In the world of business divorce litigation, this summer saw everything but a slowdown. We witnessed (and blogged about) Justice Crane cap a long-running fair value proceeding with helpful guidance on appraisals and...more
When a closely-held business is profitable, self-interested owners naturally want a bigger slice of the pie, especially where the personal relationships among the owners are frayed. Perhaps that’s why we often discuss the...more
This first post of 2024 brings the New York Business Divorce Blog into its eighteenth calendar year of weekly commentary on disputes among co-owners of closely held businesses.
This year, let business owners and their...more
Over its three-decade rise to the closely-held business entity of choice, the Limited Liability Company has won a special place in our hearts. The majority of disputes we litigate and blog about concern ownership of or...more
One of the most difficult periods in the lifecycle of a closely-held company is the period following the death of an owner. Apart from having to fill whatever business responsibilities the deceased owner left behind, the...more
The emergence of the Limited Liability Company as the preferred form of closely-held business association in New York has spawned a glut of litigation over disputed membership status in LLCs, many of which are covered in the...more
In an earlier post, I offered a broader-than-usual overview of certain key rights that a minority owner holds in a closely-held business: the right to vote on company action, the right to inspect books and records, the right...more
The pages of this blog are filled with cases pitting a minority owner of a closely-held business—most often a corporation or an LLC—against the majority. Books and records proceedings, derivative actions brought on behalf of...more
For owners of closely-held businesses, there are few provisions meriting more attention in an owners’ agreement than the buy-sell agreement. Buy-sell agreements come in many different forms, and the best ones are designed to...more
We often cover preliminary injunctions on the pages of this blog because they are a powerful tool in the business divorce litigator’s toolbox: they force court action early in the case, they can protect rights that are...more
10/18/2021
/ Business Divorce ,
Business Litigation ,
Closely Held Businesses ,
Contract Terms ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Membership Interest ,
Motion To Enjoin ,
Operating Agreements ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Reorganizations ,
Right of Reinstatement ,
Termination Rights
Business divorce has a way of drawing quick and often lopsided battle lines. Many disputes in closely-held companies feature one outspoken owner feuding with a united group of the remaining owners over management or...more
Of all the factors considered by business divorce lawyers and appraisers when valuing an owner’s interest in a closely-held company, the calculation and applicability of a discount for lack of marketability (“DLOM”) is among...more
The right of shareholders to elect a corporation’s directors is one of the most valuable rights attendant to share ownership. Election of directors is where shareholders can directly exert their influence on the corporation,...more
7/26/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Business Disputes ,
Business Divorce ,
Business Litigation ,
Closely Held Businesses ,
Corporate Governance ,
Director Nominations ,
Director Removal ,
Fine Art ,
Injunctions ,
Likelihood of Success ,
Minority Shareholders ,
Motion To Enjoin ,
Shareholder Meetings ,
Shareholders ,
Voting Rights