Delaware Business Litigation Report

District Court Clarifies Who Is A Manager

Wakley Limited v. Ensotran LLC, C.A. 12-728-GMS (March 18, 2014)

Under the Delaware LLC Act, a manager or a person who acts like a manager is subject to jurisdiction in Delaware in a breach of duty case arising out of her management.  Because the LLC agreement usually sets out who is a "manager," that is usually not disputed.  However, it is often less clear who had exercised management duties sufficient to be subject to jurisdiction in Delaware. This decision helps decide that question. It points out that just being named an officer is not enough to submit to jurisdiction and that the nature of the defendant's' duties compared to what it is alleged she did improperly may also be determinative.  In other words, if you "managed" X project but are sued for what you did on the Y project, there is no jurisdiction over you..

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