Posts tagged Fiduciary Duty

District Court Dismisses Class Action Alleging Federal Securities Laws Violations and State Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claim

Hartman v. Pathmark Stores, Inc., C.A. No. 05-403-JJF, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9349 (D. Del. Mar. 8, 2006). Plaintiff filed a class action complaint against defendants, alleging violations of Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and breach of the fiduciary duty of loyalty by the directors of Pathmark Stores, Inc. ("Pathmark") in connection with a transaction between Pathmark and The Yucaipa Companies, LLC ("Yucaipa"). Plaintiff also moved for appointment as lead plaintiff, with his counsel as lead counsel. Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint. More ›

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Court of Chancery Permits Third Complaint Amendment In Nigerian Judgment-Enforcement Action

Harry A. Akande v. Transamerica Airlines, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 1039-N, 2006 WL 587846 (Del. Ch. Feb. 28, 2006). This is a motion to amend the Complaint under Court of Chancery Rules 15(a) and 15(aaa) for the third time before the Court of Chancery, involving a foreign judgment enforcement action. Plaintiff sought to withdraw his petition for receivership and add factual predicates to various claims he made. In an earlier hearing, the Court of Chancery permitted plaintiff's motion for discovery and converted the defendants' motion for dismissal upon plaintiff's motion to one of summary judgment. More › Share

Court of Chancery Denies Motion For Expedited Preliminary Injunction Hearing For Lack of "Colorable Claim" Demonstrating Imminent Irreparable Harm

Madison Real Estate Immobbilien-Anlagegesellschaft Beschrankt Haftende KG v. GENO One Financial Place L.P. and GENO Auslandsimmobilien GmbH, No. Civ.A. No. 1928-N, 2006 WL 456779 (Del. Ch. Feb. 22, 2006). The plaintiff is a German entity organized under that country's laws, as is the second named German limited liability defendant. The latter party is also a general partner in the first defendant entity. The plaintiff was one of two bidders that made an unregulated tender offer for a part of the first-named defendant's Delaware limited partnership interest. Plaintiff filed a motion in the Court of Chancery for expedited injunction proceedings, seeking to enjoin the defendant's general partner from approving any transfer agreements related to the tender offers. More › Share

Court of Chancery Dismisses Caremark Claims But Retains Loyalty And Fraud Counts

Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan v. Eric Alden, et al., C.A. No. 1184-N, 2006 WL 456786 (Del. Ch. Feb. 22, 2006). In this derivative action brought against four former directors and officers of Case Financial, Inc., the nominal defendant, the two remaining defendants moved to dismiss after two others settled. Plaintiff alleged breach of loyalty, breach of the Caremark duty of oversight, corporate waste and common law fraud. The Court of Chancery partly granted the motions. More › Share

Court of Chancery Denies Dismissal Despite Three-Year Failure To Diligently Prosecute Class Action

In re Cencom Cable Income Partners, L.P., C.A. No. 14634-NC, 2006 WL 452775 (Del. Ch. Feb. 16, 2006). This Court of Chancery action arose out of a breach of fiduciary duty claim filed on Oct. 20, 1995. Defendants unsuccessfully moved to dismiss for failure to prosecute under Court of Chancery Rule 41. More › Share

District Court Grants Motion to Strike Jury Demand in Breach of Fiduciary Duty Action

Cantor v. Perelman, C.A. No. 97-586-KAJ, 2006 WL 318666 (D. Del. Feb. 10, 2006). Plaintiffs alleged that defendants Perelman, Bevins and Drapkin, all of whom were directors of Marvel Entertainment Company ("Marvel") and were the only directors of each of Marvel's five holding companies, breached their fiduciary duties by causing Marvel and its holding companies to issue three tranches of notes, for which they received $553.3 million in proceeds and pledged all of their stock in Marvel as collateral. Plaintiffs alleged that none of the proceeds of the loan went to Marvel or were used for its benefit. Marvel was unable to repay the notes and subsequently filed for bankruptcy protection. Plaintiffs named Marvel's remaining directors as defendants and claimed that they aided and abetted Perelman, Bevins and Drapkin in breaching their fiduciary duties. Plaintiffs also alleged that the defendants artificially inflated Marvel's earnings by booking the fees resulting from various licensing agreements as income at the time the licensing agreements were executed, but never collecting the fees and writing them off. Plaintiffs sought a jury trial, which defendants opposed. More › Share

Court of Chancery Accepts Fiduciary Status Through Partnership Interest-Assignment And Appraises Interest's Value

Ramunno v. Capano, et al., C.A. No. 18798-NC, 2006 WL 375541 (Del. Ch. Feb. 10, 2006). This is a fiduciary claim based action to appraise the fair value of real property brought by the trustee of four trusts that held a 12.1% interest in that property held by the defendant entity and its two majority interest holders, after that entity's merger into a new Delaware limited partnership. More › Share

