Posts from 2006

Court of Chancery Rejects Deepening Insolvency Theory

Trenwick America Litigation Trust v. Ernst & Young LLP, C.A. No. 1571-N, 2006 WL 2333201 (Del. Ch. Aug. 10, 2006). The Delaware courts have struggled for the last fifteen years over the scope of the duties of directors to creditors when their company is in the vicinity of insolvency. In two landmark decisions, the first in 2004, and just recently, the Court of Chancery sought to define the limits of that duty. Indeed, in this decision the Court rejected the very idea that there is a duty to avoid taking risks that may have the effect of deepening the insolvency of a Delaware corporation, at least in most circumstances. More › Share

Court of Chancery Awards Fees For Bad Faith

In re Grupo Dos Chiles LLC, C.A. No. 1447-N (Del. Ch. August 17, 2006). In a rare case awarding fees for bad faith litigation, the Court stressed that litigants who change their sworn testimony to gain an advantage face a fee award if the Court is convinced they lied. The Court will look to the surrounding circumstances to assess if a lie has occurred. Share

Court of Chancery Denies Stay In Books and Records Case

Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value L.P. v. Niagara Corp., C.A. 1261-N, 2006 WL __________ (Del. Ch. Aug. 9, 2006). The normal rule in a books and records case is that a stay of the inspection will be granted when there is an appeal. In this case, however, the Court of Chancery denied a stay because the records related to a stockholder meeting that was about to occur. Subsequently, the Supreme Court granted the stay of inspection but ordered an expedited appeal to be able to issue an opinion before the stockholders' meeting. More › Share

Court of Chancery Expands Duty To Act in Good Faith

Horizon Personal Communications, Inc. v. Sprint Corp., C.A. No. 1518-N, 2006 WL 2337592 (Del. Ch. Aug. 4, 2006). There is no duty that is more often cited and so little understood as that requiring a contracting party to act in good faith and deal fairly with the other contracting parties. In this case the Court of Chancery exhaustively examined the contract between the parties, determined what was required to act in good faith, and fairly awarded an injunction to preclude a breach of that duty. In doing so, the Court's analysis provides a road map for tracking the duty to act in good faith in the performance of a contract. More › Share

Delaware Recognizes New Defense to Contract Claims

In what the Court itself noted is an unprecedented decision for Delaware, the Delaware Superior Court has ruled that a defendant in a contract case may plead as a defense that the plaintiff violated the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. This decision in Daystar Construction Management Inc. v. Mitchell has particularly broad implications because of the wide-spread adoption of Delaware law as the choice of law in contracts. The Court noted that it is rare for the covenant to be used as a defense to a breach of contract claim. However, the Court's decision cited to an impressive list of sources in its detailed and thoughtful analysis. Given that the Court also held that the breach of covenant is an affirmative defense that must be specifically plead to be asserted, a review of the decision is now mandatory for any defense of a contract case governed by Delaware law. Share

Court of Chancery Sustains Complaint Attacking Settlement

Kosseff v. Ciocia, C.A. No. 188-N, 2006 WL 2337593 (Del. Ch. Aug. 3, 2006). In this decision, the Court dealt with a complaint attacking the transaction implemented to settle a proxy contest. The proxy contest was settled by an agreement that put the dissidents on the board and had the CEO resign. However, the CEO was given the right to buy certain lucrative businesses of the company, a right he later exercised. The complaint alleged that this deal was improvident. After reviewing the complaint, the Master declined to grant a motion to dismiss. More › Share

Court of Chancery Upholds Advance Notice Bylaw

Acciptier Life Sciences Fund L.P. v. Helfer, C.A. No. 2057-N, 2006 WL 2252376 (Del. Ch. Aug. 2, 2006). The Court of Chancery has upheld the use of a press release to announce a stockholder meeting date and to trigger the provisions of a ten day advance notice bylaw. The plaintiff's employees read the press release, which mostly focused on financial results, but they neglected to notice it also announced the annual meeting date. Thus, the plaintiff failed to get the names of its nominees to the company in the time required by a bylaw provision triggered by the notice of meeting. More › Share

