Supreme Court found that the demand in this case did include an explicit reference to a request for electronic documents.
  • The core issue identified by the High Court was whether the Court of Chancery abused its discretion in ruling that emails and other ESI were not necessary to satisfy the purpose of investigating the wrongdoing alleged in this Section 220 case.

Basic Principles:

  • The court reviewed the basic principles and policy undergirding the qualified common law and statutory right to inspect corporate books and records. See Slip op. at 22 to 24.
  • The court observed that the scope of documents to which a stockholder is entitled under Section 220 is limited to those that are necessary to accomplish the proper purpose as stated in the demand. See Slip op. at 24 to 25.

Emails/ESI Production:

  • In explaining why ESI should be included in appropriate Section 220 cases, the Delaware Supreme Court quoted from a law review article on this topic co-authored by your truly. See footnote 76 (quoting Francis G.X. Pileggi, et al., Inspecting Corporate “Books and Records” in a Digital World: The Role of Electronically Stored Information, 37 Del. J. Corp. L. 163, 165 (2012)).
  • The court reviewed Delaware cases that previously addressed whether ESI such as emails should be included in a Section 220 request. See footnotes 71 to 74. See also Amalgamated Bank v. Yahoo!, Inc., a Chancery opinion highlighted on these pages that also cited the same law review article on this topic co-authored by yours truly that was quoted by the Supreme Court in the instant case. See, e.g., footnote 72 (citing a Court of Chancery Order allowing for imaging of a Blackberry in a Section 220 case.)
  • The court also explained, based on the facts and circumstances of this case, why emails and ESI had to be produced and were needed to accomplish the stated purpose. See Slip op. at 31. For example, the court explained that the company involved did not comply with required corporate formalities such as minutes of board meetings and that it often conducted corporate business informally, including over email, regarding the issues subject to the Section 220 demand. See footnote 77 and accompanying text. The ESI at issue included, for example,  an allegedly incriminating message sent via LinkedIn.
  • The court also emphasized that there may be some Section 220 cases where ESI may not be required to be produced by the company, such as those situations where the corporation has traditional, non-electronic documents that are sufficient to satisfy the needs of the Section 220 petitioner.
  • In this case, the company admitted that there were no hardcopy documents that addressed all of the requests, and that there were emails and other ESI that were responsive to the requests.
  • The court also provided practice tips for future litigants: there should be a cooperative effort to focus on the substantive data that should be produced–or in other words, focus on the information that is needed and that is available whether it be in hardcopy or in ESI format.

The court also addressed an unrelated issue. It rejected the argument that the company made that as a condition of production it could require the stockholder to file any suits based on the data received in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Although there have been cases that have imposed similar jurisdictional conditions, the court explained why such a condition should be the exception and not the norm.

SUPPLEMENT: Law360 published an article about this case in which they quoted my comments about the importance of the High Court’s opinion.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/01/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/company-required-to-produce-emails-among-management-to-stockholders/

Supreme Court Explains the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing

A recent Delaware Supreme Court decision is must-reading for those who need to know the latest iteration of Delaware law on the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. In Oxbow Carbon & Minerals Holdings, Inc. v. Crestview-Oxbow Acquisition, LLC, Del. Supr. No. 536, 2018 (Jan. 17, 2019), Delaware’s High Court provided the latest articulation of Delaware law on the multi-faceted doctrine of the implied covenant of good faith and fairing dealing. In connection with affirming in part and reversing in part a 176-page trial court opinion, which was highlighted on these pages, the Supreme Court agreed with the analysis of the trial court’s correct reading of the plain meaning of the LLC agreement at issue, but disagreed with the application by the trial court of the implied covenant.

 Highlights of the most recent authoritative explanation of the implied covenant under Delaware law are noted in the following bullet points:

  • When a board is given contractual discretion to make a choice, that is not a “gap” to be filled. Although “the vesting of a board with discretion does not relieve the board of its obligation to use that discretion consistently with the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing,” the argument was not made in this case that the board exercised this contractual discretion in bad faith. See footnotes 92 and 93 and accompanying text.
  • The court explained the two common situations where the implied covenant often applies. The first, at issue in this case, is when it is argued that a situation has arisen that was unforeseen by the parties and where the agreement’s express terms do not cover what should happen. See footnote 93.
  • The next situation is when a party to the contract is given discretion to act as to a certain subject and it is argued that the discretion has been used in a way that is impliedly proscribed by the contract’s express terms. Id.
  • “When a contract confers discretion on one party, the implied covenant requires that the discretion be used reasonably and in good faith.” Id.
  • Delaware’s High Court explained that the “implied duty of good faith and fair dealing is not an equitable remedy for rebalancing economic interests after events that could have been anticipated, but were not, later adversely affected one party to a contract.” See footnote 109 and accompanying text.
  • Rather, “the covenant is a limited and extraordinary legal remedy.” See footnote 110.
  • The Supreme Court added that the implied covenant “does not apply when the contract addresses the conduct at issue, but only when the contract is truly silent concerning the matter at hand. Even where the contract is silent, an interpreting court cannot use an implied covenant to re-write the agreement between the parties, and should be most chary about implying a contractual protection when the contract could easily have been drafted to expressly provide for it.” See footnotes 110 to 113 and accompanying text.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/01/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/supreme-court-explains-the-implied-covenant-of-good-faith-and-fair-dealing/

Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Ab Initio Requirement for BJR Review

The Delaware Supreme Court recently clarified the “ab initio” requirement announced in the Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corp. case as part of the set of standards that would allow for the BJR standard to apply to a challenged merger. See Olenik v. Lodzinski, No. 392, 2018 (Del. Supr., rev. April 11, 2019).  The High Court determined that the requirement was not satisfied based on the facts of the instant case because the “economic bargaining took place prior to the date” when the protections announced in the Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corp. case needed to be in place.

Much commentary has already been written about this case, so it will not be covered thoroughly on these pages, but I refer to prior decisions that have applied the ab initio requirement, for background purposes, as noted on these pages.

 Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/04/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/delaware-supreme-court-clarifies-ab-initio-requirement-for-bjr-review/ 

Supreme Court Affirms Akorn Decision

The Delaware Supreme Court, in Akorn, Inc. v. Fresenius Kabi AG, et al., Del. Supr., No. 535, 2018 (Dec. 7, 2018), affirmed in a 3-page order, two days after oral argument, the Court of Chancery’s 253-page decision which was highlighted on these pages, and which is thought to be the first Delaware decision to find that a “material adverse effect” clause was triggered in such a way as to allow an acquiring party to terminate a merger pre-closing. Much has been written in trade publications about the Akorn case. See, e.g., here and here .

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2018/10/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-allows-termination-of-merger-agreement-based-on-material-adverse-change/

COURT OF CHANCERY DECISIONS

Chancery Instructs on DGCL Merger Requirements

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery opinion began by describing the complaint as reading like a law school exam designed to test the knowledge of a student regarding the requirements in the DGCL that must be satisfied in connection with a merger, and the court commented that the company would not have done well on the exam.

In Mehta v. Mobile Posse, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0355-KSJM (Del. Ch. May 8, 2019), the court identified the six primary issues in this case as follows:

(1) Whether DGCL Section 262 was not complied with in connection with the failure to notify stockholders of their appraisal rights within the required timeframe;

(2) Whether DGCL Section 228 was not complied with due to the failure to send prompt notice of the written stockholder consents;

(3) Whether the merger agreement, or documents it incorporates, failed to comply with DGCL Section 251 by not including the amount of cash the preferred stockholders would receive for their shares;

(4) Whether the stockholder consents did not enjoy the ratifying effect under DGCL Section 144;

(5)  Whether the director defendants breached their fiduciary duty of disclosure; and

(6) Whether the director defendants breached the fiduciary duty of loyalty because the merger was a self-dealing transaction and not entirely fair.  With one small exception, the court found that the statutory violations were sufficiently established at the early procedural stage of a motion for judgment on the pleadings.

Key Highlights of Decision:

  • As an initial procedural matter, in connection with this motion for judgment on the pleadings, the court observed that it was not well-established in Delaware case law or Rules of Civil Procedure whether a “supplemental notice” attached to a motion for judgment on the pleadings could be considered “part of the record or pleadings.”  Based on this opinion, however, it is now established that under Delaware law, under some circumstances, it is now possible for such a supplemental notice to be included as part of the pleadings in such a procedural posture.  See, e.g., footnotes 1 through 6 and accompanying text.

DGCL Section 262:

  • The company sought a “do-over” or a “mulligan” for its statutory errors, because it purported to send proper notices required by DGCL Section 262–only after suit was filed.  Three problems with that approach are that: (i) Such a “replicated remedy proposal” had never before been blessed by a Delaware court; (ii) Even the supplemental notice proposed was itself wrong (in part because it quoted the statute of another statute); and (iii) trying to make a “supplemental notice” sent after the lawsuit was filed does not always make it part of the pleadings, although as noted above–in some circumstances–based on the opinion in this case, it is now possible to do so.  See Slip op. at 13.

DGCL Section 228:

  • Based on an amendment to the statute passed in 2017, Section 228 no longer requires that the written consent of stockholders be dated next to each signature.  See Slip op. at 19.
  • The court addressed the “less than bright-line rule” about whether or to what extent disclosures are required in connection with written consents of stockholders pursuant to Section 228, but cases cited by the court in this opinion support the view that in this case the company is not entitled to judgment on the pleadings on this issue in light of the lack of material data, or their supplying of incorrect data, with the solicitations for consents that were sent to the minority stockholders in this case.

DGCL Section 228(e)–Prompt Notice Requirement:

  • The prompt notice requirement under Section 228(e) requires that notice of action by written consent of stockholders to those who did not consent must be prompt.  Nonetheless, the exact timetable for such “prompt notice” is not defined in the statute.  One case found that five months was not prompt.  In this matter, notice was given after the Section 262 appraisal deadline, which the court found as a sufficient basis to deny the motion for judgment on the pleadings filed by the company (rather audaciously) in this case.

DGCL Section 251(b):

  • This section of the DGCL requires that a merger agreement include specified details about the deal terms, including compensation to stockholders, but the company failed to comply with this requirement.

DGCL Section 144:

  • The court held that the safe harbor under Section 144(a)(2) was not satisfied in this matter because the stockholders were not given material facts about the interests of the directors in the merger.

The court also denied the company’s motion for judgment on the pleadings regarding claims for breach of fiduciary duty.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/05/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-instructs-on-dgcl-merger-requirements/

Chancery Applies Corporate Advancement Case Law to LLC Context

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision interpreted the advancement provisions of an LLC Agreement by applying case law interpreting DGCL Section 145 in the corporate context.  In Freeman Family LLC v. Park Avenue Landing LLC, C.A. No. 2018-0683-TMR (Del. Ch. Apr. 30, 2019), the court reviewed the applicability of “defined phrases” that are familiar prerequisites for advancement in the corporate context pursuant to DGCL Section 145, and analyzed that same language that was used in an LLC agreement provision granting advancement.

The highlights of this decision are based on the assumption that the reader is familiar with the principles of advancement for officers and directors pursuant to DGCL Section 145, and the leading Delaware court decisions on the topic–even if they are not aware that I have written several book chapters on advancement and published multiple articles on advancement and handled many advancement cases.   

 Brief Background:

This case involved a request for advancement by a member (not a manager) of an LLC seeking advancement for the cost of defending a suit in New Jersey brought by the managing member of the LLC relating to the call right of the member under the LLC Agreement.  (The plaintiff-member of the LLC involved in this case was itself an LLC.)

 Issues Addressed:

The two issues that the court addressed in this case are:  (1) Does corporate case law apply to the provisions for advancement in an LLC Agreement which contains language that mirrors the corporate statute, DCGL Section 145; and (2)  Whether the underlying action for which advancement is sought, arises “by reason of the fact” that the party seeking advancement acted in its “official” capacity?  The court answered both questions in the affirmative.

