A recent post-trial decision from the Delaware Court of Chancery denied a claim for corporate books and records based on DGCL § 220 after finding that there was no credible basis for wrongdoing to support the stated investigative purpose for the demand. Hoeller v. Tempur Sealy International, Inc., C.A. No. 2018-0336-JRS (Del. Ch. Feb. 12, … Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
The Delaware General Corporation Law was amended last summer to allow companies to maintain their corporate records using blockchain technology. The purpose of this short post is to provide a high-level overview of this evolving intersection of technology and corporate law that will have an increasingly profound impact on corporate governance and related areas of the … Continue Reading
Last month, in a comprehensive advancement decision captioned White v. Curo Texas Holdings, LLC, C.A. No. 12369-VCL (Del. Ch. Feb. 21, 2017), the Delaware Court of Chancery applied what has become known in Delaware as the “Fitracks Procedures” to determine the appropriate amount of an advancement award when the exact amount of fees for covered … Continue Reading
Caspian Select Credit Master Fund Ltd. v. Key Plastics Corp., C.A. No. 8624-vcn (Del. Ch. Feb. 24, 2014). Practical Insights on Decision: This Chancery opinion is one of many examples highlighted on these pages over the last 9 years or so, of the not infrequent inefficiency and unsatisfying nature of an action based on DGCL … Continue Reading
Cook v. Hewlett-Packard Co., C.A. No. 8667-VCG (Del. Ch. Jan. 24, 2014)(revised Jan. 30, 2014). Issue Addressed: Was a stockholder entitled to additional books and records from Hewlett-Packard regarding accounting fraud at a company HP purchased? Answer: No Short Highlights This post-trial letter opinion from the Court of Chancery denying a request for books and … Continue Reading
Top Ten 2013 Delaware Corporate and Commercial Decisions By: Francis G.X. Pileggi and Kevin F. Brady This is our ninth annual review of key Delaware corporate and commercial decisions. During 2013, we reviewed and summarized over 200 decisions from Delaware’s Supreme Court and Court of Chancery on corporate and commercial issues. Among the decisions with … Continue Reading
Grace v. Ashbridge LLC, C.A. No. 8348-VCN (Del. Ch. Dec. 31, 2013). Issue Addressed: Whether a successor entity was liable for advancement and indemnification claims based on the operating agreement of a successor entity LLC even though the sole allegations involve a predecessor entity and a related entity. Short Answer: No. Brief Overview: An understanding … Continue Reading
In Silverberg v. Gold, et al., C.A. 7646-VCP (Dec. 31, 2013), the Court of Chancery denied defendants’ motion to dismiss a derivative action (for failure to make demand) alleging a breach of fiduciary duty based on insider trading against the directors of Dendreon Corporation, a biotechnology company which had only one commercially available drug product, … Continue Reading
The following article first appeared in a recent edition of The Delaware Business Court Insider. A recent decision of the Delaware Court of Chancery in the case of Osram Sylvania, Inc. v. Townsend Ventures, LLC, C.A. No. 8123-VCP (Del. Ch. Nov. 19. 2013), denied a motion to dismiss a breach of contract claim and a … Continue Reading
Boris v. Schaheen, C.A. No. 8160-VCN (Del. Ch. Dec. 2, 2013). Issue Addressed: Whether the written consents of stockholders pursuant to DGCL Section 228 effectively selected new board members. Brief Overview This 51-page post-trial decision addressed the effectiveness of written consents of stockholders that were designed to select new board members. The two entities involved … Continue Reading
Anderson v. Krafft-Murphy Company, Inc., Del. Supr., No. 85-2013 (Nov. 26, 2013). Issue Presented: Delaware’s Supreme Court addresses issues of first impression in this opinion, including: does Delaware’s corporation dissolution scheme (8 Del. C. Sections 278 to 282) have a “general” statute of limitations for claims by third-parties against dissolved corporations? Short Answer: No. [Editor’s … Continue Reading
