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
Chancery Allows Claims for Breach of Both Fiduciary Duty and Contract Against LLC Manager
The Delaware Court of Chancery recently explained under what circumstances dual claims will be allowed to proceed for both breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract in the context of the manager of an LLC allegedly using LLC assets for his personal benefit in a manner not shared by all the other LLC members.
16th Annual Review of Key Delaware Corporate and Commercial Decisions
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
Earn-Out Dispute: Ambiguous Terms Bar Motion to Dismiss
The recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision in Windy City Investments Holdings, LLC v. Teachers’ Insurance and Annuity Association of America, C.A. No. 2018-0519-MTZ (Del. Ch. July 26, 2019), discussed an often recurring issue in commercial litigation: a seller of a business who claims that the Earn-Out provisions in the agreement of sale were
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
Chancery Upholds Merger Transaction Approved by Majority Shareholder Vote
An Eckert Seamans associate prepared this overview.
In the Delaware Court of Chancery decision captioned, In re Merge Healthcare Inc. S’holders Litig., C.A. No. 11388-VCG (Del. Ch. Jan. 30, 2017), Vice Chancellor Glasscock applied the business judgment rule and dismissed an action for failure to state fiduciary-related claims. This opinion is important because
Supreme Court Rejects Contractual Indemnification Claim
Winshall v. Viacom International, Inc., Del. Supr., No. 39, 2013 (Oct. 8, 2013).
Issue Addressed: The Supreme Court affirmed a Chancery ruling that Viacom was not entitled to contractual indemnification, and thus was required to release escrow funds. A prior Supreme Court decision in this case from July 2013, regarding arbitrability, was
Chancery Recognizes Right to Appoint Receiver of Solvent Corp.
Zutrau v. Jansing, C.A. No. 7457-VCP (Del. Ch. Mar. 18, 2013).
Issues addressed in this Court of Chancery opinion: (1) The right to have a receiver appointed for a solvent corporation based on allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty of directors; (2) direct claim for breach of fiduciary duty in connection with
Chancery Addresses Right to Direct Claim for Dilution of Minority Shareholders
Carsanaro v. Bloodhound Technologies, Inc., C.A. No. 7301-VCP (Del. Ch. March 15, 2013).
This 76-page Chancery decision addresses issues that include the following: (1) when a claim for dilution of minority shares can be pursued directly instead of, or in addition to, derivately; (2) restrictions imposed by DGCL Section 160 on the right to redeem
Chancery Allows Challenge to Director Election to Proceed
Gentili v. L.O.M. Med. Int’l, Inc., C.A. No. 7600-VCG (Del. Ch. Aug. 17, 2012).
Issue: Whether non-unanimous written consents of shareholders were sufficient to thwart a challenge to the election of directors at an annual meeting?
Short answer: No.
Background:
This is a summary proceeding pursuant to DGCL Section 225 to