 Highlights of this Decision–Assuming Familiarity with Delaware Corporate Advancement Case Law:

  • The court referenced the well-known truism that advancement cases are particularly appropriate for resolution on a paper record, such as via dispositive motions.  See footnote 22 and accompanying text.
  • The court cited other Delaware cases that have applied corporate case law to analyze the contractual terms of advancement in an LLC Agreement.  See, e.g., Hyatt v. Al Jazeera American Holdings, II, LLC, 2016 WL 1301743 (Del. Ch. Mar. 31, 2016) (highlighted on these pages previously).  See also other cases cited at footnotes 36, 37 and 38.
  • The court explained that LLCs and corporations differ most pertinently in regard to indemnification: “mandating it in the case of corporate directors and officers who successfully defend themselves, but leaving the indemnification of managers or officers of LLCs to private contract.”  See footnote 46 and accompanying text.
  • The court recited the guidelines that the Delaware courts used to determine if someone was acting “by reason of the fact”–for purposes of being entitled to either indemnification or advancement, and restated the familiar standard that the operative phrase will be satisfied “if there is a nexus or a causal connection between any of the underlying proceedings and one’s official corporate capacity . . . without regard to one’s motivation for engaging in that conduct.”  See footnotes 50 and 51 and accompanying text.
  • By contrast, the court cited examples of cases where the “by reason of the fact” requirement was not satisfied, which is best exemplified by disputes involving personal contractual obligations that do not involve the exercise of judgment, discretion, or decision-making authority on behalf of the corporation.  See footnote 53 and accompanying text.  Because the party seeking advancement in this case was a member and not an officer or a director, the context was unusual, but the LLC Agreement clearly defined the responsibilities of the member.
  • The court reasoned that the causal relationship between the official capacity of the member and the underlying lawsuit was met for several reasons: (i) The underlying case in New Jersey was about the failure of the member to carry out its responsibilities specified in the LLC Agreement: (ii) The underlying lawsuit in New Jersey is based on whether the member discharged its official duties such that the call rights could be exercised; and (iii) The underlying dispute fully implicates whether or not the member seeking advancement carried out its official duties.  Thus, the court held that the “by reason of the fact” requirement and the “official capacity requirement” were met.
  • The court distinguished five cases in which advancement or indemnification claims were denied because the underlying litigation involved a personal interest that lacked a sufficient connection to official duties.  Those five cases that were distinguished are cited in footnote 56–most of which have been highlighted on these pages:  Bernstein v. TractManager, Inc., 953 A.2d 1003 (Del. Ch. 2007); Cochran v. Stifel Fin. Corp., 2000 WL 1847676 (Del. Ch. Dec. 13, 2000) (rev’d in part on other grounds, 809 A.2d 555 (Del. 2002)); Lieberman v. Electrolytic Ozone, Inc., 2015 WL 5035460 (Del. Ch. Aug. 31, 2015); Dore v. Sweports, Ltd., 2017 WL 45469 (Del. Ch. Jan. 31, 2015); Charney v. Am. Apparel Inc., 2015 WL 5313769 (Del. Ch. Sept. 11, 2015).
  • Regarding whether the “undertaking” provided by the party seeking advancement satisfied the statutory undertaking requirement, the court ruled that the sufficiency of an undertaking is determined by looking at the substance–and not the form alone–of the document containing the undertaking.

 Postscript: It was recently reported by The Chancery Daily that the Vice Chancellor who wrote this opinion published it the day after giving birth to a baby boy. Wow. That’s a dedicated jurist. Congratulations to Her Honor and her family on their new addition.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/05/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-applies-corporate-advancement-case-law-to-llc-context/

Chancery Finds Usurpation of Corporate Opportunity

Delaware case law is well-established regarding the aspect of the fiduciary duty of loyalty that prohibits a corporate director from usurping a corporate opportunity. A recent decision from the Delaware Court of Chancery applies that well-settled prohibition in a flexible manner to a set of facts that have apparently not been squarely addressed in prior precedent.  In Personal Touch Holding Corp. v. Glaubach, C.A. No. 11199-CB (Del. Ch. Feb. 25, 2019), the court awarded damages for the breach of this subset of fiduciary duty, as well as for other breaches of fiduciary duty.

Basic Background Facts:

This case involved a co-founder who also served as a president and director of a New York-based provider of healthcare services. He was removed when the company discovered various transgressions. The former director purchased an office building in his individual capacity–secretly–even though the court found that the former director had been aware that the company was interested for several years in purchasing a similar building for its own use.  The former director then offered to lease the building back to the company at what the court found to be above-market rental rates.

Key Principles of Law:

This short blog post assumes that readers are familiar with the basic principles involved with the usurpation of corporate opportunities, and will merely highlight some of the key statements of law and the court’s reasoning in this 84-page opinion.

The well-known elements of a claim based on the corporate opportunity doctrine have been stated frequently in prior Delaware cases. Those familiar with corporate litigation will recognize the following four elements of a claim for usurpation of corporate opportunity:

“ (1)      The corporation is financially able to exploit the opportunity;

(2)      The opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business;

(3)      The corporation has an interest or expectancy in the opportunity;

(4)      By taking the opportunity for his own, the corporate fiduciary will thereby be placed in a position inimicable to his duties to the corporation.”

Slip op. at 36-38.

The court explained that Delaware Supreme Court decisions have referred to some of these elements in the disjunctive even though they are often quoted as being conjunctive. Specifically, proof of either the third element or the fourth element would sustain a corporate opportunity claim.

Moreover, the court decides the viability of a corporate opportunity claim by weighing the four factors in a holistic fashion and no one factor is dispositive. Id.

Key Reasoning of the Court:

  • The court rejected the argument that the purchase of the office building was not in the line of business of the healthcare company involved, which historically leased office space, because the “line of business factor” was in either inapplicable or was satisfied because the company had a clear “interest and expectancy” in the opportunity. In addition to that factor having a flexible meaning, the court explained that latitude should be allowed for development and expansion of a business, and the Delaware courts have broadly interpreted the nature of the corporation’s business when determining whether a corporation had an interest in a opportunity.
  • Regardless, the court found that the line of business test was not relevant where, as here, the company had a clear interest and expectancy in acquiring the building, and the opportunity presented related to an operational decision about how to expand the business as opposed to an opportunity to acquire a new business.
  • The court further reasoned that even if the opportunity was not within the existing line of business, it was sufficient that the company had a “clear interest and expectancy” at the time the opportunity arose. Id. at 44-47.
  • Regarding the fourth factor, the court instructed that a corporate officer or director was prohibited from taking an opportunity for his own “if the corporate fiduciary will thereby be placed in a position inimicable to his duties to the corporation.”
  • The court elaborated by observing that the corporate opportunity doctrine is implicated where the fiduciary’s seizure of an opportunity results in a conflict between the fiduciary’s duties to the corporation and the self-interest of the director as actualized by the exploitation of the opportunity.” Id. at 47-49.
  • The court also rejected an argument that the employment agreement of the former director allowed him to pursue other business interests outside of the company, and to devote a material portion of his time to other business interests. The court found that contractual defense to be unavailing in part because that provision did not allow the defendant to compete with the company for opportunities in which the company had an interest or expectancy. In addition, the employment agreement also prohibited the former director and president from engaging in activities which were “competitive with” the business of the company.
  • The court applied the entire fairness test because the former director was on both sides of the transaction involving a lease of the building to the company, and also because the director received a personal benefit from the transaction that was not received by the shareholders generally. Id. at 53.
  • The court also explained that charging the company an above-market rate for rent was unfair self-dealing and a breach of the duty of loyalty–regardless of whether the former director acted in subjective good faith.

As a side note, the court also found a separate breach of fiduciary duty as a result of the former director engaging in a “letter-writing campaign” over a several month period in which the former director sent harassing and disturbing anonymous letters to board members, employees and the lender of the company which caused harm to the company by hurting morale and causing distraction–in addition to attempting to sabotage the company’s relationship with its primary lender. Slip op. at 76-83.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/03/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-finds-usurpation-of-corporate-opportunity/

Chancery Clarifies Director’s Right to Corporate Records

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision addressed the important issue of the right of directors to be given access to corporate records. In Schnatter v. Papa John’s International, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0542-AGB (Del. Ch. Jan. 15, 2019), Delaware’s court of equity considered a claim under Section 220(d) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) by the founder and largest stockholder of the Papa John’s pizza chain who was forced out as the CEO but retained his position as a director.  He sought to obtain books and records in his capacity as a director to support an investigation that the other directors breached their fiduciary duties by improperly ousting him for unjustified reasons.

Key Bullet Points that Make this Case Noteworthy include the following:

  • The court required the Defendant-Directors to produce their text messages and their private emails, that they sent and received, that related to the specific issues in contention. Prior Chancery decisions have required the production of such personal communications that related to corporate business but such a ruling is still notable. For example, a few years ago, in Amalgamated Bank v. Yahoo!, Inc., highlighted on these pages, the Court of Chancery ordered a similar scope of production–and also cited to a law review article that yours truly published in which my co-authors and I explained why electronically stored information (ESI), including text messages and private emails, should often be included within the scope of a DGCL Section 220 demand. See law review article co-authored by yours truly which argued that the court should often include ESI as part of the obligation to produce records under Section 220. See 37 Del. J. Corp. L. 163, 165 (2012), highlighted on these pages here.
  • It is well-established that directors have nearly unfettered rights to access to books and records of a corporation in which they serve. Unlike a stockholder, when a director makes a demand for books and records under Section 220(d), the corporation has the burden to establish that the director’s demand for books and records is based an improper purpose.
  • Unlike the impact of a stockholder filing a plenary action before a Section 220 case is complete, when a director files a plenary action before a final ruling in a Section 220 case, that will not necessarily bar the continuation of Section 220 claims and it will not otherwise moot the Section 220 claims. See generally CHC Investments, Inc. v. FirstSun Bancorp, C.A. No. 2018-0610-KSJM (Del. Ch. Jan. 24, 2019)(Section 220 stockholder demand case dismissed due to parallel plenary action.)
  • The court observed that a director should not be required to sign a confidentiality agreement as a condition to obtaining records because a director already has a fiduciary duty to keep them confidential—as compared to stockholders who routinely are required to sign a confidentiality agreement as a condition to obtaining records pursuant to a Section 220 demand. See generally Murfey v. WHC Ventures, LLC, C.A. No. 2018-0652-MTZ (Del. Ch., Jan.23, 2019)(proposed confidentiality order rejected by Court as non-compliant with Chancery Rule 5.1 because it did not allow for filing confidential documents with the court–confidentially.)

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/01/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-clarifies-directors-right-to-corporate-records/

Advancement for Counterclaims Granted Despite Withdraw of Covered Claim

A recent transcript ruling by the Delaware Court of Chancery in Gasgarth v. TVP Investments, LLC, C.A. No. 2018-0621-JTL, transcript ruling (Del. Ch. Dec. 7, 2018), explained that the right to advancement was not extinguished by an amendment of a counterclaim to specifically withdraw breaches of fiduciary duty counterclaims and remove factual allegations relating to the service of the plaintiffs (counterclaim defendants) as directors and officers.

The court reasoned that it is not bound by the four-corners of a pleading, but rather will view the context of the litigation as a whole to determine if advancement is warranted in light of all the facts and circumstances of the case and the role that the directors and officers played in connection with the claims against them.

Relying on Delaware precedent, the court in this transcript ruling also included as part of the “fees on fees” awarded, a success bonus, which was part of the engagement letter with counsel.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/01/articles/chancery-court-updates/advancement-for-counterclaims-granted-despite-withdraw-of-covered-claim/

Chancery Addresses “Commercially Reasonable Efforts” Standard

When the phrase “commercially reasonable efforts” appears as a standard of performance in contracts, it seems predetermined to generate litigation, and the recent Court of Chancery decision in Himawan v. Cephalon, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0075-SG (Del. Ch. Dec. 28, 2018), supports that observation. Although the agreement in this case had a contractual definition for “commercially reasonable efforts”, prior Delaware decisions highlighted on these pages that discuss this phrase should be of relevance to anyone who needs to know what the Delaware cases say about this somewhat amorphous standard, and similarly-phrased “efforts clauses”.

Why this decision is noteworthy: The most notable aspect of this decision is its collection of Delaware cases interpreting various iterations of “efforts clauses”. See footnotes 83 to 85.

Brief overview: This case involved an earn-out dispute and a claim by the seller that it did not receive milestone payments pursuant to an earn-out provision because the buyer did not use commercially reasonable efforts to reach the milestones. The buyer was the pharmaceutical company Cephalon, but Teva Pharmaceuticals later bought Cephalon. The product at issue was an antibody that would allow an organism’s immune system to overcome disease-causing pathogens. As with new drugs, the process to bring antibodies to market is long, difficult and risky.

The earn-out in the merger agreement in this case was payable upon the meeting of certain milestones in the process of obtaining  approval by government agencies for the antibody to treat two different conditions. The buyer agreed to use “commercially reasonable efforts” to develop the antibody and achieve those milestones. The seller claims that the buyer did not comply with that efforts clause.

