A recent Court of Chancery decision may signal increased scrutiny of the independence of directors repeatedly placed on boards by activist investors.
On May 26, 2022, Vice Chancellor Laster issued the first installment of a two-part decision denying the motions to dismiss filed in Goldstein v. Denner. The litigation is grounded in the decision made by the board of directors of Bioverativ, Inc. (the “Company”) to merge with Sanofi S.A (“Sanofi”). (more…)
https://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00Lia M. Higginshttps://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngLia M. Higgins2022-06-29 09:11:072023-09-08 11:03:36Delaware Chancery Court Examines Independence of Board Members Nominated by Activist Investors
On April 28, 2022, a state appellate court for the first time addressed provisions in a public company’s certification of incorporation that designate federal court as the sole forum for the litigation of Section 11 claims. Wong v. Restoration Robotics, Inc., – Cal. Rptr. 3d –, 2022 WL 1261423. Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 gives stock purchasers a claim against stock issuers and a broad range of other defendants for materially false or misleading statements in registration statements. (more…)
https://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00Robin E. Wechkinhttps://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngRobin E. Wechkin2022-06-23 09:21:252023-09-08 11:05:43The Era of Section 11 Litigation in State Courts Appears To Be Ending
Over the last year and a half we have seen an increased volume of complaints filed against SPAC boards in the Delaware Court of Chancery, challenging their decisions regarding de-SPAC mergers. In this article, Charlotte Newell, James Heyworth, and Josh DuClos discuss the increased scrutiny. (more…)
The Delaware Court of Chancery took the old maxim “justice delayed is justice denied” to heart recently when it denied a request for a stay of proceedings hours after the request had been filed. The ruling from Vice Chancellor Paul A. Fioravanti, Jr. in In re Kidbox.com, Inc., Case No. 2022-0379-PAF, is the latest in a series of rulings from the Delaware Court of Chancery requiring litigants in bankruptcy-alternative proceedings in Delaware to support their petitions for relief with sufficient disclosures and to avoid bare-boned pleadings. These rulings further signal that counsel engaged in bankruptcy-alternative proceedings in Delaware should be prepared for a higher level of scrutiny from the Court of Chancery. (more…)
https://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00Robert S. Velevishttps://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngRobert S. Velevis2022-06-16 09:39:032023-09-08 11:07:37Relearning the ABCs: Delaware Court of Chancery Issues Rulings Making Clear That More Information Is Required in Bankruptcy-Alternative Proceedings
Vice Chancellor Laster recently delivered a lecture at the University of Iowa College of Law focused on attorney ethics. As followers of this blog know, Vice Chancellor Laster has issued several M&A decisions that feature factual findings regarding attorney conduct. Three of them – the so-called “A-Trilogy” – were the subject of his presentation (AB Stable; Anthem; and Akorn). (more…)
https://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00Enhanced Scrutiny Contributorshttps://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngEnhanced Scrutiny Contributors2022-06-09 09:12:032023-09-19 13:18:18Disinfecting with Sunlight: Vice Chancellor Laster on Attorney Misconduct in M&A Cases
In the past few years, we have seen a remarkable acceleration in appreciation of the importance of ESG to corporate decision-making, enterprise risk management, and the ability for a corporation to withstand crisis. Companies face a growing set of expectations from employees, customers, investors, and regulators with respect to how they incorporate ESG considerations into business decisions and how they mitigate and disclose risks related to ESG. The thesis is that companies that appropriately manage ESG risks and capitalize on opportunities are more resilient to adversity and perform better financially over the long term. (more…)
https://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00Heather M. Palmerhttps://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngHeather M. Palmer2022-06-06 10:42:412023-09-08 11:09:47Governance Challenges 2022: Legal Considerations For Oversight of Climate-Related Risks
This blog recently discussed the Delaware Supreme Court’s decision in Coster v. UIP Companies, Inc., wherein the Court held that a stock sale that satisfied the entire fairness standard — the most rigorous in Delaware’s corporate law — should undergo still further review to assess the board’s motivations in approving the sale. The Court reversed the decision of the Court of Chancery, which had assumed that entire fairness was the “end of the road” for judicial review, and instead invoked the seminal 1971 decision in Schnell v. Chris-Craft to explain that “inequitable action does not become permissible merely because it is legally possible.” Under Delaware law, therefore, board actions are “twice tested”: first for legal authorization, and second to determine whether such action was equitable. (more…)
https://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.png00James Heyworthhttps://ma-litigation.sidley.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/sidleyLogo-e1643922598198.pngJames Heyworth2022-05-31 09:00:412024-11-18 16:06:26“Twice Tested” and Still Fair, and the Ongoing Relevance of Schnell
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Delaware Chancery Court Examines Independence of Board Members Nominated by Activist Investors
A recent Court of Chancery decision may signal increased scrutiny of the independence of directors repeatedly placed on boards by activist investors.
