Delaware Court of Chancery Rule 5.1 defines the requirements for court filings to receive confidential treatment, contrary to the presumption that all court filings should be made available to the public. (The former terminology “under seal” is no longer used in the current version of the rule.) A recent Chancery decision addressed the filing of
Consent Statute Not Sufficient Alone to Impose Jurisdiction on Corporate Officer
A recent Delaware Court of Chancery opinion should have a place in the toolbox of litigators who need to be familiar with the latest iteration of Delaware law on the nuanced aspects of the consent statute as a potential basis to impose personal jurisdiction on officers and directors of Delaware corporations by virtue of their
Pro Hac Vice Motions in Delaware: Cases and Commentary
I have highlighted many Delaware decisions addressing issues related to pro hac vice motions on these pages over the last 17 years or so, such as the standards for the admission of a non-Delaware lawyer pro hac vice to represent a party in pending Delaware litigation. Some of the decisions I have highlighted involve efforts
Supreme Court Decides Important Contract Dispute in Sale of Business
The recent Delaware Supreme Court decision in AB Stable VIII LLC v. MAPS Hotels and Resorts One LLC, Del. Supr., No. 71, 2021 (Dec. 8, 2021), has already been the subject of many articles in the few days since it was released because it is the first definitive pronouncement by Delaware’s High Court on
Court of Chancery Veteran Confirmed for New 12-Year Term on Bench
The State of Delaware and those who practice in the Delaware Court of Chancery are fortunate that the Delaware Senate confirmed Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster for another 12-year term on the bench of Delaware’s equity court. Reuters published a post-confirmation interview with His Honor. One of the quotes from the interview regarding the Vice
The “Wedge”: Corporate Governance Term and Delaware Geography Reference
A recent Delaware Court of Chancery opinion decided a contested mootness fee request in connection with benefits that resulted from stockholder litigation. Instead of the thorough analysis concerning the appropriate amount of the fee award, what one reader thinks is more interesting about the decision, from a historical perspective, is the introduction which defines the
Chancery Provides Guidelines for Non-Delaware Lawyers Issuing Formal Delaware Legal Opinion Letters
The Delaware Court of Chancery published a magnum opus a few days ago that should be required reading for all lawyers who prepare formal legal opinion letters for clients–and whose behavior is subject to review by the Delaware courts.
In Bandera Master Fund LP v. Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, C.A. No. 2018-0372-VCL (Del. Ch.
Chancery Clarifies Standard for Proportional Indemnification of Corporate Directors and Officers
The recent Delaware Court of Chancery opinion in Evans v. Avande, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0454-LWW (Del. Ch. Sept. 23, 2021), provided much needed clarification for the rather unsettled nuance of indemnification under Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law regarding when indemnification can be proportionate to the extent that the party seeking
Supreme Court Clarifies Pre-Suit Demand Analysis
The Delaware Supreme Court has announced a revised standard for an important aspect of corporate litigation: the analysis of pre-suit demand futility for purposes of pursuing a derivative stockholder claim, in United Food and Commercial Workers Union and Participating Food Industry Employers Tri-State Pension Fund. v. Zuckerberg, No. 404, 2020 (Del. Sept. 23, 2021).
Before
Chancery Clarifies Exceptions to Attorney/Client Privilege
A recent ruling of the Delaware Court of Chancery provides a useful refresher on the standards that must be met for various exceptions or waivers of the attorney/client privilege to apply. In Drachman v. BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., C.A. No. 2019-0728-LWW (Del. Ch. Aug. 25, 2021), the Court addressed the following theories which, if applicable,