Key takeaways:

  • The Court provides an excellent collection of Delaware decisions that have wrestled with various permutations of “efforts clauses”. See footnotes 83 to 85 and accompanying text. The Court categorizes the collected decisions into the following groups, some of which are overlapping: (i) motions to dismiss (at the pleadings stage); (ii) post-trial decisions; (iii) post-merger decisions (often involving a related earn-out clause); and (iv) pre-merger decisions where the efforts clause applied to the satisfaction of a condition to closing.
  • The agreement involved in this case provided a contractual definition for “commercially reasonable efforts” as follows: “the exercise of such efforts and commitment of such resources by a company with substantially the same resources and expertise as [Cepahlon], with due regard to the nature of efforts and cost required for the undertaking at stake.”
  • The Court observed that the parties agreed that the foregoing is an “objective standard”, but the Court described the contractual definition as “inartfully” drafted and ambiguous. Also, in the context of denying a Motion to Dismiss this claim, the Court found that neither side offered a reasonable interpretation of this contract provision (as compared to another basis to deny an MTD: when both sides offer reasonable, but differing, interpretations.)
  • Based on Delaware’s version of Rule 12(b)(6)–which is not as stringent as the current Federal standard–the Court found that there was a “reasonably conceivable set of circumstances susceptible of proof” in which (allowing for factual issues at this early stage of the case), it could be shown that companies with similar resources and expertise as Cephalon are currently developing treatments for a similar antibody as the one at issue in this case.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2018/12/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-addresses-commercially-reasonable-efforts-standard/

Chancery Rules on Limits of Forum-Selection Clauses in Corporate Documents

A recent seminal decision of the Delaware Court of Chancery must be included in the lexicon of every lawyer who wants to understand the boundaries of Delaware law on forum-selection clauses in corporate documents. In the case of Sciabacucchi v. Salzberg, C.A. No. 2017-0931-JTL (Del. Ch. Dec. 19, 2018), the Court determined that a forum-selection clause in a certificate of incorporation was invalid and ineffective to the extent that it purported to “require any claim under the Securities Act of 1933 to be brought in federal court” (the “Federal Forum Provisions”).

Why this Case is Noteworthy: The court reasoned in its holding that: “The constitutive documents of a Delaware corporation cannot bind a plaintiff to a particular forum when the claim does not involve rights or relationships that were established by or under Delaware’s corporate law.  In this case, the Federal Forum Provisions attempt to accomplish that feat.  They are therefore ineffective and invalid.

Overview of Key Points:

This opinion is destined to form part of the bedrock of foundational Delaware corporate decisions and could rightly be the subject of a lengthy law review article, but for purposes of this quick blog post, I will merely highlight a few of the more notable excerpts in bullet points.

  • A substantial basis for the court’s reasoning was a prior decision from the Court of Chancery which upheld the validity of corporate bylaws that required claims based on the internal affairs doctrine and related claims to be brought exclusively in the Court of Chancery. That decision by the current Chief Justice of Delaware, writing at the time as the Chancellor, was Boilermakers Local 154 Retirement Fund v. Chevron Corp., 73 A.3d 934 (Del. Ch. June 25, 2018).
  • Although the Boilermakers case involved bylaws, the Sciabacucchi decision explained why that same reasoning applied to a certificate of incorporation which is governed by similar provisions in the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL). The court in Sciabacucchi explained that the reasoning in Boilermakers focused on the ability to enforce forum-selection clauses that related to the internal corporate matters of a Delaware corporation as opposed to external matters, such as claims arising under the Securities Act of 1933.
  • The Court buttressed its reasoning by referring to the codification of the Boilermakers decision, shortly after its publication, by means of the adoption of a new Section 115 of the DGCL. In connection with that new DGCL section, the Delaware General Assembly also passed new amendments to Sections 102 and 109 of the DGCL which prohibit fee-shifting provisions in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws particularly in connection with claims related to the internal affairs of a corporation as defined by DGCL Section 115.
  •  The Court’s reasoning was also supported by reference to what the court referred to as “first principles.” Those first principles included several basic tenets of corporate law such as the following: (i) Although the document filed with the state that gives rise to an artificial entity such as a corporation, and confers powers on it, is a contract, it is not an ordinary private contract among private actors; (ii) The certificate of incorporation is a multi-party contract that includes the State of Delaware. Unlike an ordinary contract, it also includes terms by reference that are imposed by the DGCL; (iii) Unlike an ordinary contract, a charter can only be amended to the extent that it complies with the DGCL; (iv) The DGCL specifies what provisions a charter may or may not include; and (v) Although the courts enforce both types of contracts, when enforcing relationships created by the corporate contract, the courts use an overlay of fiduciary duty. See pages 38 to 42 and footnotes 111 to 125.
  • A thorough analysis of the contours and policy behind the internal affairs doctrine is an important feature of this opinion. See, e.g., pages 41-46.

In sum, the court reasoned that the “constitutive documents of a Delaware corporation cannot bind the plaintiff to a particular forum when the claim does not involve rights or relationships that were established by or under Delaware’s corporate law.” The opinion provides extensive citations to substantial scholarship, case law and statutes.

Prof. Ann Lipton provides extensive insights in her blog post about this case with links to her articles on the topic. The good professor’s scholarship on this issue was also cited by the court in the above opinion.

Many cases have been highlighted on this blog regarding forum-selection clauses in private agreements. See, e.g., here and here. In some of the posts on these pages about cases involving forum-selection clauses, a graphic of the Roman Forum adds color as well as an etymological connection.

SUPPLEMENT: Professor Stephen Bainbridge, a prolific corporate law scholar, kindly links to this post on his blog.

Link: https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2018/12/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-rules-on-limits-of-forum-selection-clauses-in-corporate-documents/

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision is noteworthy for its finding that the adoption of a forum selection bylaw implied consent to jurisdiction to the extent that it required lawsuits by stockholders against the company to be filed in Delaware.  See In re: Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. Derivative Litigation, C.A. No. 2018-0058-JTL (consol.) (Del. Ch. Mar. 15, 2019).

Background:

The basic facts involved a challenge to the sale of a company that was orchestrated by the controlling stockholder who needed cash.  On the same day as the acquisition, the board of the nominal defendant approved a Delaware forum selection bylaw.  The court discussed the applicable standard of review and other topics, but the jurisdictional issues are more notable.

Key Takeaways:

·     The Court held that the controlling stockholder who appointed a majority of the board of the nominal defendant agreed to personal jurisdiction when it caused the company to adopt the Delaware forum selection bylaw—for claims covered by the forum bylaw.

·     In rejecting the parent’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction, the Court explained that:

“on the same day that the Acquisition was approved, the Board voted unanimously to adopt a forum-selection bylaw, with the Director Defendants whom Parent controlled constituting a five-member majority of the nine-member Board.  The bylaw made the Delaware courts the exclusive forum for breach of fiduciary litigation involving the Company.  This decision holds that on the facts alleged, Parent implicitly consented to personal jurisdiction in this court for purposes of claims falling within the forum-selection bylaw.”

The court explained, however, that the better practice would be to specifically provide, when drafting contractual provisions, that personal jurisdiction is expressly agreed to in a particular form.  See footnotes 5 to 8 which provide voluminous citations to authority and learned commentary on this topic.

There are many forum-selection clause cases featured on these pages, but this decision explores an aspect of forum-selection clauses that is not often analyzed directly by Delaware courts, as compared to other nuances.

For the 14th year, we provide a list of key Delaware corporate and commercial decisions from the prior year. This year, our list is co-authored by Chauna Abner in addition to yours truly, and appeared in the following article published in the Delaware Business Court Insider on January 2, 2019:

For the 14th year, we have created an annual list of important corporate and commercial decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery. This list is not by any means a complete list of important decisions of the two courts that were rendered this year. Instead, this list includes notable decisions that should be of widespread relevance to those who work in the corporate and commercial litigation field or follow the latest developments in this area of Delaware law. Prior annual reviews are available at this hyperlink. This list focuses on the unsung heroes among the many decisions that have not already been widely discussed by the mainstream press or legal trade publications.

Delaware Supreme Court Decisions

  • Aranda v. Phillip Morris USA, 183 A.3d 1245 (Del. 2018).

This Supreme Court decision should be required reading for anyone who has a forum non conveniens issue in Delaware. The opinion provides an overview of the Delaware law on forum non conveniens and clarifies that even if it is a minority view among the 50 states, Delaware only requires that the trial court “consider” whether an alternative forum is available as part of its analysis, and whether an alternative forum is available is not a deciding factor. In its analysis, the court explores three general categories of forum non conveniens cases. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion is available at this hyperlink.

  • Eagle Force Holdings v. Campbell, 187 A.3d 1209 (Del. 2018).

For the first time, the Delaware Supreme Court clarifies the test to determine whether a contract’s terms are sufficiently definite to create an enforceable contract. Before setting forth the test, this opinion discusses the intent necessary for parties to be bound. This opinion also explains the three basic requirements for a valid contract and addresses the ancillary issue of whether the Court of Chancery could impose sanctions for violation of a court order prior to establishing that it had personal jurisdiction over the person who violated the order. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion is available at this hyperlink.

  • Morrison v. Berry, 191 A.3d 268 (Del. 2018).

In this opinion, Delaware’s highest court limits the application of the Corwin doctrine and prohibits the cleansing effect of stockholder approval, in part due to inadequate disclosures. The opinion also explains the various nuances of the board’s duty of disclosure to stockholders, describes the duty of candor owed by directors to each other, and provides a definition of materiality as well as an explanation of when an omitted fact is material. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink.

  • Flood v. Synutra International, 2018 Del. LEXIS 460 (Del. Oct. 9, 2018).

In this opinion with a vigorous dissent, the Supreme Court clarifies the MFW standard that was announced in Kahn v. M&F Worldwide, 88 A.3d 635 (Del. 2014). The court explains whether the prerequisites that must be satisfied for the MFW standard to apply must be imposed as a condition of the deal at the absolute beginning of negotiations. The opinion also discusses whether due care violations were pleaded in the complaint. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink.

Delaware Court of Chancery Decisions

  • KT4 Partners v. Palantir Technologies, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 59 (Del. Ch. Feb. 22, 2018).

The Court of Chancery determined that a stockholder satisfied the prerequisites of Section 220 in this case to obtain certain corporate records. This 50-page decision can serve as a primer for the requirements of Section 220, to which judicial opinions have added prerequisites that are not found in the text of the statute. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink.

  • Feldman v. YIDL Trust, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 75 (Del. Ch. Mar. 5, 2018).

In this opinion, the Court of Chancery adds to the relatively modest body of case law interpreting Section 273 of the DGCL. The court applies Section 273 to dissolve a joint venture with two 50/50 stockholders that was deadlocked. This is analogous to a “no fault business divorce” but the remedy is discretionary and the court will not always grant dissolution. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink. Shortly after the court issued its decision, the respondent moved for relief from the court’s entry of judgment and the court denied the motion. See Feldman v. YIDL Trust, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 148 (Del. Ch. May 4, 2018).

  • PR Acquisitions v. Midland Funding, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 137 (Del. Ch. Apr. 30, 2018).

This Chancery decision is notable for enforcing the provisions in an agreement that provided a procedure and a comparatively short deadline for making claims for funds held in escrow. This decision was in the context of notice being mistakenly sent to the escrow agent when the agreement required that notice be sent to the seller. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink.

  • CBS v. National Amusements, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 157 (Del. Ch. May 17, 2018).

In this high profile case, the Court of Chancery denies the request of CBS, a minority shareholder, for a TRO that sought to prevent the efforts of the Redstone family from exercising its voting control regarding a potential deal with Viacom. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion is available at this hyperlink.

  • Basho Technologies Holdco B v. Georgetown Basho Investors, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 222 (Del. Ch. July 6, 2018).

This 126-page Court of Chancery opinion is a mini-treatise on the capacious capacity of the court to fashion creative and customized remedies when a breach of fiduciary duty is found. The opinion includes many key principles of Delaware corporate law and a description of different types of available remedies. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion is available at this hyperlink.

  • In Re Oxbow Carbon Unitholder Litigation, C.A. No. 12447-VCL (Del. Ch. Aug. 1, 2018).

In this opinion, the Court of Chancery provides the most comprehensive description of the broad and flexible authority of the Court of Chancery to fashion an appropriate customized equitable remedy in several decades. This decision should be treated as an indispensable reference for those involved in corporate or commercial litigation who might need to quote authoritative sources for the voluminous scope of the Court of Chancery’s flexible and customized equitable remedial powers. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion is available at this hyperlink.

  • Applied Energetics v. Farley, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 277 (Del. Ch. Aug. 14, 2018).

This Court of Chancery opinion is a must read for litigators who need to know the finer points of how the amount for a requisite bond is determined for purposes of obtaining an injunction. The court found problems with both parties’ estimates and essentially engaged in an abbreviated analysis of the appropriate measure of potential damages based on the claims in the case. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion is available at this hyperlink.

  • Godden v. Franco, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 283 (Del. Ch. Aug. 21, 2018).

In this opinion, the Court of Chancery explains several important principles that Delaware courts use to analyze issues in the LLC context, and interpretive rules involving LLC agreements. In doing so, the court provides a helpful analysis of the equitable powers of the court to fashion remedies in the context of an LLC—notwithstanding the often exaggerated explanation of LLCs as creatures of contract. In this vein, the court cites several exceptions to the concept of LLCs being purely a product of contract. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink.

  • Akorn v. Fresenius Kabi AG, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 325 (Oct. 1, 2018), aff’d, 2018 Del. LEXIS 548 (Del. Dec. 7, 2018).

This epic 246-page Court of Chancery opinion serves as a mini-treatise on several topics of importance to corporate and commercial litigators, including: interpretation of material adverse change clauses or material adverse effect clauses in merger agreements; and the meaning and application of the phrase “commercially reasonable efforts” or “reasonable best efforts” often found in merger agreements. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink. Notably, the Supreme Court affirmed the decision in a three-page order in December.

