Richards, Layton & Finger lawyers bring a long history of sophisticated judgment and excellent client service to mergers and acquisitions involving director and officer fiduciary responsibility under Delaware law.
We also counsel corporations that are concerned about the possibility of unsolicited takeovers, advising on directors’ duties and responsibilities, special board committees, charter and bylaw provisions, director indemnification, and stockholder rights plans.
Our clients rely on our experience serving as Delaware counsel on virtually all types of business combination transactions involving public and privately held entities. Our lawyers have counseled on billions of dollars’ worth of mergers and acquisitions, management and leveraged buyouts, asset and stock sales, dispositions and restructurings. We also advise on the purchase and sale of distressed corporations and business assets.
Recent Developments in Delaware Corporate Law
Spring 2024
125 Years of Helping Clients Navigate the Intricacies of Delaware Corporate Law Richards, Layton & Finger has been defining Delaware law since 1899. Continuing our long tradition of providing insight into the evolution of our state’s influential laws, this publication highlights recent Delaware corporate and alternative entity cases as well as statutory developments in our state.Our…
Delaware Business Court Insider | February 14, 2024
In Grabski v. Andreessen, C.A. No. 2023-0464-KSJM (Del. Ch. Feb. 1, 2024), the Delaware Court of Chancery declined to dismiss fiduciary claims against officers and directors of Coinbase Global, Inc. who sold shares in a going-public transaction. In the opinion, the court, which has in recent years decided a number of cases involving companies going public…
Delaware Laws & Programs Affecting Business – 2024 Edition
2024
Delaware Laws & Programs Affecting Business presents an introduction to Delaware and an overview of the laws and programs relating to doing business in the state. Our economy is diverse, and our legal framework is intentionally crafted to foster robust business activity. Our widely copied business laws lead the nation in clarity and predictability. Government…
The Nature of Fiduciary Duties Owed to Limited-Life Corporations
Business Law Today | December 13, 2023
The fiduciary duties of directors of a Delaware corporation are frequently summarized as follows: “[T]he fiduciary relationship requires that the directors act prudently, loyally, and in good faith to maximize the value of the corporation over the long-term.” Embedded within that formulation is a temporal element: the duty is tied to the deliberately amorphous “long term”…
Court of Chancery Clarifies the Scope of Disclosure Liability in Novel Contexts
Delaware Business Court Insider | November 15, 2023
Under Delaware law, corporate fiduciaries owe an affirmative duty of disclosure when seeking stockholder action—including, for example, presenting a matter for stockholder approval or proposing a transaction that otherwise requires stockholders to make an investment decision, such as whether to seek appraisal or participate in a corporation’s self-tender. In these circumstances, directors owe an affirmative duty…
Court of Chancery Addresses Enforceability of “ConEd Provisions” Under Delaware Law
November 2, 2023
In what may be the last opinion from the Delaware Court of Chancery relating to Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company formerly known as Twitter, Crispo v. Musk, C.A. No. 2022- 0666-KSJM (Del. Ch. Oct. 31, 2023), the Court rejected a mootness fee petition brought by a former Twitter stockholder. The former stockholder, who brought suit…
Recent Complaint Unsuccessfully Challenged ‘Standard Plain Vanilla’ Rights Plan
Delaware Business Court Insider | August 16, 2023
In Building Trades Pension Fund of Western Pennsylvania v. Desktop Metal, a stockholder plaintiff brought derivative claims against Desktop Metal, Inc., alleging that a provision of the company’s rights plan, which was adopted in connection with a proposed merger transaction, impermissibly chilled the free exercise of stockholder voting with respect to the merger agreement at an…
Guidance on Drafting Proxies Under Delaware Law
Delaware Business Court Insider | June 14, 2023
As the Delaware Supreme Court recently reaffirmed in Daniel v. Hawkins, 289 A.3d 631 (Del. 2023), proxies are generally construed narrowly under Delaware law. In light of these principles of strict construction, proxies in voting and support agreements, secured debt instruments, and other corporate documents should be drafted in a manner that fully reflects the intended…
Business Law Today | March 9, 2023
The fiduciary duty of oversight has been one of the hottest topics of discussion among practitioners and boards of directors since it was thrust back into the limelight by the Delaware Supreme Court’s decision in Marchand v. Barnhill. In Marchand, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery to dismiss,…
‘In re Lordstown Motors’: Providing Relief From ‘Untold Chaos’
Delaware Business Court Insider | March 1, 2023
In In re Lordstown Motors, the Delaware Court of Chancery provides a roadmap for former special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) to validate capital structure uncertainties stemming from the same court’s recent decision in Garfield v. Boxed. In Lordstown, the court makes clear that Section 205 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL) is available as…
Recent Developments in Delaware Corporate Law
Spring 2023
This publication, which highlights recent corporate and alternative entity cases and statutory developments in Delaware, continues our long tradition of providing insight into the evolution of Delaware law. Our corporate and alternative entities teams, the largest and most recognized in the state, play a crucial role in Delaware. For decades we have contributed to the development…
Three Lessons From Three Years of Post-‘Marchand’ Caselaw
