Two recent decisions from the Delaware Court of Chancery address well-settled but important nuances of the right to advancement. A third ruling leaves a gap in this area of the law: other than fees on fees, what remedy is available, if any, for the denial of advancement over several years until it is granted after
Section 145
Chancery rules ex-CEO’s objections to indemnification payback are too little, too late
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 ordered biotech firm InterMune Inc.’s former CEO to repay nearly $6 million in director and officer insurance funds he spent trying to overturn his felony wire fraud conviction…
Chancery Compares California and Delaware Law on Advancement
- California courts find “Delaware law on advancement
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…
Chancery Declines to Follow First-Filed Rule in Advancement Case
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…
Chancery Does Deep Dive into Corporate Dissolution Details and Winding-up Process
Anyone who needs to know the latest iterations of Delaware law regarding the intricacies and nuances of the dissolution of a corporation and the related winding-up process–needs to read the recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision styled: In re Altaba, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0413-JTL (Del. Ch. Oct. 8, 2021). This scholarly and extensive analysis…
Chancery Grants Advancement, Rejects Common Defense
For those readers who follow the many Chancery decisions highlighted on these pages regarding advancement for corporate officers and directors, the recent Court of Chancery decision in Nielsen v. EBTH Inc., C.A. No. 2019-0164-MTZ (Del. Ch. Sept. 30, 2019), can be added to the long line of cases that reject an argument that…
Chancery Applies Corporate Advancement Case Law to LLC Context
A recent Delaware Court of Chancery decision interpreted the advancement provisions of an LLC Agreement by applying case law interpreting DGCL Section 145 in the corporate context. In Freeman Family LLC v. Park Avenue Landing LLC, C.A. No. 2018-0683-TMR (Del. Ch. Apr. 30, 2019), the court reviewed the applicability of “defined phrases” that are familiar …
Indemnification Claim Dismissed as Premature
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…