  • Lexington Services v. U.S. Patent No. 8019807 Delegate, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 509 (Del. Ch. Oct. 26, 2018).

In this opinion, the Court of Chancery recognizes that a non-signatory to an agreement may enforce the provisions of a forum-selection clause under certain conditions. In doing so, the court discusses two principles of well-established Delaware law: the general enforceability of forum-selection clauses in Delaware; and the ability of officers and directors of an entity subject to a forum-selection clause to invoke its benefits when they were closely involved in the creation of the entity and were being sued as a result of acts that directly implicated the negotiation of the agreement that led to the entity’s creation. A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink.

  • Decco U.S. Post-Harvest v. MirTech, 2018 Del. Ch. LEXIS 545 (Del. Ch. Nov. 28, 2018).

This Court of Chancery opinion adds to the modest body of Delaware case law that addresses whether an LLC should be dissolved based on the statutory standard that it is “not reasonably practicable” to carry on the LLC. The court explains that in determining the purpose for which an LLC was formed, it may not only look at the purpose-clause in the LLC’s operating agreement, but also to “other evidence … as long as the court is not asked to engage in speculation.” A synopsis of the decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink.

  • Sciabacucchi v. Salzberg, C.A. No. 2017-0931-JTL (Del. Ch. Dec. 19, 2018).

This recent seminal decision of the Court of Chancery must be included in the lexicon of every lawyer who wants to understand the boundaries of Delaware law on forum-selection clauses in corporate documents. The court determined that a forum-selection clause in a certificate of incorporation was invalid and ineffective to the extent that it purported to “require any claim under the Securities Act of 1933 to be brought in federal court” (the “Federal-Forum Provisions”). A synopsis of this decision and a link to the full opinion are available at this hyperlink.

Francis G.X. Pileggi is a litigation partner and vice-chair of the commercial litigation practice group at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott. Contact him at fpileggi@eckertseamans.com. He comments on key corporate and commercial decisions and legal ethics rulings at www.delawarelitigation.com.

Chauna A. Abner is an associate in the firm’s commercial litigation practice group.

Supplement: Prof. Stephen Bainbridge, a nationally-prominent corporate law scholar, kindly linked to this post and described it as: “a must read for anybody working in corporate law.”

The above post originally was published as an article, and is reprinted with permission from the Jan. 2, 2019 edition of the Delaware Business Court Insider(c). 2019 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Delaware Business Court Insider again published this year’s Annual Review, reprinted below with the courtesy of The Delaware Business Court Insider. (c) 2020 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.

This is the 17th year that Francis Pileggi has published an annual list of key corporate and commercial decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery, often with co-authors. This list does not attempt to include all important decisions of those two courts that were rendered in 2021. Instead, this list highlights notable decisions that should be of widespread interest to those who work in the corporate and commercial litigation field or who follow the latest developments in this area of Delaware law. Prior annual reviews are available here.

This year’s list focuses, with some exceptions, on the unsung heroes among the many decisions that have not already been widely discussed by the mainstream press or legal trade publications. Links are also provided below to the actual court decisions and longer summaries.

DELAWARE SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

Supreme Court Confirms Impact of Bankruptcy on LLC Membership

A recent Delaware Supreme Court ruling endorsed the reasoning of a Delaware Court of Chancery decision holding that federal bankruptcy law does not entirely preempt the Delaware LLC Act to the extent that the LLC Act provides for a member of an LLC to become an assignee only, with economic rights, upon the filing of bankruptcy by that member, in Zachman v. Realtime Cloud Services LLC, 228 A.3d 1065 (Del. April 20, 2021).

Delaware High Court Finds First State Charter Outweighs Other Factors in Dole Foods Choice-of-Law Ruling

The Delaware Supreme Court decided a consequential case in 2021 addressing choice-of-law and fraud-exclusion issues in connection with requiring D&O insurers to pay settlements with investors who claimed that the CEO of Dole Foods Company Inc. cheated them in a going-private buyout.  RUSI Indemnity Co. Inc. v. Murdock, et al., No. 154, 2020 (Del. March 3, 2021).  Among the reasons that this decision is noteworthy is because it established the applicability of Delaware law to the insurance policy of a company incorporated in Delaware, but which had many contacts elsewhere.  Also, importantly, the court determined that insurance coverage would not be defeated simply because it covered payment for the settlement of fraud allegations.  The high court added that Delaware does not have a public policy against the insurability of losses occasioned by fraud, reasoning that Delaware’s statutory indemnification provisions allow corporations to purchase D&O insurance against any liability whether or not the corporation has the power to indemnify against such liability.

Delaware Rules Shareholder Franchise Right Question Tops Entire Fairness Test

In Coster v. UIP Companies, Inc., et al., No. 29, 2020 (Del. June 28, 2021), the unanimous opinion of Delaware’s high court en banc required that on remand the Court of Chancery determine if a board acted for inequitable purposes or in good faith, but for the primary purpose of disenfranchisement without a “compelling justification,” in connection with a stock sale intended to shift the power balance between rival deadlocked stockholder fashions, even if the sale were fairly negotiated.  If the trial court found after remand that the transaction was intended for inequitable purposes without a compelling justification, the trial court could consider available remedies including cancelling the stock sale and considering the appointment of a custodian.  Chief Justice Seitz wrote for the Supreme Court that the sanctity of the shareholder franchise superseded entire fairness review based on the circumstances of this case.

Supreme Court Clarifies Test for Direct v. Derivative Stockholder Claims

Although this is a decision that has already received widespread commentary, the Supreme Court decision in Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. v. Rosson [TerraForm], No. 406, 2020 (Del. Sept. 20, 2021), is a seminal decision that every corporate litigator must be aware of because it redefines and clarifies the test in Delaware to distinguish between a direct stockholder claim and a derivative stockholder claim.

Supreme Court Clarifies Pre-Suit Demand Analysis

Another Supreme Court decision that has already been the subject of extensive analysis but is still required reading for all corporate litigators is United Food and Commercial Workers’ Union and Participating Food Industry Employers Tri-State Pension Fund v. Zuckerberg, No. 404, 2020 (Del. Sept. 23, 2021), because it clarifies and restates the law in Delaware for the analysis of pre-suit demand futility for purposes of pursuing a derivative stockholder claim.

Supreme Court Decides Important Contract Dispute in Sale of Business

The Supreme Court of Delaware affirmed an epic Delaware Court of Chancery decision that found a breach of an agreement of sale that permitted the buyer to avoid consummation of the purchase for failure to comply with the “ordinary course covenant” in connection with how the business was managed between the date the agreement of sale was signed and the date of closing.  See AB Stable VIII LLC v. MAPS Hotels and Resorts One LLC, Del. Supr., No. 71, 2021 (Dec. 8, 2021).  The Supreme Court explained that the seller was required to obtain the prior written consent of the buyer before making the changes that it made, and distinguished the separate reasoning that applied to the material adverse change clause.

DELAWARE COURT OF CHANCERY DECISIONS

Company’s Privileged Communications Must Be Provided to Board Members

The Court of Chancery decided an issue of first impression in Delaware by rejecting the argument that the management of a Delaware corporation has the authority to unilaterally preclude a director of the corporation from obtaining privileged information of the corporation.  See In re WeWork Litigation, No. 2020-0258-AGB (Del. Ch. Aug. 21, 2021).

Recent Chancery Decision Addresses Dissolution Based on LLC Deadlock

The Delaware Court of Chancery penned a seminal decision that explains the analysis necessary to determine when a deadlock in an LLC might be the basis for a dissolution.  In Mehra v. Teller, C.A. No. 2019-0812-KSJM (Del. Ch. Jan. 29, 2021), the court addressed whether there was a failure to achieve the votes necessary for board action and whether the board deadlock was genuine or merely manufactured to force the appearance of a deadlock.

Chancery Keeps Dissolution Case Despite Mandatory NY Forum Clause

Although the general rule in Delaware is that forum selection clauses will be upheld, even if they require litigation to be conducted in states outside of Delaware, an exception to the rule was applied to keep a dissolution case in Delaware notwithstanding a contrary mandatory forum selection clause, in Seokoh, Inc. v. Lard-PT, LLC, C.A. No. 2020-0613-JRS (Del. Ch. March 30, 2021).

Self-Sacrifice Not Required of Controlling Stockholder

A useful Chancery decision that is bound to be of widespread applicability is the ruling in RCS Creditor Trust v. Schorsch, C.A. No. 2017-0178-SG (Del. Ch. March 18, 2021), in which the court explained that the fiduciary duties of a majority or a controlling stockholder do not require self-sacrifice, nor do they mean that such a fiduciary forfeits her contractual rights.

Chancery Addresses Forum Non Conveniens

Delaware law has evolved regarding the nuances of forum non conveniens, and those most recent iterations are explained in the Chancery decision styled Sweeny v. RPD Holdings Group, LLC, C.A. No. 2020-0813-SG (Del. Ch. May 27, 2021).

Chancery Recognizes Reverse Veil-Piercing

The Delaware Court of Chancery recently recognized “outside reverse veil-piercing,” as compared to “insider reverse veil-piercing.”  The former iteration was explained based on the unusual circumstances present in Manichaean Capital, LLC v. Exela Technologies, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0601-JRS (Del. Ch. May 25, 2021).

Chancery Clarifies Standard to Shift Fees for Improper Litigation Conduct

The Court of Chancery’s pithy ruling in Pettry v. Gilead Sciences, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0132-KSJM (Del. Ch. July 22, 2021), remains noteworthy for its guidance that provides litigators in general, and corporate litigators in particular, with a definition of “glaringly egregious,” and helps to clarify where the line is drawn for determining when fees will be shifted for inappropriate litigation conduct.  This decision gives greater instruction for what behavior will be sufficient to trigger the exception to the general American Rule that each party pays its own legal fees.

Can Fiduciary of a Debtor Assist a Creditor-Entity that Fiduciary Has Interest In?

The Court of Chancery addressed the titular topic in Skye Mineral Investors, LLC v. DXS Capital (U.S.) Limited, C.A. No. 2018-0059-JRS (Del. Ch. July 28, 2021).

Chancery: LLC Managers Breached Fiduciary Duties

The Chancery decision in Stone & Paper Investors, LLC v. Blanch, C.A. No. 2018-0394-PAF (Del. Ch. July 30, 2021), deserves attention for its treatment of well-established principles of fiduciary duty with widespread applicability in the LLC context, absent unambiguous waiver.  Also noteworthy, is the explanation about why the circumstances of this case allowed breach of contract claims to proceed to the extent that they did not overlap the fiduciary claims–and why both were permitted to be pursued through trial.

Chancery Explains Policy Limits to Contractual Restrictions on Fraud Claims

In connection with perennial post-closing claims related to the sale of a business, the Chancery decision in Online Healthnow, Inc. v. CIP OCL Investments, LLC, C.A. No. 2020-0654-JRS (Del. Ch. Aug. 12, 2021), explains the consequential nuances about what specific language in an agreement of sale will allow, or will bar, certain types of fraud claims.  The money quote from the decision provides the best insight into its holding: “Under Delaware law, a party cannot invoke provisions of a contract it knew to be an instrument of fraud as a means to avoid a claim grounded in that very same contractual fraud.”

Chancery Clarifies When Forum Selection Clause Binds Non-Signatory

While it may be surprising to some, quite a few Delaware decisions have bound non-signatories to forum selection clauses.  The Chancery decision in Florida Chemical Company, LLC v. Flotek Industries, Inc., C.A. No. 2021-0288-JTL (Del. Ch. Aug. 17, 2021), provides the most thorough analysis of the titular topic, with scholarly insights and copious citations that explain the theoretical and public policy underpinnings that support the decision to bind a non-signatory to a forum selection clause, and the prerequisites for doing so.

Chancery Does Deep Dive into Corporate Dissolution Details and Winding-up Process

Those interested in the not self-evident winding-up process in connection with the dissolution of a corporation under Delaware law need to read the Court of Chancery decision styled:  In re Altaba, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0413-JTL (Del. Ch. Oct. 8, 2021), which provides an extensive analysis of the statutory provisions for the dissolution of corporations and a description of the corresponding winding-up process.

Chancery Declines to Follow First-Filed Rule in Advancement Case

A recent Chancery decision explained why the first-filed rule was not applied in an advancement case under Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.  See Lay v. Ram Telecom International, Inc., C.A. No. 2021-0631-SG (Del. Ch. Oct. 4, 2021).

Chancery Provides Guidelines for Non-Delaware Lawyers Issuing Formal Delaware Legal Opinion Letters

The Court of Chancery in Bandera Master Fund LP v. Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, C.A. No. 2018-0372-JTL (Del. Ch. Nov. 12, 2021), provides comprehensive detail of the factual background of the issuance of a formal legal opinion letter in connection with a transaction, and provides a thorough analysis of problems with that letter in a 194-page decision which also offers guidance to lawyers around the country who are involved in issuing a formal opinion letter based on Delaware law.  The court found that the formal opinion letter given in the transaction at issue was not rendered in good faith, and explained what lawyers need to do in order to make sure the formal opinion letters that they grant do not suffer the same fate.