Court of Chancery Denies Defendants' Demand For Intercontinental Depositions Approving Videoconferencing Under R.30(b) And Limits Number Of Deponents

Unisuper Ltd., et al. v. News Corporation, et al., C.A. No. 1699-N, 2006 WL 375433 (Del. Ch. Feb. 09, 2006). Defendants filed cross-motions requiring depositions of thirteen named plaintiffs' under Ch. Ct. R. 30(b)(6) in either Delaware or New York. Plaintiffs filed motions for protective orders, to limit the numbers of deponents and contended depositions could occur outside the United States via videoconferencing. The plaintiffs' Australian company had reincorporated in Delaware. Plaintiff sought equitable relief requesting its shareholders to be permitted to vote on a poison pill's extension. The court treated this matter as a representative one, rather than an individual shareholder suit. More › Share

Court of Chancery Grants Expedited Injunction Proceedings In Interested Merger's Disclosure Claim

In re Serena Software, Inc. S'holders Litig., C.A. No. 1777-N, 2006 WL 375599 (Del. Ch. Feb. 09, 2006). This is a motion for expedited proceedings for a preliminary injunction pertaining to certain disclosure claims not made public in SEC-filed proxy statements soliciting shareholder vote for an agreement for sale of the corporation at $24 per share. Class actions were earlier filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery and California's Superior Court challenging the sale transaction as a director-interested one. More › Share

Court Of Chancery Dismisses Complaint For R. 23.1 Failure Despite Corporation's Inadequate "Internal Controls" Attracting $50 million Fine

Stone, et al. v. Ritter, et al., C.A. No. 1570-N, 2006 WL 302558 (Del. Ch. Jan. 26, 2006). This matter involved an attempt to institute a derivative proceeding against fifteen current and former director defendants of AmSouth Bancorporation for alleged failures of fiduciary duties through insufficient internal control systems to guard against statutory violations under the Bank Secrecy Act and the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss and it was granted by the court for insufficiency of pleading under Chancery Court Rule 23.1. On November 6, 2006, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed this decision. More › Share

Court Of Chancery Holds That Unlike Corporations, LLC Agreements Can Mandate Arbitration For Fiduciary Breach Claims

Douzinas, et al. v. American Bureau of Shipping, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 1496-N (Del. Ch. Jan. 24, 2006) (published at 888 A.2d 1146 (Del. Ch. 2006). Minority shareholders brought a breach of fiduciary duty action against the managing member of the LLC. Additionally, they plead aiding and abetting conspiracy and unjust enrichment claims against defendants' affiliate entities. Relying on Delaware Supreme Court precedent, the defendants insist all claims require mandatory arbitration under the LLC agreement. The court agreed. More › Share

Court Of Chancery Upholds Voluntary Advancement Provisions Irrespective Of Alleged Wrongful Conduct

Radiancy, Inc. v. Zion Azar, et al., C.A. No. 1547-N, 2006 WL 224059 (Del. Ch. Jan. 23, 2006). This is a summary judgment motion for advancement of legal fees made by defendant-officers. Their corporation alleged fraud, fiduciary violations and usurpation of corporate opportunity against defendants as a bar to advancement. Defendants replied with counterclaims under their respective employment contracts. The motion was granted and denied in part. More › Share

Court Of Chancery Awards Litigation Fees Advancement Under LLC Agreement And Fees On Fees For Present Suit

Joyce C. Delucca v. KKAT Management, L.L.C. et al., C.A. No. 1384-N, 2006 WL 224058 (Del. Ch. Jan. 23, 2006). This case was decided on a motion for judgment on the pleadings. Plaintiff sought to obtain advancement of attorney fees allegedly contractually agreed, to defend a New York action and fees on fees for initiating and prosecuting this action. The plaintiff was sued in the New York action by affiliates-entities of her then employer. More › Share

Court Of Chancery Permits Interlocutory Appeal On Poison Pill Contract Issues

Unisuper, Ltd. v. New Corporation, C.A. No. 1699-N (Del. Ch. Jan. 20, 2006). Opinion and order granting interlocutory appeal on two contract issues, after court dismissed corporate allegations of fraud, negligent misrepresentation and fiduciary duty breach. More › Share

Partial Summary Judgment Denied by Court Of Chancery On "Entire Fairness" And Disclosure Grounds

In re Tele-Communications Inc. Shareholders Litig., C.A. No. 16470, 2005 WL 3547674 (Del. Ch. Dec. 21, 2005), opinion revised and superseded by No. CIV. A. 16470, 2005 WL 3642727 (Del. Ch. Dec. 21, 2005), (revised Jan. 10, 2006)(Westlaw citation not available). This summary judgment action originates from a Consolidated Amended Complaint that alleged nondisclosure of material information <and a lack of fairness of the impugned merger transaction. More › Share