Delaware Business Court Insider | November 16, 2022
Just over three years ago, the Delaware Supreme Court held in Marchand v. Barnhill that the failure to maintain an internal monitoring system that could have prevented a deadly listeria outbreak gave rise to an actionable oversight claim against the board of directors under In re Caremark International Inc. Derivative Litigation. Although the Delaware Supreme Court…
Amendments to the DGCL Permit Officer Exculpation
Insights | October 2022
On August 1, 2022, Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL) was amended to permit a corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a provision to eliminate or limit the monetary liability of certain corporate officers for breach of the duty of care. Previously, the protection afforded by a so-called exculpatory provision…
The Relevance of Commercial Reality in Interpreting Charters and Bylaws
Delaware Business Court Insider | August 17, 2022
Where a literal reading yields a result at odds with what the drafters would have reasonably intended (which itself derives from the commercial context evidenced in plain terms throughout the instrument), literal meaning gives way to a more nuanced “objective” meaning. This article explores the application of this key precept in the interpretation of charters and…
The Failure of the ‘Failing Business’ Exception Under Delaware Law
Delaware Business Court Insider | June 22, 2022
In Stream TV Networks v. SeeCubic, the Delaware Supreme Court vacated a permanent injunction imposed by the Delaware Court of Chancery that prohibited Stream TV Networks, Inc. and the Rajan brothers, who collectively held a majority of the company’s stock, from blocking a negotiated transfer of all of Stream’s assets to satisfy its secured creditors. In…
Delaware Custodians, Receivers and Trustees (Oh My!)
Delaware Business Court Insider | March 9, 2022
Under Delaware law, the board of directors is generally responsible for overseeing the business and affairs of the corporation. However, where the board is incapable or unwilling to act and in other unique circumstances described below, the Delaware General Corporation Law allows stockholders, directors, creditors and other interested parties to attempt to displace the board’s decision-making…
Recent Developments in Delaware Corporate Law
Spring 2022
This publication, which highlights recent corporate and alternative entity cases and statutory developments in Delaware, continues our long tradition of providing insight into the evolution of Delaware law. Our corporate and alternative entities teams, the largest and most recognized in the state, play a crucial role in Delaware. For decades we have contributed to the development…
Amendments to the DGCL Permit Captive D&O Insurance
The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | February 24, 2022
The Delaware General Assembly has approved legislation amending Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) to authorize a Delaware corporation to use captive insurance, which is generally defined as insurance provided by or through a wholly-owned subsidiary funded by the corporation, to protect its current and former directors, officers and other indemnifiable persons…
Rosenbaum v. CytoDyn Inc.: A Review of Advance Notice Bylaws
Insights | December 2021
In Rosenbaum v. CytoDyn Inc., the Delaware Court of Chancery denied an insurgent group’s challenge to the rejection of their notice of director nominations by CytoDyn Inc. The Court’s opinion brings some clarity to an area of the law that “may not be as settled as one would think,” providing a framework for reviewing actions taken…
Dodd-Frank and Corporate Governance
Directors & Boards | 2021 Fourth Quarter
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) was enacted in response to perceived excesses and other dysfunction in the financial markets that precipitated the 2008 financial crisis. The public discourse surrounding the adoption and implementation of Dodd-Frank — including the notion that institutions deemed “too big to fail,” unless appropriately restrained, would take…
SPAC Mergers Challenged for an Alleged Statutory Foot-Fault
Delaware Business Court Insider | November 17, 2021
Stockholder-plaintiffs have filed a number of complaints in the Delaware Court of Chancery challenging at least five mergers involving Delaware special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) in the last four months alleging that the SPAC’s failure to solicit a “class vote” of the SPAC’s Class A Common stockholders in connection with certain amendments to the SPAC’s certificate…
Business Law Today | November 1, 2021
The corporation laws of every U.S. jurisdiction permit corporations on the “clear day” (i.e., before an adverse claim arises) to agree to advance defense costs, indemnify, and insure presumptively innocent directors and officers against risks of liability that arise out of their good faith service to the corporation. States’ laws governing alternative entities generally leave the…
Three Opinions on Fraud on the Board
Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | September 8, 2021
In a footnote in a two-page order issued in 2018, the Delaware Supreme Court quietly reminded corporate law practitioners that, per the 1989 case of Mills Acquisition v. Macmillan, a complaint seeking post-closing Revlon damages can survive a motion to dismiss without pleading nonexculpated breaches of fiduciary duty by a majority of directors so long as…
What Is Fraud on the Board? 3 Opinions Seek to Answer That Question
Delaware Business Court Insider | August 18, 2021
In a footnote in a two-page order issued in 2018, the Delaware Supreme Court quietly reminded corporate law practitioners that, per the 1989 case of Mills Acquisition v. Macmillan, a complaint seeking post-closing Revlon damages can survive a motion to dismiss without pleading nonexculpated breaches of fiduciary duty by a majority of directors so long…