Chancery Clarifies Officer Consent Statute

Several years ago the Delaware Supreme Court expanded the prior interpretation of Delaware’s consent statute that imposes personal jurisdiction on directors and officers who agree to service in that capacity for Delaware corporations.  The contours of that expansion continue to be clarified and defined for those situations where there has been no breach of fiduciary duty.  See BAM International, LLC v. MSBA Group, Inc., C.A. No. 2021-0181-SG (Del. Ch. Dec. 14, 2021).

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SUPPLEMENT: Professor Stephen Bainbridge, one of Delaware’s favorite corporate law scholars, and one of the most prominent corporate law expert’s in the country, was kind enough to link to this article and described it as “essential reading”.

*Francis G.X. Pileggi is the managing partner of the Delaware office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, and the primary author of the Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Blog at www.delawarelitigation.com.

**Ciro C. Poppiti, III practices in the Delaware office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP.

***Cheneise V. Wright is a corporate and commercial litigation associate in the Delaware office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP.

16th Annual Review of Key Delaware Corporate and Commercial Decisions

By: Francis G.X. Pileggi and Chauna A. Abner

This is the 16th year that Francis Pileggi has published an annual list of key corporate and commercial decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery. This list does not attempt to include all important decisions of those two courts that were rendered in 2020. Instead, this list highlights notable decisions that should be of widespread interest to those who work in the corporate and commercial litigation field or who follow the latest developments in this area of Delaware law. Prior annual reviews are available here.

The Delaware Business Court Insider again published this year’s Annual Review though it appeared in two parts due to its length, in last week’s edition and in this week’s edition. Part I and Part II are reprinted below with the courtesy of The Delaware Business Court Insider. (c) 2020 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.

This year’s list focuses, with some exceptions, on the unsung heroes among the many decisions that have not already been widely discussed by the mainstream press or legal trade publications. For example, the Sciabacucchi; Solera; and AB Stable (Anbang) cases have already been the subject of extensive commentary by others. Links are also provided below to the actual court decisions and longer summaries.

DELAWARE SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

Supreme Court Instructs on Nuances of Fiduciary Duties of Disclosure and Loyalty

A Delaware Supreme Court decision from 2020 that deserves to be read by anyone interested in the nuances of Delaware law on the fiduciary duties of disclosure and loyalty of a manager or a director in connection with communications with stockholders or others to whom a fiduciary duty is owed, is Dohmen v. Goodman, No. 403, 2019 (Del. June 23, 2020), in which Delaware’s High Court answered a question on this topic certified from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Key Takeaways:

There is a “per se damages rule” in Delaware that covers only those breaches of the fiduciary duty of disclosure involving requests for stockholder action that impair the economic or voting rights of investors. Importantly, this per se damages rule only covers nominal damages. Again, for emphasis: the per se damages rule does not apply to damages other than nominal damages. Therefore, in order to recover compensatory damages, one who proves a breach of the fiduciary duty of disclosure must also prove reliance, causation and damages. See Slip op. at 24.

The Court in its en banc opinion provides a useful overview of fiduciary duties in general, and addresses the many nuances–that change depending on the situation presented–of the duty of disclosure in particular as it relates to requests for action by stockholders or others to whom a fiduciary duty is owed.　 See Slip op. at 9-10.

Brief Overview of the Case:

The procedural background of the case involved an issue of Delaware law that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit certified to the Delaware Supreme Court. In other words, the Ninth Circuit asked the Delaware Supreme Court to decide an issue of Delaware law that was originally presented to the Ninth Circuit.

This gem of a 24-page opinion, which is relatively short for many Delaware opinions, was decided based on stipulated facts, which in a very simplified way, decided a claim by a limited partner in a hedge fund, who as limited partner in a limited partnership was owed a duty by the fund manager, which was structured as an LLC. Among the claims by the limited partner was that the general partner of the limited partnership, the LLC manager, breached fiduciary duties by failing to disclose that the general partner was the only investor in the fund other than the suing limited partner, and related omissions or misrepresentations.

Delaware Fiduciary Duty Law:

In connection with its decision, the Delaware Supreme Court recited several useful truisms of Delaware law. For example, the agreements at issue did not disclaim the fiduciary duty of loyalty, and therefore, the general partner owed fiduciary duties to the limited partners, similar to those owed by directors of Delaware corporations. See footnotes 15 through 16.

The Court recited the very nuanced and multifaceted aspects of the fiduciary duties of care and loyalty that applied to communications with stockholders or limited partners. Those duties depend on the context of the communication, and whether the communication is to an individual stockholder or to a group of stockholders. See footnotes 18 through 32 and accompanying text.

The Court described several different types of factual situations which impact the application of the duty owed in connection with communications that involve a request for stockholder action, as compared to those that might involve merely periodic financial disclosures. The per se damages rule does not apply to the latter.

The Court discussed the most important Delaware decisions involving the duty of disclosure and how it is applied in various factual circumstances.

Bottom Line:

The Court explained that the per se damages rule only applies when a director seeks stockholder action and breaches their fiduciary duty of disclosure, in which case a stockholder may seek equitable relief or damages. That is, when directors seek stockholder action, and the directors fail to disclosure material facts bearing on that decision, a beneficiary need not demonstrate other elements of proof, such as reliance, causation or damages. This rule only applies to nominal damages and does not extend to compensatory damages. See Slip op. at 10 through 11.

Link to original post on these pages about this case.

 

Supreme Court Interprets Key Words in Agreement

A Delaware Supreme Court decision from May 2020 is noteworthy for the approach it takes in determining the meaning of a word in an agreement, for example, by parsing the syntax and sentence structure where the word at issue appears in the agreement. In Borealis Power Holdings Inc. v. Hunt Strategic Utility Investment, L.L.C., No. 68, 2020 (Del. May 22, 2020), the Delaware Supreme Court provides useful guidance about how to determine the meaning of a key word in an agreement. In this matter, despite a lengthy definition in the agreement of the word “transfer”, the parties still disputed its meaning.

Background:

The underlying dispute involved a complex constellation of interrelated entities which the Court provided a graphic description of by way of a chart. The essential facts on which the dispute was based involved the interpretation of an LLC agreement which imposed restrictions on the transfer of LLC units and provided for the right of first refusal and other provisions triggered by a “transfer.” Several terms were defined in the agreement–with rather lengthy definitions–but the definitions did not provide sufficient clarity. The most consequential definition that was disputed was the meaning in the context of the agreement of the word “transfer.”

The problem presented to the Court of Chancery was whether the sale of an interest triggered either a right of first refusal and/or a right of first offer, and if both applied, which was to be given priority.

The Court of Chancery concluded that a sale by Hunt of its shares to Borealis would be a “transfer.” The Supreme Court had a different view.

The finding by the Court of Chancery that the purchase of Hunt’s shares constituted a transfer, triggered the requirement to offer the shares to Sempra. As a result of other consequences of that holding, the Court of Chancery found that Sempra was the only party with the right to purchase the Hunt shares, and entered judgment in favor of Sempra. This expedited appeal followed an expedited trial. It remains noteworthy that this opinion came only 30 days after the final submission of the appeal to the Supreme Court.

Analysis by the Supreme Court:

The Supreme Court held that the right of first refusal in Section 3.9 of the agreement at issue is only triggered by transfers by the Minority Member and its Permitted Transferees, and that Hunt is neither. Put another way, Delaware’s High Court held that the fact that the right of first refusal is only triggered by transfers by the Minority Member is dispositive in favor of Borealis, regardless of whether the Hunt Sale could be said to effect an indirect transfer.

One of the agreements involved was governed by New York law and one was governed by Delaware law–but the Court noted that the law of both states as it relates to contract interpretation in this case is the same. See footnote 22.

Two other footnotes contain important observations of Delaware law that are especially worth remembering:

(1) The management of an LLC is vested in proportion to the then-current percentage or other interest of members in the profits of the LLC owned by all the members, and “the decision of members owning more than 50% of the said percentage or other interest in the profits [is] controlling.” Footnote 27; see Section 18-402 of the Delaware LLC Act.

(2) Also noteworthy is the observation by the Court that an argument that was only raised in a footnote would justify “passing over it” because footnotes, according to Delaware Supreme Court Rules, “shall not be used for argument ordinarily included in the body of a brief.” Footnote 28. See Del. Sup. Ct. R. 14 (d)(iv).

The most noteworthy parts of this pithy 21-page decision are found in the last few pages which include the core of the Court’s reasoning.

In particular, the most memorable part of the Court’s reasoning is the parsing by the Court of the syntax and sentence structure of the agreement in order to interpret the meaning of a particular word in the agreement. The Court focuses on the “subject of the operative sentence” in Section 3.1, of which “the verb phrase ‘may only transfer’ serves as the predicate.” The Court further explains that the subject of the operative sentence is neither accidental nor unimportant because it is the same subject for which the verb phrase “intends to transfer” serves as the predicate in section 3.9.

The Court added that the subject, which is stated conjunctively, does not include Hunt. Therefore, the Court reasoned that it was unnecessary and inappropriate to parse the definition of transfer, as defined in the agreement, to determine the scope of Section 3.1 and Section 3.9, because: “the subjects of the opening sentences in both of those sections do that for us.” See Slip Op. at 20 – 21.

In sum:

Although the detailed factual background needs to be reviewed more closely in order to fully understand the Court’s reasoning, for anyone who wants to understand Delaware law regarding proper contract interpretation, and interpretation of the meaning of a word, even when it is defined in an agreement, this opinion is must-reading.

Link to original post.

 

Delaware Supreme Clarifies Contract-Based Right to Corporate Records

A Delaware Supreme Court opinion issued in July 2020 should be required reading for anyone interested in the latest iteration of Delaware law on the contract-based right to demand “books and records” in the alternative entity context. Delaware’s High Court ruled in Murfey v. WHC Ventures, LLC, No. 294, 2019 (Del. July 13, 2020), that the Court of Chancery erred by interjecting into a limited partnership agreement a statutory requirement from Section 17-805 of the Delaware LLC Act that did not appear in the parties’ agreement.

The great importance of this ruling can best be appreciated by emphasizing that the Court did not opine in any manner on the statutory requirements for demanding books and records of a business entity–about which we recently provided an overview of key decisions on this topic, with the title of: Demands for Corporate Documents Not for the Fainthearted.

We will add to that characterization of Delaware decisions interpreting statutory provisions for demanding corporate documents, a general observation based on the instant decision: Contract-based demands for books and records of business entities are not for the fainthearted either. A few reasons that support our observation include the following:

  • This Supreme Court decision features the en banc Justices split 3-2, along with a less-than-common reversal of a Chancery decision. So, that procedural note underscores that 6 of the best legal minds in Delaware (5 jurists on the high court and 1 in Chancery rendering opinions in this case) cannot find unanimity on this issue.
  • The original demand in this case was made on January 10, 2018. The Chancery complaint was filed in September 2018. Through no fault of the court system, this final decision on appeal came down on July 13, 2020. About 2 years is still lightening-fast for the period from filing a complaint to a final decision by a state’s highest court, but that still implies substantial legal fees and the need for financial and other types of stamina for someone who is serious about seeking corporate records.
  • Although this decision provides authoritative guidance on this nuance of Delaware business litigation, a careful parsing of the opinion still reveals a fertile field for indeterminacy–which makes it a challenge for the lawyers toiling in this vineyard who are trying to predict the outcome of this type of contract interpretation dispute–even if one need not be concerned with applying the multitude of court decisions applying the statutory provisions for inspection rights in this context.
  • We will end our introductory observations on a positive note: despite the plethora of case law interpreting the various statutory provisions for demanding books and records, such as Section 220 and Section 18-305, this decision is a welcome addition to the relatively few published Delaware opinions that address the purely contract-based right to books and records of an alternative entity.

Basic Factual Background:

Based on the assumption that readers of this post are familiar with the basics of Delaware law in this area, we are only highlighting the irreducible minimum amount of facts to provide context for the key legal principles announced.

This case followed a typical pattern. The company provided some documents initially, and at the time of trial the only issue was the very limited documents the company refused to produce.

Somewhat unusual was that only one specific type of document was the subject of the trial court decision and the appeal: the K-1 of the other limited partners in the limited partnership. Although the company allowed counsel for the plaintiff and the plaintiff’s valuation expert to review those K-1s, they refused to let the plaintiffs themselves review the K-1s of other limited partners–even subject to the common confidentiality agreement.

The limited partnership agreements involved allowed for a rather broad scope of documents to be demanded, including tax returns which were specifically listed as being subject to production. The company took the curious position that a K-1 (of other limited partners) was not part of the tax returns of the company–or at least not within the scope of documents they need to produce.

Primary Issue Addressed on Appeal:

Whether the Court of Chancery erred by injecting into the terms of the agreement that provided for a right to books and records–additional statutory prerequisites. Short answer: yes.

