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Fiduciary Duty Corporate Governance Corporate Officers

Allen Matkins

When Dismissing A Case Violates Due Process

Allen Matkins on

When a shareholder sues derivatively, the shareholder is seeking relief not for itself, but for the corporation.  Therefore, it should be expected that the shareholder is not free to compromise or dismiss the suit absent...more

K&L Gates LLP

The Continued Evolution of Caremark Oversight Liability

K&L Gates LLP on

In the last year, Delaware courts have issued several notable opinions that further define—and in some cases expand—the scope of liability for failures of oversight at a corporation. Claims by shareholders that one or more...more

Allen Matkins

Just What Are The Duties Of A Controlling Shareholder And How Should Claims Of Breach Be Brought?

Allen Matkins on

In a recent post, Professor Stephen Bainbridge discusses the question of when a controlling shareholder owes fiduciary duties to minority shareholders.  Knowing when controlling shareholder owes fiduciary duties is one thing,...more

Allen Matkins

Is Your Directors And Officers Liability Coverage Illusory?

Allen Matkins on

Many corporations pay significant amounts for directors and officers liability policies.  Commonly referred to as D&O policies, these policies usually involve three sides.  Directors and officers are likely to have the most...more

Allen Matkins

Nevada Supreme Court Rejects The "Uncontrollable Child" Theory Of Parent-Subsidiary Relationships

Allen Matkins on

Nevada famously limits directors and officers from personal liability.  However, it would be an overstatement to say that Nevada is a "liability free" jurisdiction.  For example, the Nevada Supreme Court recently held that...more

Jenner & Block

The Duty of Directors and Officers to Respond to Red Flags

Jenner & Block on

The duty of oversight requires directors to (1) make a good faith effort to ensure that their corporations have proper reporting systems in place, and (2) take action to address red flags that indicate potential corporate...more

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

2023 Delaware Corporate Law and Litigation Year in Review

Wilson Sonsini is pleased to present the 2023 Delaware Corporate Law and Litigation Year In Review. In 2023, the Delaware courts issued many decisions addressing an array of important topics, including director and officer...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Insights: The Delaware Edition - December 2023

In this issue, we discuss recent Delaware court developments regarding officer liability, who can recover “lost-premium” damages, and trends in books and records actions, among other topics....more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Court of Chancery Finds Officer Liable for Competing With Corporation and Misappropriating Trade Secrets

On September 1, 2023, Vice Chancellor Paul A. Fioravanti, Jr. of the Court of Chancery delivered a decision finding that the president of a plaintiff company and a second business the president had formed and served...more

Bowditch & Dewey

Solving the Puzzle to Improve Corporate Governance

Bowditch & Dewey on

An often overlooked and critical function of operating a successful business is sound corporate governance. But what is corporate governance? Generally stated, corporate governance encompasses the rules, mechanisms and...more

Allen Matkins

If Harvard Is A Corporation, Does Its Board Owe Fiduciary Duties?

Allen Matkins on

Of late, Harvard has garnered an abundance of attention regarding the continued incumbency of its President.  Despite widely criticized testimony before Congress and the publication of allegations of plagiarism, the Harvard...more

Bennett Jones LLP

Special Committees: Frequently Asked Questions

Bennett Jones LLP on

Special committees have evolved as a key corporate governance mechanism to assist boards of directors in discharging their fiduciary duties. Applicable securities laws mandate the use of special committees in connection with...more

JAMS

Mediating Complex Corporate Disputes Involving Officers and Directors

JAMS on

Claims against corporate officers and directors most commonly are derivative claims brought on behalf of a corporation or LLC in which the company is a nominal plaintiff. These claims allege that the defendants have breached...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

California Court Adopts the Caremark Standard for Oversight Claims

Latham & Watkins LLP on

The decision articulates the standard for plaintiffs asserting derivative claims based on an alleged failure of oversight by directors and officers of California companies. Nearly three decades ago in the seminal case In...more

Allen Matkins

Do Corporate Boards Necessarily Breach Their Fiduciary Duties When They Approve Illegal Conduct?

Allen Matkins on

In a recent blog post on the Business Law Prof Blog, Tulane Law professor Ann M. Lipton opined...more

Jenner & Block

Delaware’s 102(b)(7) Exculpation of Senior Officers - One Year Later

Jenner & Block on

For more than thirty-five years, Delaware law, pursuant to Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Act (DGCL), has allowed Delaware corporations to exculpate their directors from personal liability for damages...more

Allen Matkins

Can One Shareholder Sue Another Shareholder For Breach Of Contract?

Allen Matkins on

One popular theory of the corporation is that it is a nexus of contracts.  As Frank Easterbrook and Daniel Fischel pithily pronounced "Corporations are enduring (relational) contracts."  F. Easterbrook and D. Fischel, The...more

A&O Shearman

Delaware Court Of Chancery Rejects Stockholder’s Section 220 Books And Record Demand In Connection With Corporation’s Expression...

A&O Shearman on

On June 27, 2023, Vice Chancellor Lori W. Will of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a judgment in favor of a “leading media and entertainment” company with a “substantial presence in Florida” (the “Corporation”),...more

A&O Shearman

Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Decision Rejecting Fiduciary Duty Claims As To Allegedly Conflicted Acquisition Because It...

A&O Shearman on

On June 6, 2023, in an opinion authored by Justice Karen L. Valihura, the Supreme Court of Delaware sitting en banc unanimously affirmed judgment in favor of defendant, the CEO/Founder and then-Chairman (the “Chairman”) of...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Insights: The Delaware Edition - June 2023

In a case of first impression, the Court of Chancery held recently that officers, like directors, owe their companies a duty of oversight, although the scope of that will vary with their responsibilities. Two other Chancery...more

Conyers

Directors’ Post-Liquidation Duties under BVI Insolvency Law

Conyers on

In the recent decision of Greig William Alexander Mitchell & Ors v Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber & Ors [2023] EWHC 364 (Ch), the English High Court was required to consider the question of what duties (if any) a director...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Top Tips on Complying with Directors’ Duties Under English Law

Orrick's Founder Series offers monthly top tips for UK startups on key considerations at each stage of their lifecycle, from incorporating a company through to possible exit strategies. The Series is written by members of our...more

A&O Shearman

Delaware Court Of Chancery Dismisses Caremark Claims Against Directors For Failure To Allege Bad Faith After Permitting Related...

A&O Shearman on

On March 1, 2023, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed derivative claims brought by stockholders for breach of the fiduciary duty of oversight under Caremark against the directors of...more

Bennett Jones LLP

Delaware Court Extends a Director's Duty of Oversight to Officers—What Could This Mean for Canadian Directors and Officers?

Bennett Jones LLP on

In the United States, corporate directors owe, as a subset of their duty of loyalty, a duty to monitor and oversee the operations of the company, referred to as the "duty of oversight" in this blog. This duty is known as the...more

Fox Rothschild LLP

Corporate Director Duty to at Least “Try” to Carry Out Oversight Functions May Soon Extend to Company Officers

Fox Rothschild LLP on

Just last year, in assessing the extent to which a director has a duty to oversee a corporation’s business affairs, the Business Court noted the “limited guidance” afforded by state statutes and case law. In Lee v. McDowell,...more

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