The Delaware Supreme Court recently provided guidance to corporate litigators regarding the nuances of DGCL Section 220, which most readers recognize as the statute that allows stockholders to demand certain corporate records if the prerequisites in the statute–and those imposed by countless court decisions–have been satisfied. In NVIDIA Corp. v. City of Westmoreland Police and
Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation
Deposition Stricken from Court Docket; Not Properly Lodged with Confidential Treatment
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Chancery Court Updates
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…
Resources for Judicial Ethics Research
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Commentary
For the last 24 years or so I have written an ethics column for The Bencher, the flagship publication of The American Inns of Court. My current column is entitled: Resources for Judicial Ethics Research.
Most readers will not have a frequent need for the research sources that I have compiled on this topic, but…
Consent Statute Not Sufficient Alone to Impose Jurisdiction on Corporate Officer
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Chancery Court Updates
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
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in 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…
Court of Chancery Veteran Confirmed for New 12-Year Term on Bench
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Commentary
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…
Chancery Provides Guidelines for Non-Delaware Lawyers Issuing Formal Delaware Legal Opinion Letters
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Chancery Court Updates
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
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Chancery Court Updates
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…
Chancery Declines to Follow First-Filed Rule in Advancement Case
By Francis Pileggi on
The current issue of the Delaware Business Court Insider includes an article on the titular topic by yours truly and my colleague Cheneise Wright. Courtesy of the good folks at the Delaware Business Court Insider, and with their permission, it appears below.
Chancery Declines to Follow First-Filed Rule in Advancement Case
By: Francis…
Delaware Court Addresses Claw-Back of Corporate Advancement and Indemnification
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Other Court Decisions
A recent Delaware decision addressed the request for a claw-back of legal expenses that a company was ordered to advance to an LLC manager in a prior Court of Chancery decision. In the case styled: New Wood Resources, LLC v. Baldwin, C.A. No. N20C-10-231-AML-CCLD, Order (Del. Super. Aug. 23, 2021), the Complex Commercial Litigation Division…