High Court’s Reasoning–Key Takeaways:

The majority opinion made quick work of dispensing with the defense that valuation was not a valid basis for requesting the disputed documents or that tax returns were not needed to complete a valuation. See, e.g., footnotes 65 and 66 as well as related text. More notably, the Court found that the statutory notion of a “proper purpose” was not applicable to contract-based demands. See, e.g., footnote 53 and accompanying text (quoting with approval prior decisions so holding.)

Also noteworthy is the Court’s reference to dictionary definitions of words, including prepositions, at issue in this case. See footnotes 32 and 33.

The Court reviewed many prior Delaware decisions that addressed when, if ever, it would be appropriate to infer words or conditions that do not appear in the terms of an agreement, such as statutory prerequisites. Slip op. at 18-25.

A key part of the Court’s reasoning was that: because the partnership agreements involved

… do not expressly condition the limited partner’s inspection rights on satisfying a “necessary and essential” condition [a statutory concept], and given the obvious importance of tax return and partnership capital contribution information to the Partnerships’ investors, as evidenced by the agreements, we are not persuaded that such a condition should be implied. Slip op. at 25.

The majority opinion’s “rebuttal” of the dissenting opinion deserves to be read in its entirety. Slip op. at 32 to 37. Two especially notable excerpts:

  • “The words ‘necessary and essential’ do not appear in the written agreements”. Slip op. at 35.
  • “… we also do not agree that the parties to a limited partnership agreement have to expressly disclaim any conditions applied in the Section 220 context (or the Section 17-305 context….)” Footnote 85.

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Supreme Court Rejects Two Common Defenses to Section 220 Demands

A recent decision from the Delaware Supreme Court provides hope to stockholders who seek to obtain corporate documents pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law to the extent that Delaware’s High Court removed two common defenses that companies use to oppose the production of corporate records to stockholders. In AmerisourceBergen Corporation v. Lebanon County Employees Retirement Fund, No. 60, 2020 (Del. Dec. 10, 2020), the two most important aspects of the ruling are that:

(i) A stockholder making a Section 220 demand need not demonstrate that the wrongdoing being investigated is “actionable;” and

(ii) When the purpose of a Section 220 demand is to investigate potential wrongdoing and mismanagement, the stockholder is not required to “specify the ends to which it might use” the corporate records requested (i.e., exactly what it will do with the documents it receives).

Over the last 15 years we have highlighted many of the frustrating aspects of decisions construing Section 220 to the extent that one needs stamina and economic fortitude to pursue what oftentimes is an unsatisfying result. See, e.g.,recent overview on this topic.

This decision should be in the toolbox of every corporate litigator not only because it announces a new path for Section 220 cases and reminds us of the basic prerequisites of the statute, but also in light of it partially overruling and distinguishing some prior cases. This opinion also confirms that several Chancery decisions that were not in harmony with this decision should no longer be followed.

Key Takeaways:

•　　　　　　　One of the most important takeaways from this decision is that the Court clarified that when the purpose of a Section 220 demand is to investigate potential mismanagement, the stockholder is “not required to specify the ends to which it might use” the corporate documents requested.　 See page 22.

•　　　　　　　The second most important takeaway from this case is the Court’s holding that a stockholder pursuing a Section 220 demand need not demonstrate that the alleged wrongdoing is “actionable.” See page 25.

•　　　　　　　The three prerequisites (not including the many nuances) for successfully pursuing a Section 220 demand to inspect a corporation’s books and records requires a stockholder to establish that: (1) such stockholder is actually a stockholder; (2) such stockholder has complied with Section 220 respecting the form and manner of making demand for inspection of such documents; and (3) the inspection such stockholder seeks is for a proper purpose. See pages 12-13.

•　　　　　　　The Court recited the many examples of proper purposes that have been recognized to be reasonably related to the interest of the requesting stockholder. See footnote 30 for a lengthy list, which includes “to communicate with other stockholders in order to effectuate changes in management policies.”

•　　　　　　　The Court reiterated the well-known requirement that when the proper purpose of a stockholder making a Section 220 demand is to investigate potential mismanagement, a stockholder needs to demonstrate “a credible basis” from which the court may infer that “there is possible mismanagement that would warrant more investigation.” See page 15.

•　　　　　　 Although a credible basis of wrongdoing needs to be presented by a preponderance of the evidence to pursue the proper purpose of investigating potential wrongdoing, a company will not be permitted to mount a merits-based defense of such potential wrongdoing. See page 37.

•　　　　　　　Moreover, while trying to harmonize prior decisions on these nuances, the Court observed that some of the decisions struck a discordant note. See footnote 109.

•　　　　　　　The Court also affirmed the following two aspects of the Court of Chancery’s ruling: (1) regarding the scope of documents, the Court found that it was appropriate to include a requirement that the company produce officer-level materials and (2) the high Court found it was not an abuse of discretion to order a Rule 30(b)(6) deposition–because the company refused to describe the types and custodians of corporate records that it had in response to discovery requests. See pages 39 and 43.

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DELAWARE CHANCERY COURT DECISIONS

Chancery Provides Refreshing Section 220 Guidance

The Delaware Court of Chancery rendered a decision in November 2020 that belongs in the pantheon of noteworthy Court opinions addressing the nuances, first principles and practical challenges regarding Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. There are many decisions on this topic addressing the right of stockholders to demand inspection of corporate records, but few are as “blogworthy” as this decision in Pettry v. Gilead Sciences, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0173-KSJM (Del. Ch. Nov. 24, 2020). Compare another pantheon-worthy Chancery decision earlier this year in AmerisourceBergen. See Lebanon Cnty. Emps. Ret. Fund v. AmerisourceBergen Corp., 2020 WL 132752 (Del. Ch. Jan. 13, 2020), which was affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court.

Weighing in at 69-pages, this opinion’s length is indicative of the complexities of Section 220 that are belied by the apparent simplicity of the statute. Our favorite part of this decision is the acknowledgement that when pursuing the statutory rights that Section 220 appears to allow, one can easily be stymied by the gamesmanship of companies who can play a war of attrition, usually with impunity, in light of the asymmetrical economics involved. See Slip op. at 3-5 and footnote 6 (citing an article addressing the obstacles to pursuing Section 220 rights: James D. Cox, et al., The Paradox of Delaware’s “Tools at Hand Doctrine: An Empirical Investigation,” 75 Bus. Law. 2123, 2150 (2020)).

Similar observations about the practical hindrances, economic and otherwise, to utilizing Section 220 have often been the topic of blog posts over the last 15 years. See, e.g., recent blog post explaining that Section 220 cases are not for the fainthearted.

This Gilead case provides guidance on an important topic that warrants a very lengthy analysis. We provide highlights via bullet points, and then interested readers can click on the above link and read all 69-pages.

The bullet points that we find to have the most widespread applicability and importance are the following:

• The Court criticizes the trend in which companies often inappropriately litigate the underlying merits of a potential, future plenary suit as opposed to addressing whether the prerequisites have been met for a Section 220 demand, as well as the tendency of companies to otherwise prevent stockholders from using Section 220 as a “quick and easy pre-filing discovery tool.” Slip op. at 3-4.

• The Court provides many quotable explanations of the “credible basis” standard that must be satisfied in order to rely on the proper purpose of investigating suspected wrongdoing. The Court emphasizes that this “lowest possible burden of proof” does not require a stockholder to prove that any wrongdoing actually occurred; nor does it require a stockholder to show by a preponderance of the evidence that wrongdoing is even probable. Slip op. at 23, footnotes 103 and 104.

• Rather, the Court instructed that the recognized proper purpose for using Section 220 to investigate suspected wrongdoing is satisfied when there is a credible basis to suspect merely the “possibility” of wrongdoing. Id. at 24, n.106.

• The Court addresses the common tactic used by companies challenging a proper purpose when they assert that the “stated proper purpose is not the actual proper purpose for the demand.” This opinion teaches that in order to succeed in such a defense, the company must prove that the “plaintiff pursued its claim under false pretenses. Such a showing is fact intensive and difficult to establish.” See footnote 153 and accompanying text.

• The Court made quick work of dispensing with the issue of standing in Section 220 cases. The Court reasoned that the standing argument in this case was in reality a Potemkin Village (our words) for the company’s challenge to the viability of derivative claims that the plaintiffs might pursue in the future. Although the Court discussed standing under Section 220 in general, it also underscored that a Section 220 proceeding does not warrant a trial on the merits of underlying claims. Slip op. at 41–42.

• The Court instructed that generally Section 220 plaintiffs need not specify the “end-uses” of the data requested for their investigation. Slip op. at 49.

• The Court also provided helpful practical tips about the scope of production required once the preliminary prerequisites of Section 220 have been satisfied. The Court noted that in some instances the company will be required to provide more than simply formal board materials. See Slip op. at 51-54.

• The opinion acknowledged that in some instances after limited discovery in a Section 220 action, plaintiffs can refine their requests with greater precision and that in some cases the Court has asked the plaintiffs to streamline their requests. See Slip op. at 63.

• In response to the Court being vexed by the overly aggressive tactics of the company, the Court invited the plaintiff to “seek leave to move for fee shifting.” As one example of the Court’s observation that the company was taking positions for no apparent purpose other than obstructing the exercise of the statutory rights of the plaintiff, the Court noted that the company refused to produce even a single document before litigation commenced.

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Must-Read Chancery Decision for Buyers of Businesses Whose Value Depends on Retaining Customer Relationships

The Delaware Court of Chancery in August 2020 addressed the issue of whether a seller was liable for not disclosing the notification it received prior to closing that one or more key customers were terminating their relationship with the seller’s business. Swipe Acquisition Corporation v. Krauss, C.A. No. 2019-0509-PAF (Del. Ch. Aug. 25, 2020). The Court’s decision and other decisions cited below must be read by anyone who seeks a deep understanding of Delaware law on this topic.

Key Issue Addressed:

When will a fraud claim survive in connection with a purchase agreement that restricts claims for misrepresentations and limits claims for indemnification? In this case, most of the motion to dismiss was denied, but one of the reasons this decision is noteworthy is because it exposes the lack of a bright-line-rule on this issue when compared to other decisions addressing the same or similar issues–depending on the specific terms of the anti-reliance clause involved and the specific claims of fraudulent misrepresentations or omissions.

As an indication of how common this issue is, a few days before this ruling the Court of Chancery issued another decision that addressed the issue: Pilot Air Freight, LLC v. Manna Freight Systems, Inc., No. 2019-0992-VCS (Del. Ch. Sept. 18, 2020).

Key Facts of Swipe case:

This case involves a dispute over the lack of disclosure by the seller prior to closing when the seller learned that a key customer was claiming to terminate its business relationship even though the sales price was impacted by the existence of key customers. The sellers knew that if the buyers learned of the termination by the key customer involved that the deal might not close. See Slip op. at 8. Nonetheless, the sellers did not inform the buyers of the termination of the key customer at issue. Moreover, the sellers did not amend any of the financial information provided to the buyers, which had then become stale. Id. at 9. Based on weaker-than-expected performance before the closing, the buyers and the sellers did agree to reduce the purchase price even though the loss of the key customer was not disclosed.

Key Principles of Law with Widespread Applicability:

  • The Court cited to multiple cases to explain when an anti-reliance clause will not bar a fraud claim. See Slip op. at 28-29.
  • The Court also elucidates when a fraud claim and a contract claim will not be considered duplicative; when both can proceed at the preliminary stage of a case; and when a contract claim and a fraud claim will not be considered boot-strapped. See id. at 31-33.
  • The Court explained why duplicative claims may often survive at the motion to dismiss stage. See footnote 61 and accompanying text.
  • The Court explained the primacy of contract law in Delaware, and when parallel contract claims and breach of fiduciary duty claims may not proceed in tandem. See footnote 58 and accompanying text.

In addition to the cases cited above on the topic at hand, this decision should be compared with the Delaware Superior Court’s Infomedia decision that was issued just a few short weeks before this Chancery ruling. Of course, the exact terms of the applicable agreements and the detailed circumstances are often determinative, but in the unrelated Delaware Superior Court decision about a month earlier, the Court concluded that the failure to inform the sellers shortly before the execution of an asset purchase agreement that key customers intended to terminate their service contracts, even though written notice had not yet been received, would not be a sufficient basis for fraudulent misrepresentation claims due to anti-reliance provisions in an asset purchase agreement, thereby resulting in a grant of the motion to dismiss, based on the terms of the agreement involved in that case. See Infomedia Group Inc. v. Orange Health Solutions, Inc. (Del. Super. July 31, 2020).

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Chancery Determines Standard Applicable to Contested Transaction

The recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision in Salladay v. Lev, No. 2019-0048-SG (Del. Ch. Feb. 27, 2020), addressed the standards the Court may apply to review the conduct of directors in a contested transaction, and determined that the entire fairness standard applied, based on the facts of this case, resulting in a denial of a motion to dismiss.