The Shifting Landscape and Proliferation of Books and Records Demands in Delaware
Delaware Business Court Insider | June 23, 2021
Section 220 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides stockholders with the right to inspect the books and records of a corporation for a “proper purpose” that is “reasonably related to such person’s interest as a stockholder.” Delaware courts have long urged stockholders to utilize Section 220 investigations as one of the…
Insights | June 2021
Proposed legislation would amend the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act and the Delaware Revised Uniform Partnership Act to clarify, among other things, the treatmentof capital stock owned by the corporation, provide a safe harbor procedure for the ratification of void and voidable acts and…
The Delaware Court of Chancery Enjoins “Extreme, Unprecedented” Stockholder Rights Plan
Insights | March 2021
In The Williams Companies Stockholder Litigation, the Delaware Court of Chancery enjoined a stockholder rights plan, having described it as having “an extreme, unprecedented collection of features.” Nevertheless, the opinion does not signal a major shift in Delaware law with respect to the adoption and maintenance of stockholder rights plans.…
Elimination of Statutory Barriers May Lead to New Wave of Public Benefit Corporations
Delaware Business Court Insider | February 24, 2021
On August 1, 2013, a new subchapter of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) was added to enable Delaware for-profit corporations to be incorporated as or to become a Delaware public benefit corporation, or “PBC.” Rather than being operated solely to maximize value for stockholders, like traditional corporations, PBCs are required…
Delaware Laws & Programs Affecting Business – 2020 Edition
2020
Delaware Laws & Programs Affecting Business presents an introduction to Delaware and an overview of the laws and programs relating to doing business in the State. Our economy is diverse, and our legal framework is intentionally crafted to foster robust business activity. Our widely copied business laws lead the nation in clarity and predictability. Government…
Business Law Today | January 6, 2021
Recent events have spurred a social justice movement that has called for companies to commit to inclusion and diversity, specifically in the composition of their boards of directors.* In light of the foregoing, on December 1, 2020, Nasdaq filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that, if approved by the SEC, would condition…
Delaware Supreme Court on Costs in an Appraisal Proceeding
Insights | December 2020
In a recent decision, the Delaware Supreme Court held that an appraisal proceeding did not involve a violation of any law or rule and therefore did not constitute a “Securities Claim” giving rise to coverage for losses under the terms of a directors’ and officers’ insurance policy. It provided guidance regarding how the Delaware courts will…
Recent Developments Regarding ‘Wolf Pack’ Provisions in Rights Plans
Delaware Business Court Insider | November 11, 2020
A traditional stockholder rights plan remains one of the most effective tools a board of directors may use to protect the corporation’s stockholders from the threat of a hostile or abusive takeover. Rights plans often include specific provisions designed to address unique threats or issues facing the corporation. One such provision is an “acting in concert”—or…
Court of Chancery Permits $4.3 Billion Interim Distribution in Altaba Dissolution
Delaware Business Court Insider | November 4, 2020
In In re Altaba, the Delaware Court of Chancery, ruling at a preliminary stage of the dissolution process, authorized Altaba Inc. to make an interim liquidating distribution of up to $4.3 billion to its stockholders. Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster’s opinion is noteworthy because it is one of the few opinions to authorize an interim distribution…
Court of Chancery’s Post-‘Olenik‘ Interpretation of the ‘Ab Initio‘ Requirement
Delaware Business Court Insider | August 19, 2020
In Kahn v. M&F Worldwide, 88 A.3d 635 (Del. 2014), and its progeny, Delaware courts established that transactions subject to the entire fairness standard of review due to the presence of a conflicted controlling stockholder will nonetheless receive business judgment rule deference if the deal in question is conditioned ab initio on two well-known procedural…
2020 Proposed Amendments to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
June 16, 2020
House Bill 341, an act to amend the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”), has been introduced to the Delaware General Assembly. The amendments make several important changes to the DGCL, including clarifying the circumstances under which emergency bylaws may be invoked, providing safe harbors for specified corporate actions taken during the pendency…
Recent Developments in Rights Plans in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Delaware Business Court Insider | April 29, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant worldwide disruptions of business operations and has negatively impacted stock prices globally. As a result, many corporations find themselves potentially vulnerable to abusive takeover tactics, such as inadequate or coercive takeover proposals and market accumulations by investors seeking to profit from depressed stock prices that may not accurately reflect a…
What Is Oversight? Del. Courts Continue to Provide Clarification Post-“Marchand”
Delaware Business Court Insider | December 11, 2019
Delaware courts have long described claims against a board of directors of a Delaware corporation for breach of its duty of oversight (Caremark claims) as involving the most difficult theories in corporate law upon which a plaintiff can prevail—requiring a plaintiff to demonstrate that the board “utterly failed” to adopt controls and systems for…