By: Scott E. Waxman and Marissa Leon
In Nathan Brick v. The Retrofit Source, LLC, et al. (C.A. No. 2020-0254-KSJM), the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware (the “Court”) dismissed claims for advancement and indemnification by a former officer of an automobile lighting products supplier.
Read MoreBy: Joanna Diakos and Greyson Blue
In James Rivest v. Hauppauge Digital, Inc., C.A. No. 2019-0848-PWG (Del. Ch. Aug. 3, 2020), the Delaware Court of Chancery examined the circumstances in which the Court will set aside a default judgment under Court of Chancery Rule 60(b)(1). The Court’s decision illustrates the context in which a party’s failure to timely respond may warrant relief from a previously issued court order. It also highlights the Court’s willingness to consider the unique challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in exercising its discretion.
Read MoreBy: David L. Forney and Zane A. Madden
In William Richard Kruse (the “stockholder”), v. Synapse Wireless, Inc. (the “Company”), C.A. No. 12392-VCS (Del. Ch. July 14, 2020), the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) held that, after its review of the evidence as factfinder, the Company had carried its burden of proving a reliable appraisal of its fair value related to its 2016 merger transaction. As is typical in appraisal disputes, each party’s expert presented wildly different valuations. In this lengthy case, the Court nevertheless analyzed each proposed valuation model on its own merits and did not engage in compromise jurisprudence in order to achieve a sense of fairness for one party. In coming to its conclusion, the Court adopted the Company’s discounted cash flow valuation method, eschewing all other methods as unreliable in this case. The Court’s value was almost half of the merger transaction value upon which the stockholder exercised its appraisal rights.
Read MoreBy: David Forney and Claire Suni
In In re HomeFed Corporation Stockholder Litigation, C.A. No. 2019-0592-AGB (Del. Ch. July 13, 2020), the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) found that the controlling stockholder of HomeFed Corporation undertook substantive economic negotiations with its minority stockholders in connection with a proposed squeeze-out merger transaction prior to implementing the procedural protections set forth in Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corp. (“MFW”). As a result, the Court ruled that the appropriate standard of review for the plaintiff’s claims of breach of fiduciary duty against the controlling stockholder and the board of directors was entire fairness, and not business judgment. The Court further found that two of the company’s directors were not independent and therefore could not avail themselves of exculpatory language in the company’s certificate of incorporation. The Court denied in full the defendants’ motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim for relief.
Read MoreBy: Scott Waxman and Adam Heyd
In Braga Investment & Advisory, LLC v. Yenni Income Opportunities Fund I, L.P., C.A. No. 2017-0393-AGB (Del. Ch. June 8, 2020), Braga Investment & Advisory, LLC (“Braga”), a minority investor in Steven Feller, P.E., LLC (“Newco”) alleged that Yenni Income Opportunities Fund I, L.P. (the “Fund”), the majority investor in Newco, had breached a purchase agreement for interests in Newco when the Fund amended it without Braga’s consent. Braga also contended that the Fund breached its co-investment agreement with Braga when it revoked Braga’s right to receive board packages under that agreement. The Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) concluded that the Fund’s amendment of the purchase agreement did not require Braga’s consent, and that the Fund did not breach Braga’s right to receive board packages based on the ordinary use of that term.
Read MoreBy: Scott E. Waxman and Marissa Leon
In Agspring Holdco, LLC, et al. v. NGP X US Holdings, L.P., et al. (C.A. No. 2019-0567-AGB), the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) tolled the statute of limitations on claims by the purchaser of an agricultural commodities company and refused to dismiss the majority of fraud and related claims against officers of the company.
Read MoreBy: Scott Waxman and Pouya Ahmadi
In Jacob Hasher Hindlin v. Lukasz Gottwald et al., C.A. No. 2019-0586-JRS (Del. Ch. July 22, 2020), the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) dismissed Plaintiff’s claims against three former members of the board of managers of Core Nutrition, LLC (“Core” or the “Company”) for breach of fiduciary duty and the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
Read MoreBy Scott Waxman and Jonathan Shallow
Stone & Paper Investors, LLC, et al., v. Richard Blanch et al., C.A. No. 2018-0394-PAF (Del. Ch. June 29, 2020) involved a barrage of claims and counterclaims among LLC members and managers, including, misappropriation of company funds, breach of LLC agreement, fraud, conversion, unjust enrichment, and aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty. The Court of Chancery resolved a motion to dismiss the counterclaims and third-party claims and, in doing so, provided further guidance on findings of lack of personal jurisdiction, claims for fraudulent inducement and fraud, claims for conversion and aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty.
Read MoreBy: Shoshannah Katz and Claire Suni
In Fortis Advisors LLC, v. Allergan W.C. Holding Inc., C.A. No. 2019-0159-NTZ (Del. Ch. May 14, 2020), a shareholder representative appointed pursuant to a merger agreement asserted a claim on behalf of selling stockholders for certain contingent payments. The defendant surviving corporation brought a motion in the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) to (i) compel the selling stockholders to participate in discovery as parties-in-interest to the action and to be subject to trial subpoenas as parties or (ii) compel the shareholder representative to procure and produce discovery from the selling stockholders. The Court denied the motion in full.
Read MoreBy: Annette Becker; Pouya Ahmadi; Julia Knitter
In Gallagher Industries, LLC v. William M. Addy, et al., C.A. No. 2018-0106-SG (Del. Ch. May 29, 2020), the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) held that because Gallagher Industries, LLC (the “Plaintiff”) decided not to pursue an appraisal action following a problematic cash-out merger five years earlier, the Plaintiff’s tolling claim against William M. Addy and Joseph E. Eastin (the “Defendants”) for breach of fiduciary duty for disclosure weaknesses was barred by laches.
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