On May 26, 2022, Vice Chancellor Laster issued the first installment of a two-part decision denying the motions to dismiss filed in Goldstein v. Denner. The litigation is grounded in the decision made by the board of directors of Bioverativ, Inc. (the “Company”) to merge with Sanofi S.A (“Sanofi”). (more…)
Lia M. Higgins
Jon Muenz
New York
jmuenz@sidley.com
The Era of Section 11 Litigation in State Courts Appears To Be Ending
On April 28, 2022, a state appellate court for the first time addressed provisions in a public company’s certification of incorporation that designate federal court as the sole forum for the litigation of Section 11 claims. Wong v. Restoration Robotics, Inc., – Cal. Rptr. 3d –, 2022 WL 1261423. Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 gives stock purchasers a claim against stock issuers and a broad range of other defendants for materially false or misleading statements in registration statements. (more…)
Robin E. Wechkin
Seattle
rwechkin@sidley.com
de-SPAC Mergers Facing Increased Scrutiny
Over the last year and a half we have seen an increased volume of complaints filed against SPAC boards in the Delaware Court of Chancery, challenging their decisions regarding de-SPAC mergers. In this article, Charlotte Newell, James Heyworth, and Josh DuClos discuss the increased scrutiny. (more…)
Charlotte K. Newell
New York
cnewell@sidley.com
James Heyworth
New York
jheyworth@sidley.com
Joshua G. DuClos
Century City
jduclos@sidley.com
Relearning the ABCs: Delaware Court of Chancery Issues Rulings Making Clear That More Information Is Required in Bankruptcy-Alternative Proceedings
The Delaware Court of Chancery took the old maxim “justice delayed is justice denied” to heart recently when it denied a request for a stay of proceedings hours after the request had been filed. The ruling from Vice Chancellor Paul A. Fioravanti, Jr. in In re Kidbox.com, Inc., Case No. 2022-0379-PAF, is the latest in a series of rulings from the Delaware Court of Chancery requiring litigants in bankruptcy-alternative proceedings in Delaware to support their petitions for relief with sufficient disclosures and to avoid bare-boned pleadings. These rulings further signal that counsel engaged in bankruptcy-alternative proceedings in Delaware should be prepared for a higher level of scrutiny from the Court of Chancery. (more…)
Robert S. Velevis
Dallas
rvelevis@sidley.com
Charles M. Persons
Disinfecting with Sunlight: Vice Chancellor Laster on Attorney Misconduct in M&A Cases
Vice Chancellor Laster recently delivered a lecture at the University of Iowa College of Law focused on attorney ethics. As followers of this blog know, Vice Chancellor Laster has issued several M&A decisions that feature factual findings regarding attorney conduct. Three of them – the so-called “A-Trilogy” – were the subject of his presentation (AB Stable; Anthem; and Akorn). (more…)
Enhanced Scrutiny Contributors
delawarelit@sidley.com
Governance Challenges 2022: Legal Considerations For Oversight of Climate-Related Risks
In the past few years, we have seen a remarkable acceleration in appreciation of the importance of ESG to corporate decision-making, enterprise risk management, and the ability for a corporation to withstand crisis. Companies face a growing set of expectations from employees, customers, investors, and regulators with respect to how they incorporate ESG considerations into business decisions and how they mitigate and disclose risks related to ESG. The thesis is that companies that appropriately manage ESG risks and capitalize on opportunities are more resilient to adversity and perform better financially over the long term. (more…)
Heather M. Palmer
Houston
hpalmer@sidley.com
“Twice Tested” and Still Fair, and the Ongoing Relevance of Schnell
This blog recently discussed the Delaware Supreme Court’s decision in Coster v. UIP Companies, Inc., wherein the Court held that a stock sale that satisfied the entire fairness standard — the most rigorous in Delaware’s corporate law — should undergo still further review to assess the board’s motivations in approving the sale. The Court reversed the decision of the Court of Chancery, which had assumed that entire fairness was the “end of the road” for judicial review, and instead invoked the seminal 1971 decision in Schnell v. Chris-Craft to explain that “inequitable action does not become permissible merely because it is legally possible.” Under Delaware law, therefore, board actions are “twice tested”: first for legal authorization, and second to determine whether such action was equitable. (more…)
James Heyworth
New York
jheyworth@sidley.com
Robert M. Garsson
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Alex J. Kaplan
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Ian M. Ross
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Hille R. Sheppard
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