Court of Chancery Affirms Application of Delaware Law to LLC

Facchina v. Malley, C.A. No. 783-N, 2006 WL 2328228 (Del. Ch. Aug. 1, 2006). In this case the Court of Chancery has again affirmed that Delaware law applies to the internal affairs of a Delaware LLC. The LLC was the result of a merger of a California corporation into a Delaware LLC. The California entity had a stockholders' agreement that the defendants wanted to enforce. The Court rejected their arguments because the California entity had ceased to exist in the merger. More › Share

DuPont awarded partial summary judgment in insurance-civerage litigation relating to polybutylene piping

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company v. Allstate Insurance, Co., C.A. No. 99C-12-253 JTV, 2006 WL 2338045 (Del. Super. Ct. July 31, 2006). DuPont sued its excess insurance carriers for declaratory relief and damages in connection with a number of class-action lawsuits over the past 20 relating to polybutylene ("PB") piping. DuPont claimed that the defendant carriers were obligated under the terms of their respective policies to indemnify DuPont for liabilities arising from the sale of a product produced by DuPont and used by several other companies to make acetal fittings for polybutylene piping. As of this opinion, those liabilities totaled more than $235 million. Following discovery, the court granted DuPont's motion for summary judgment on several issues. More › Share

Court of Chancery Decides what Separate Claims are Arbitable

Nutzz.com, LLC v. Vertrue Inc., C.A. No. 1231-N, 2006 WL 2220971 (Del. Ch. July 25, 2006). The Court of Chancery has decided that some claims under a contract are subject to arbitration, but a claim for injunctive relief is not arbitable and may proceed in court. Such a "split decision" was the result of a carve out for injunction claims in the arbitration provision in the parties' contract. Accordingly, the Court had to decide the effect of the carve out while at the same time holding that other claims arising out of the contract dispute would go to arbitration. More › Share

Superior Court Permits "New" Defense

Daystar Construction Management, Inc. v. Mitchell, CA No. 04C-05-175-JRS, 2006 WL 2053649 (Del. Super. Ct. July 12, 2006). This decision upholds for the first time the defense to a contract claim that the plaintiff has acted in bad faith in the performance of the contract. It has long been recognized that all contracts include the obligation to act in good faith and to deal fairly. Exactly what that means is more difficult to state. In what it characterized as a case of first impression, this decision holds that the so-called covenant of fair dealing may be raised as a defense in a breach of contract case. Because this is an affirmative defense, the lack of fair dealing must be proved by the defendant. More › Share

Rule 23.1 Requirements Are Satisfied By Business Relationships

AIG Retirement Services, Inc. v. Barbizet, C.A. No. 974-N, 2006 WL 1980337 (Del. Ch. July 11, 2006). Business relationships between directors may sometimes make them unqualified to pass upon demands their company sue their fellow directors. This is such a case where the board members derived substantial benefits from their relationships with the potential target of litigation the plaintiff demanded be brought. Under those circumstances, the futility of making a demand under Rule 23.1 was easily established. Share

Homebuyers' Claims Against Builder Dismissed Based on Arbitration Clause

Zeleny v. Thompson Homes At Centreville, Inc. C.A. No. 05-12-224 SCD (Del. Super. Ct. July 10, 2006). Buyers of a newly constructed home sued the builder for breach of contract, breach of warranty, and negligence arising out of water leaks and other defects in their home. The court granted defendant's motion to dismiss on the ground that the parties' contract required the dispute to be submitted to binding arbitration. More › Share

Good Faith After Disney: Fiduciary, Contract, Agency, Statutory and Trust Law in Delaware Business Entities

Save the Date! On Thursday, October 5, 2006, the Delaware State Bar Association will be presenting a program entitled "Good Faith After Disney: Fiduciary, Contract, Agency, Statutory and Trust Law in Delaware Business Entities". The program will be held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, 800 S. Madison St., Wilmington, DE. Attendees will receive 6.0 hours CLE credit. Share

Court of Chancery Clarifies Right To Buy Control

Abraham v. Emerson Radio Corp. C.A. No. 1845-N, 2006 WL 1879205 (Del. Ch. July 5, 2006). This decision makes it clear that a controlling stockholder may sell control without fear of liability for the actions of the buyer after the transaction closes, with few exceptions. While it has long been the rule that a stockholder may deal with its shares as it sees fit, case law recognized that a controlling stockholder has a fiduciary duty to its company and the minority owners by virtue of the controller's ability to control what the company does. How that duty applied in the sale of control context is the question addressed in this case. More › Share