Klaassen v. Allegro Dev. Corp. et al., No. 8626-VCL (Del. Ch. Nov. 7, 2013). This Chancery decision is the subject of an appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court. Among the issues to be addressed by Delaware’s high court is whether the actions of a board to dismiss the CEO, who also had voting power over a controlling percentage … Continue Reading
Pfeiffer v. Leedle, C.A. No. 7831-VCP (Del. Ch. Nov. 8, 2013). Issue Addressed: Whether the approval of stock option grants that exceeded the maximum number of stock options allowed under the stock incentive plan was the basis for a breach of fiduciary duty claim against both the board that approved it and the executive who … Continue Reading
We previously highlighted the Court of Chancery decision that upheld a forum selection provision in corporate bylaws that required certain suits involving the internal affairs of the corporation to be filed in Delaware. Boilermakers Local 154 Retirement Fund v. Chevron Corporation, C.A. No. 7220-CS (Del. Ch. June 25, 2013). Professor Larry Hamermesh writes about the voluntary … Continue Reading
Louisiana Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System v. Hershey Co., No. 7996, Master’s Report (Del. Ch. Aug. 16, 2013). This decision rejected a demand for books and records of the Hershey Company based on DGCL Section 220. The stockholder claimed, in essence, that Hershey’s management must be complicit in the abhorrent child labor practices in the two West … Continue Reading
Huff v. Longview Energy Co., C.A. No. 8453-CS (Del. Ch. Aug. 12, 2013). This short letter ruling granted a motion to dismiss a claim for indemnification pursuant to DGCL section 145(c) based on the reasoning that the claim was premature in light of the underlying judgment being subject to a pending appeal. Even though a … Continue Reading
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority v. Volgenau, C.A. No. 6354-VCN (Del. Ch. Aug. 5, 2005) Issue addressed: This Chancery opinion explains the procedures to follow in order to benefit from the business judgment rule’s deferential standard of review for a merger that involves a controlling shareholder and a third-party. This decision provides a road map for … Continue Reading
In re Dell Inc. Shareholder Litigation, No. 8329, hearing transcript released (Del. Ch. June 27, 2013). In a ruling from the bench, the Court of Chancery denied a request for expedited proceedings requested by challengers of the pending deal involving Dell. The plaintiffs failed to convince the court that they had a “colorable claim” that … Continue Reading
Boilermakers Local 154 Retirement Fund v. Chevron Corporation, C.A. No. 7220-CS (Del. Ch. June 25, 2013). Issue Addressed: Enforceability of bylaws adopted by the Board of Directors providing that litigation relating to the internal affairs of the corporation must be filed only in Delaware. Short Answer: Enforceability upheld. See, e.g., 8 Del. C. § 109(a). Preface … Continue Reading
Rich v. Fuqi International, Inc., C.A. No. 5653-VCG (Del. Ch. June 12, 2013). Issue Addressed: Should a receiver be appointed to enforce an order to hold an annual shareholders’ meeting pursuant to DGCL section 211? Answer: Yes. Brief Background: The Court of Chancery previously ordered this company to hold a shareholders’ meeting pursuant to DGCL … Continue Reading
Among the key corporate and commercial Delaware decisions that we have highlighted on these pages during the first five months of 2013, the following decisions either clarified existing Delaware law or announced new law on important substantive or procedural topics. This is a supplement to the annual review of cases we have provided on this … Continue Reading
In Re MFW Shareholder Litigation, C.A. No. 6566-CS (Del. Ch. May 29, 2013). Issue Addressed: What standard of review should apply to a going-private merger conditioned upfront by the controlling stockholder on approval by both a properly empowered, independent committee and an informed, uncoerced majority-of-the-minority vote. Short Answer: When a controlling stockholder merger has, from the … Continue Reading
The current issue of the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law that recently came in the mail, Volume 37, No. 3 (2013), includes a reprinting of the new Practice Guidelines recently promulgated by the Court of Chancery, and also features an introduction to those new court “de facto rules” by Kevin F. Brady and Francis G.X. … Continue Reading
