In a recent magnum opus, the Delaware Court of Chancery in the matter of West Palm Beach Firefighters Pension Fund v. Moelis & Co., C.A. No. 2023-0339-JTL (Del. Ch. Feb. 23. 2024), addressed the tension between DGCL Section 141(a), which provides that directors manage the business and affairs of the corporation unless otherwise provided
delaware corporate litigation
Chancery Court says no injunction for charter change that left investors with less rights but damages are possible
Frank Reynolds, who has been covering Delaware corporate decisions for various national publications for over 35 years, prepared this article.
The Delaware Court of Chancery recently refused to dismiss shareholder charges that TripAdvisor Inc.’s CEO/controller and directors robbed them of litigation rights by moving the firm’s charter to Nevada in a self-interested transaction that triggered…
Chancery Recites Fundamental Principles of Delaware Corporate Law
In the context of explaining why certain challenges to a stockholders’ agreement were not barred by laches and were otherwise timely, the Delaware Court of Chancery recently recited several enduring fundamental principles of Delaware corporate law and corporate governance in the gem of a decision styled: West Palm Beach Firefighters’ Pension Fund v. Moelis & …
Litigation Misconduct Warrants Fee Shifting
For my latest ethics column, now in its 25th year, for the national publication of the American Inns of Court called The Bencher, in the January/February 2024 edition, I highlight a decision of the Delaware Court of Chancery that addressed litigation misconduct in a summary proceeding under Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation…
Delaware high court finds no reason to give non-voting stock class a vote on officer exculpation
Frank Reynolds, who has been covering Delaware corporate decisions for various national publications for over 35 years, prepared this article.
The Delaware Supreme Court, in a recent guidepost opinion, ruled that officer exculpation amendments to Fox Corp. and Snap Inc.’s charters did not require a separate class vote from those companies’ non-voting common stock classes…
Chancery Strikes Portions of Complaint Derived From Privileged or Confidential Board-Level Communications
Andrew Ralli of the Delaware office of Lewis Brisbois prepared this post.
The Court of Chancery recently granted a motion to strike portions of a complaint derived from privileged or confidential board-level communications in Icahn Partners LP, et al. v. Francis deSouza, et al., C.A. No. 2023-1045-PAF (Del. Ch. Jan. 16, 2024).
Background
Illumina…
19th Annual Review of Key Delaware Corporate and Commercial Decisions
By: Francis G.X. Pileggi, Sean M. Brennecke, Aimee M. Czachorowski, Rolando A. Diaz, Andrew A. Ralli, Andrew J. Czerkawski, Katherine R. Welch, and Fanta M. Toure
Reprinted courtesy of The Delaware Business Court Insider, ALM Media Properties, LLC, which published this on January 3, 2024.
This is the 19th year that Francis Pileggi has…
Delaware High Court gives investors another shot at proving pharma directors’ opioid liability
Frank Reynolds, who has been covering Delaware corporate decisions for various national publications for over 35 years, prepared this article.
A Delaware Supreme Court milestone ruling has revived a shareholder suit over pharmaceutical giant AmerisourceBergen Corp.’s role in the nation’s opioid crisis, finding the Court of Chancery should not have dismissed the derivative action by…
Chancery Interprets DGCL Section 168 for Replacement Stock Certificate
Andrew J. Czerkawski of the Lewis Brisbois Delaware office prepared this post.
Seeking to compel its Delaware subsidiary to issue a replacement stock certificate evincing ownership of all 1,000 of the subsidiary’s issued and outstanding shares, a foreign parent corporation filed suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery under the rarely litigated DGCL §…
Chancery clarifies nuanced requirements for responding to discovery, and imposes penalties for non-compliance
In a recent letter ruling, the Delaware Court of Chancery provided a short tutorial on the Chancery rules of procedure that describe the specific requirements for responding to discovery and the detail that the parties are obligated to provide, especially for objections. See Bocock, et al. v. Innovate Corp., et al., C.A. No.