Key Points:

This decision provides the latest iteration of Delaware law regarding the analyses the Court employs to review a challenged transaction to determine whether fiduciary duties were fulfilled.

In this case, the Court determined that the business judgment rule did not apply. The Court provides a practical, educational elucidation of why the efforts to “cleanse” the transaction did not revive the business judgment rule, in light of the failure to satisfy the prerequisites discussed in Corwin v. KKR Holdings, LLC, 125 A.3d 304 (Del. 2015); Kahn v. M & F Worldwide (MFW), 88 A.3d 635 (Del. 2014); and In re Trados, Inc. Shareholders Litigation (Trados II) 73 A.3d 17 (Del. Ch. 2013).

The Court also discusses the recent Delaware Supreme Court cases which clarified “where or when the line is drawn” for the “cleansing” criteria to be considered as being imposed “ab initio,” such that a deal will earn the deferential BJR review standard, in Flood v. Synutra International, Inc., 195 A.3d 754 (Del. 2018), as well as Olenik v. Lodzinski, 208 A.3d 704 (Del. 2019).

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Chancery Explains Proper Methods to Expand Board Size and to Fill Board Vacancies

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision provides a primer on the proper way to expand the size of a board of directors and the proper way to fill board vacancies, as well as explaining the difference between a de facto and a de jure director. See Stream TV Networks, Inc. v. SeeCubic, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0310-JTL (Del. Ch. Dec. 8, 2020).

This opinion should be at the fingertips of every corporate litigator who is called upon to address whether:

(1) the size of a board of directors was properly expanded;

(2) director vacancies were properly filled; or

(3) whether the actions of a de facto board member were binding even if because of technical mistakes that director was not properly appointed such that she would qualify as a de jure director.

Many additional consequential statements of Delaware law with widespread utility are included in this consequential 52-page decision.

Highlights:

•　　　　　　 The Court describes the well-known prerequisites for obtaining a preliminary objection. See page 16.

•　　　　　　 The Court provides a tutorial, with copious citations to statutory and caselaw authority, to explain: (i) how to expand the size of the board of directors; (ii) who has the authority to expand the size of the board; (iii) how to fill vacancies on the board; and (iv) who is authorized to fill vacant board seats. See pages 17 to 20.

•　　　　　　 This opinion features a maxim of equity that would be useful to have available when the situation calls for it: equity regards as done what ought to have been done. See page 20.

•　　　　　　 The Court explained that only the charter or the bylaws can impose director qualifications, and in any event those qualifications must be reasonable. See page 21.

•　　　　　　 The Court explained that a director could not agree to conditions of service as a board member that would be contrary to the exercise of the fiduciary duties of a director. See page 22.

•　　　　　　 An always useful reminder of the three tiers of review of director decision-making are provided. Those three tiers are: (i) the business judgment rule; (ii) enhanced scrutiny; and (iii) entire fairness. See pages 50 to 51.

•　　　　　　 In addition to explaining when those three tiers apply, the opinion also regales us with a classic recitation of the business judgment rule as the default standard:

” . . . the default standard of review is the business judgment rule, which presumes that in making a business decision the directors of a corporation acted on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interest of the company.” See page 50.

•　　　　　 This decision teaches that unless one of the rule’s elements is rebutted, the Court merely looks to see whether the business decision made was rational in the sense of being one logical approach to advancing the corporation’s objective.

•　　　　　　 The Court explains the difference between a de facto director and a de jure director, and which actions of a de facto director are binding.　 See pages 23 to 25.

•　　　　　　 Another extremely important aspect of this decision (which takes up the majority of the 50-plus pages) is a deep dive into the historical foundations of Section 271 of the Delaware General Corporation Law which applies generally to the sale of most or all of the assets of a corporation, and which would typically require stockholder approval. See page 27 through 48.

•　　　　　　 The Court supports with detailed reasoning and extensive footnote support its conclusion that Section 271 does not apply to an insolvent corporation that transfers assets to a secured creditor. Compare DGCL Section 272 (allows directors to mortgage corporate assets).

Link to original post

 

Delaware Court of Chancery Provides Rule 11 Insights

There are relatively few Chancery decisions on Rule 11 compared with more common corporate and commercial litigation issues that are the subject of Chancery opinions, and an October 2020 letter decision provides insights into why there are not more rulings on Rule 11. In POSCO Energy Co., Ltd. v. FuelCell Energy, Inc., Civil Action No. 2020-0713-MTZ (Del. Ch. Oct. 22, 2020), in which a motion for leave to amend under Rule 15 was granted without awarding fees, while distinguishing both the Lillis and Franklin Balance cases, the Court explained that Rule 11 should not be casually raised, but that in any event a requirement for invoking it is to provide separate written notice and an opportunity to cure, as opposed to including it as part of a motion addressing other issues as well.

The Court explained that:

FuelCell has invoked Court of Chancery Rule 11 casually and repeatedly in this matter.21 The Court may only determine if Rule 11(b) was violated “after notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond,” and a litigant may only initiate those proceedings by “[a] motion for sanctions . . . made separately from other motions or requests.”22  Under that plain language, if FuelCell seeks sanctions for conduct it believes violates Rule 11, it must do so in an independent motion, not in argument opposing unconditional leave to amend. And, in my view, it is distracting, detrimental to the famed collegiality of the Delaware bar, and counterproductive to the “just, speedy and inexpensive determination” of judicial proceedings to summon Rule 11 in rhetoric.23

Link to original post

 

Chancery Declines to Order Reserve for Fraud Claims Against Dissolving Corporation Under DGCL Section 280

There remains a relative paucity of opinions addressing the nuances of the dissolution statute under DGCL Section 280, compared to the Delaware decisions addressing other sections of the DGCL, so we refer to a September 2020 Court of Chancery decision that denies a Motion for Reargument under Rule 59(f) of a ruling that rejected a request to set aside a reserve for a fraud claim–even though the letter ruling was barely three-pages long–in the matter styled In re Swisher Hygiene, Inc., 2018-0080-SG (Del. Ch. Sept. 4, 2020). The prior decision was highlighted here.

The Court explained that the allegations did not state a “creditor claim”, though the ruling expressly did not prejudice the right to “bring litigation to determine” the fraud claim, which related to disputed ownership of stock in the company being dissolved.

Link to original post

 

Chancery Enforces Forum Selection Clause in Charter for Inspection Demand

One of our selected Court of Chancery decisions is almost as noteworthy for what it did not decide as for what was decided. In JUUL Labs, Inc. v. Grove, C.A. No. 2020-0005-JTL (Del. Ch. Aug. 13, 2020), Delaware’s Court of equity enforced an exclusive forum selection clause in a company charter, based at least in part on the internal affairs doctrine, to prevent a stockholder in a Delaware corporation from filing suit in California in reliance on a California statute to demand the inspection of corporate records, notwithstanding a California statute that appears to allow a stockholder to sue in California for corporate records if the Delaware company has its principal place of business in California.

What the Court did not decide is whether a stockholder may contractually waive her rights under DGCL section 220. Count this writer as a skeptic on that point. The Court reviewed several overlapping agreements, such as a stock option exercise agreement, that the stockholder signed and that purported, at least in the company’s view, to waive inspection rights under DGCL section 220. Some of the agreements were governed by Delaware law and some by California law.

This decision could be the topic of a law review article due to the many core principles of corporate law and doctrinal underpinnings the Court carefully analyzes. But, we only provide a few bullet points with an exhortation that the whole opinion be reviewed closely.

  • The Court provides an in-depth discussion of the foundational concepts that undergird the internal affairs doctrine as it applies to the request for corporate records, as well as related constitutional issues that arise.
  • But footnote 7 acknowledges contrary authority that suggests that a local jurisdiction may apply its law to a demand by a local resident for corporate records of a foreign corporation.
  • The Court compares DGCL section 220 with its counterpart in the California statutory regime.
  • The exclusive forum selection clause in the charter was addressed, and the Court explained that but for this provision, the California court would be able to apply DGCL section 220.
  • Importantly, the Court emphasized that is was not deciding whether a waiver of DGCL section 220 rights would be enforceable. Although at footnote 14 the Court provides citations to many Delaware cases that sowed doubt about the viability of that position–but then the Court also cited cases at footnote 15 that more generally recognized the ability to waive even constitutional rights.
  • Footnote 16 cites to many scholarly articles, and muses about the public policy aspects of the unilateral adoption of provisions in constitutive documents, such as forum selection clauses in Bylaws. Early in the opinion, at footnote 7, by comparison the Court waxes philosophical about the concept of the corporation as a nexus of contracts–as compared to it being viewed as a creature of the state. The latter view has implications about the exercise of one state’s power in relation to other states, especially when private ordering may be seen as private parties exercising state power by proxy.

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Chancery Clarifies Nuances of Section 220 Stockholder Demand for Inspection Rights

A July 2020 Delaware Court of Chancery opinion provides insights into nuances of DGCL Section 220 as it relates to the rights of stockholders to inspect corporate books and records, and deserves to be in included in the pantheon of Delaware decisions on this topic. It must be read by anyone seeking a complete understanding of Delaware law on Section 220. In Woods v. Sahara Enterprises, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0153-JTL (Del. Ch. July 22, 2020), the Court provided warmly welcomed clarity about important nuances of DGCL Section 220 with eminently quotable passages for practitioners who need to brief these issues. See generally overview of takeaways from 15 years of highlighting Section 220 cases, and compare a recent Delaware Supreme Court decision about contract-based rights to inspect corporate books and records.

This short overview will only provide several of those worthy passages in the format of bullet points.

Among the more noteworthy aspects of this notable decision are the following.

  • A consequential aspect of this jewel of a decision is the instruction by the Court that there is no basis in Delaware law to require a stockholder demanding corporate records under Section 220 to explain why the stockholder wants to value her interest in the company–in order to satisfy the recognized proper purpose of valuation. See Slip op. at 11; and 14-15.
  • The Court provided an extremely helpful list of many recognized “proper purposes” needed to be shown to satisfy Section 220. See Slip op. at 8-9.
  • The Court also recited several examples of what showing is recognized as sufficient to satisfy the “credible basis requirement” to investigate mismanagement pursuant to Section 220. See Slip op. 18-19.
  • An always useful recitation of the basic elements of the fiduciary duty of directors of a Delaware corporation and the subsidiary components of the duty of loyalty and care, are also featured. See Slip op. at 20.
  • The Court categorized the specific requests for documents in this case as follows: (i) formal board materials; (ii) informal board materials; and (iii) officer-level materials. Then the Court expounds on the different focus applicable to each category.
  • Notably, after quoting the actual document requests, the Court found that some of them were overly broad–but the Court edited and narrowed some of the requests before concluding that the company was required to produce the Court-narrowed scope of documents.

Bonus supplement: Prof. Bainbridge, a nationally prominent corporate law scholar, provides learned commentary on this case and Section 220 jurisprudence generally. Readers should recognize the good professor as the prolific author who scholarship has been cited in Delaware Court opinions.

Link to original post. 

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__________________________________________________________________________

*Francis G.X. Pileggi is the managing partner of the Delaware office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, and the primary author of the Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Blog at www.delawarelitigation.com.

**Chauna A. Abner is a corporate and commercial litigation associate in the Delaware office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP.

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision should be consulted by those who need to be aware of the latest iteration of Delaware law on the topic of indispensable parties to a lawsuit as prescribed in Rule 19. In Germaninvestments AG v. Allomet Corp., C.A. No. 2018-0666-JRS (Del. Ch. Nov. 20, 2020), the Court provides a thorough explanation of the various contours and factors in Rule 19 and why the lack of indispensable parties in this case required its dismissal.

The factual details of this case where provided in a prior Chancery decision profiled on these pages, as well as in a Supreme Court decision that reversed the first Chancery ruling in this case. That high court ruling was also covered on these pages.

Key Takeaways:

  • A thorough examination and analysis of the multi-faceted aspects of Rule 19, and the various factors that need to be applied to determine when a person or entity may be indispensable, is covered on pages 15 to 34 of this opinion.
  • The court observes that a Rule 19 argument may be presented for the first time at trial, based on Rule 12(h)(2), and therefore is not waived per Rule 12(g). See Slip op. at 18.
  • The net impact of the application of this rule can be quite draconian in terms of the wasted time and money and resources expended on litigating the merits of a case–only to reach trial and find that the merits of the case will not be addressed.
  • A much more efficient approach (even if it may necessitate a rule change), would be to require an issue not directly merits-based that has such a drastic impact on a case to be addressed and decided at an earlier stage of a case.
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The following article is reprinted with permission from the Jan. 15, 2020 edition of “The Delaware Business Court Insider”, (c) 2020 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.

By: Francis G.X. Pileggi and Chauna A. Abner

This is the 15th year that Francis Pileggi and various co-authors have created an annual list of important corporate and commercial decisions of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery. This list does not attempt to include all important decisions of those two courts that were rendered in 2019. Instead, this list highlights notable decisions that should be of widespread interest to those who work in the corporate and commercial litigation field or who follow the latest developments in this area of Delaware law. Prior annual reviews are available at this hyperlink.

This list focuses, with some exceptions, on the unsung heroes among the many decisions that have not already been widely discussed by the mainstream press or legal trade publications. Links are also provided below to the actual court decisions and longer summaries.

DELAWARE SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

Company Required to Produce Emails Among Management to Stockholders

The Delaware Supreme Court recently issued an opinion that clarifies the duty of a company to produce emails among its management in a Section 220 case. In KT4 Partners LLC v. Palantir Technologies, Inc., Del. Supr., No. 281, 2018 (Jan. 29, 2019), Delaware’s high court addressed a demand under Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) Section 220 by a stockholder for corporate books and records, including emails and electronically-stored information (ESI) among management, to allow the stockholder to investigate possible wrongdoing, such as the reasons behind amendments to an Investors’ Rights Agreement that severely reduced the original rights granted under that agreement. This opinion quoted from a law review article co-authored by Francis Pileggi on the intersection of DGCL Section 220 and ESI.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/01/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/company-required-to-produce-emails-among-management-to-stockholders/

Supreme Court Explains the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing

A recent Delaware Supreme Court decision is must-reading for those who need to know the latest iteration of Delaware law on the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. In Oxbow Carbon & Minerals Holdings, Inc. v. Crestview-Oxbow Acquisition, LLC, Del. Supr. No. 536, 2018 (Jan. 17, 2019), Delaware’s High Court provided the latest articulation of Delaware law on the multi-faceted doctrine of the implied covenant of good faith and fairing dealing. In connection with affirming in part and reversing in part a 176-page trial court opinion, which was highlighted on these pages, the Supreme Court agreed with the analysis of the trial court’s correct reading of the plain meaning of the LLC agreement at issue, but disagreed with the application by the trial court of the implied covenant.

 https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/01/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/supreme-court-explains-the-implied-covenant-of-good-faith-and-fair-dealing/

Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Ab Initio Requirement for BJR Review

The Delaware Supreme Court recently clarified the “ab initio” requirement announced in Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corp. case as part of the set of standards that would allow for the BJR standard to apply to a challenged merger. See Olenik v. Lodzinski, No. 392, 2018 (Del. Supr., rev. April 11, 2019).  The High Court determined that the requirement was not satisfied based on the facts of the instant case because the “economic bargaining took place prior to the date” when the protections announced in the Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corp. case needed to be in place.

Much commentary has already been written about this case, so a lengthy summary is not provided here, but I refer to prior decisions that have applied the ab initio requirement, for background purposes, as noted on these pages.

 https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/04/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/delaware-supreme-court-clarifies-ab-initio-requirement-for-bjr-review/

Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Appraisal Law

The Delaware Supreme Court, in a per curiam decision, recently determined that “deal price less synergies” was the appropriate determination of fair value in the appraisal action before it.  In Verition Partners Master Fund Ltd. v. Aruba Networks, Inc., C.A. No. 11448-VCL (Del. Apr. 16, 2019), the Court reversed the Court of Chancery’s holding that “unaffected market price” was the fair value on the date of the merger. This case is the third in a recent trilogy of precedent-setting Delaware appraisal cases, preceded by DFC Global Corp. v. Muirfield Value Partners, L.P., 172 A.3d 346 (Del. 2017) and Dell, Inc. v. Magnetar Global Event Driven Master Fund Ltd, 177 A.3d 1 (Del. 2017).  This case has been the subject of extensive commentary by scholars and practitioners.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/04/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/delaware-supreme-court-clarifies-appraisal-law/

Delaware Supreme Court Addresses Independence of Directors

In Marchand v. Barnhil, CA. No. 2017-0586-JRS (Del. Ch. June 18, 2019), the Delaware Supreme Court addressed the meaning of the words “independence” and “disinterestedness” in the context of adequately pleading pre-suit demand futility as a prerequisite for pursuing a derivative claim against corporate directors. The court reversed the Court of Chancery’s dismissal of the case for failure to establish demand futility. This issue is one of the most nuanced and challenging in Delaware corporate litigation as indicated by the disagreement on the outcome among the experienced jurists deciding this case.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/06/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/delaware-supreme-court-addresses-independence-of-directors/

Delaware Supreme Court Instructs on Standards of Deposition Conduct

A recent Delaware Supreme Court opinion provides a tutorial on the standards imposed on Delaware lawyers when a deponent, who is the lawyer’s client, engages in inappropriate conduct during a deposition. In Shorenstein Hays-Nederland Theaters LLC Appeals, Nos. 596, 2018 and 620-2018 (Del. June 20, 2019), Delaware’s High Court issued its first decision on this specific issue, as compared to the rather abundant guidance that has existed for many years regarding the consequences when lawyers themselves engage in errant conduct during a deposition.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/09/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/delaware-supreme-court-instructs-on-standards-of-deposition-conduct/

Confidentiality Agreement Not Always Required for Section 220 Demands

For the first time, the Delaware Supreme Court decided that in a lawsuit in which a stockholder demands corporate books and records pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, although it is typical to condition the production of records on entering into a confidentiality agreement, that the statute does not strictly require such a condition for production. The court also explained in Tiger v. Boast Apparel, Inc., No. 23, 2019 (Del. Aug. 7, 2019), that a party need not show exigent circumstances for a court to grant something less than indefinite confidentiality, and the inspection of records pursuant to Section 220 is not subject to a presumption of confidentiality.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/08/articles/delaware-supreme-court-updates/confidentiality-agreement-not-always-required-for-section-220-demands/

COURT OF CHANCERY DECISIONS

Chancery Clarifies Director’s Right to Corporate Records

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision addressed the important issue of the right of directors to be given access to corporate records. In Schnatter v. Papa John’s International, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0542-AGB (Del. Ch. Jan. 15, 2019), Delaware’s court of equity considered a claim under Section 220(d) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) by the founder and largest stockholder of the Papa John’s pizza chain who was forced out as the CEO but retained his position as a director.  He sought to obtain books and records in his capacity as a director to support an investigation that the other directors breached their fiduciary duties by improperly ousting him for unjustified reasons.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/01/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-clarifies-directors-right-to-corporate-records/

Chancery Finds Usurpation of Corporate Opportunity

Delaware case law is well-established regarding the aspect of the fiduciary duty of loyalty that prohibits a corporate director from usurping a corporate opportunity. A recent decision from the Delaware Court of Chancery applies that well-settled prohibition in a flexible manner to a set of facts that have apparently not been squarely addressed in prior precedent.  In Personal Touch Holding Corp. v. Glaubach, C.A. No. 11199-CB (Del. Ch. Feb. 25, 2019), the court awarded damages for the breach of this subset of fiduciary duty, as well as for other breaches of fiduciary duty.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/03/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-finds-usurpation-of-corporate-opportunity/

Chancery Applies Corporate Advancement Case Law to LLC Context

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision interpreted the advancement provisions of an LLC Agreement by applying case law interpreting DGCL Section 145 in the corporate context.  In Freeman Family LLC v. Park Avenue Landing LLC, C.A. No. 2018-0683-TMR (Del. Ch. Apr. 30, 2019), the court reviewed the applicability of “defined phrases” that are familiar prerequisites for advancement in the corporate context pursuant to DGCL Section 145, and analyzed that same language that was used in an LLC agreement provision granting advancement.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/05/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-applies-corporate-advancement-case-law-to-llc-context/

Chancery Instructs on DGCL Merger Requirements

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery opinion began by describing the complaint as reading like a law school exam designed to test the knowledge of a student regarding the requirements in the DGCL that must be satisfied in connection with a merger, and the court commented that the company would not have done well on the exam.

In Mehta v. Mobile Posse, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0355-KSJM (Del. Ch. May 8, 2019), the court identified the six primary issues in this case as follows:

(1) Whether DGCL Section 262 was not complied with in connection with the failure to notify stockholders of their appraisal rights within the required timeframe;

(2) Whether DGCL Section 228 was not complied with due to the failure to send prompt notice of the written stockholder consents;

(3) Whether the merger agreement, or documents it incorporates, failed to comply with DGCL Section 251 by not including the amount of cash the preferred stockholders would receive for their shares;

(4) Whether the stockholder consents did not enjoy the ratifying effect under DGCL Section 144;

(5)  Whether the director defendants breached their fiduciary duty of disclosure; and

(6) Whether the director defendants breached the fiduciary duty of loyalty because the merger was a self-dealing transaction and not entirely fair.  With one small exception, the court found that the statutory violations were sufficiently established at the early procedural stage of a motion for judgment on the pleadings.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/05/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-instructs-on-dgcl-merger-requirements/

Chancery Grants Advancement on Counterclaims

A recent decision of the Delaware Court of Chancery clarifies those instances where a defensive counterclaim against a former officer and director may be covered by advancement rights. In a bench ruling in Dodelson v. AC Hold Co., Inc., C.A. No. 2019-009-SG (Transcript) (Del. Ch. May 21, 2019), the court interpreted the charter provision that included within the coverage for “indemnified parties” both former directors and officers. Notably, bench rulings may be cited as authority in briefs before the Delaware Court of Chancery.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/06/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-grants-advancement-on-counterclaims/

Chancery Orders Mandatory Indemnification per DGCL Section 145(c)

The recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision in Brown v. Rite Aid Corporation, C.A. No. 2017-0480-MTZ (Del. Ch. May 24, 2019), clarified the perennial issue of how the word “success” is defined for purposes of mandatory indemnification under Section 145(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law–even if all of the arguments in the underlying litigation were not successful.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/06/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-orders-mandatory-indemnification-per-dgcl-section-145c/

Chancery Determines Valid LLC Managers; Rejects Bump-Out Theory of Board Replacements

The Delaware Court of Chancery left no doubt in a recent ruling that the “bump-out theory” of replacing LLC managers is not recognized in Delaware. In Llamas v. Titus, C.A. No. 2018-0516-JTL (Del. Ch. June 18, 2019), the court explained that incumbent managers need to be removed before their replacements can validly “take their seats.” The court interpreted the counterpart to DGCL Section 225, which is Section 18-110(a) of the Delaware LLC Act.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/07/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-determines-valid-llc-managers-rejects-bump-out-theory-of-board-replacements/

Advancement Granted for Post-Termination Use of Confidential Information

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery opinion in Ephrat v. medCPU, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0052-MTZ (Del. Ch. June 26, 2019), will remain a noteworthy decision for two reasons: (1) It provides and anthology of prior Delaware decisions granting advancement to former directors or officers that defend claims regarding the use of confidential information acquired in a prior corporate capacity; and (2) It adds nuance to the existing abundant case law interpreting the threshold phrase “by reason of the fact,” which is one of the statutory prerequisites that must be satisfied for advancement claims to prevail pursuant to DGCL Section 145.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/07/articles/chancery-court-updates/advancement-granted-for-post-termination-use-of-confidential-information/

Chancery Addresses Personal Jurisdiction Over Co-Conspirator

In Clark v. Davenport, C.A. No. 2017-0839-JTL (Del. Ch. July 18, 2019), the court provided a noteworthy explanation of the important nuances that need to be understood when personal jurisdiction is contested, and this opinion provides an excellent analysis of the requirements for opposing personal jurisdiction based on the Delaware Long Arm Statute.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/08/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-addresses-personal-jurisdiction-over-co-conspirator/

Fully-Executed Contract Ruled Unenforceable

In Kotler v. Shipman Associates, LLC, C.A. No. 2017-0457-JRS (Del. Ch. Aug. 21, 2019), the Delaware Court of Chancery issued an opinion that should be read by all lawyers who seek to avoid the risk of a fully-executed contract being ruled unenforceable due to a court later finding, perhaps surprisingly, that the agreement did not accurately express the understanding of the parties.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/08/articles/chancery-court-updates/fully-executed-contract-ruled-unenforceable/

Chancery Explains Step-Transaction Doctrine and Defines “Affiliate”

An important concept known as the step-transaction doctrine, which treats the agreements in a series of formally separate but related transactions involving the transfer of property as a single transaction if all the steps are substantially linked, was explained in the recent Delaware Court of Chancery opinion in PWP Xerion Holdings III LLC v. Redleaf Resources, Inc., C.A. No. 2017-0235-JTL (Del. Ch. Oct. 23, 2019) and should be consulted by anyone who needs to understand the components of this important doctrine.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/10/articles/chancery-court-updates/chancery-explains-step-transaction-doctrine-and-defines-affiliate/

Delaware Forum Selection Clause Controls Over Foreign Exclusive Jurisdiction Statute

The recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision in AlixPartners, LP v. Mori, No. 2019-0392-KSJM (Del. Ch. Nov. 26, 2019) rejected an effort to dismiss a Delaware action notwithstanding the provision in an agreement that provided for a forum in a foreign country, and the apparent law of that foreign country that also supported exclusive jurisdiction in that country.

https://www.delawarelitigation.com/2019/12/articles/chancery-court-updates/delaware-forum-selection-clause-controls-over-foreign-exclusive-jurisdiction-statute/