Posts in Dissolution

Chancery Permits Receiver to Tax Petitioner for Costs of Receivership

Longoria v. Somers, C.A. No. 2018-0190-JTL (Del. Ch. May 28, 2019).

The Court of Chancery may appoint a receiver to wind up a deadlocked corporate entity.  When that happens, the corporation normally pays the receiver’s fees and expenses.  Here, however, the entity was insolvent and unable to pay, and the Petitioner (a 50% owner) opposed contributing to the payment of certain expenses.  More ›

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Court of Chancery Explains What Is A Proper Claim Reserve When Dissolving

Capone v. LDH Management Holdings LLC, C.A. No. 11687-VCG (April 25, 2018)

Under the LLC Act, as with the DGCL, an entity planning to dissolve and distribute its assets is required to set aside some reserve of assets to pay all known claims.  Failure to set aside sufficient assets may result in revocation of the entity’s certificate of cancellation, thereby reviving the entity, as happened in this case.  This decision explains when claims are “known” by the entity (i.e., the entity has actual knowledge of the claims) and how the entity may value those claims for purposes of retaining sufficient assets to potentially satisfy them.  Importantly, the reserve need not match all potential damages dollar-for-dollar.  The value of claims may be discounted based on their lack of merit, for example.

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Court Of Chancery Explains When To Appoint Corporate Custodian

Kleinberg v. Aharon , C.A. 12719-VCL (February 13, 2017)

On the same day the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the widely-reported TransPerfect decision, which ordered the sale of a successful company by custodian under Section 226 of the DGCL in order to break deadlock, the Court of Chancery issued this decision appointing a custodian of a Delaware corporation with limited powers to break a deadlock. The decision carefully explains the reason why a custodian should be appointed and why the custodian’s powers should be limited. In that sense, this is a “normal” custodian case not involving the very unusual circumstances the Court of Chancery had to deal with in TransPerfect.

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Delaware Supreme Court Affirms The TransPerfect Decision

Shawe v. Elting, No. 423, 2016 (February 13, 2017)

The Supreme Court has affirmed the Court of Chancery decision that Section 226 of the DGCL permits the Court to appoint a custodian to sell a Delaware corporation when the board of directors and stockholders are deadlocked and the company is suffering as a result.

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Court Of Chancery Dismisses Dissolution Case In Favor Of Ongoing California Litigation

Zebala v. Aminopterin LLC, C.A. No. 12186-VCS (September 28, 2016) (TRANSCRIPT) 

An issue of some debate is whether a non-Delaware court has the power to dissolve a Delaware entity.  Here, the Court of Chancery was asked to dismiss a later-filed dissolution action in Delaware based on a California forum selection clause in the parties’ LLC agreement, and in deference to a long-pending first-filed action in California where the court had already issued an injunction restricting the LLC’s assets that the Court of Chancery was being asked to wind up.  The Court thus had the opportunity to address the important power to dissolve question, but under the circumstances found it appropriate to defer to the California court relying on principles of comity and a McWane analysis to dismiss the dissolution action.  In other words, the Court of Chancery would not step on the California court’s toes under the circumstances, and the California court could decide for itself if it has the power to dissolve a Delaware entity should the parties present that issue there.

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Court Of Chancery Grants Dissolution On Conditions

Abelmann v. Granum, C.A. 12041-VCMR (November 15, 2016)

This is an interesting decision in a small case. The Court granted the request to dissolve a Delaware entity in deadlock, but conditioned that dissolution on an agreement not to use the fact of dissolution in another proceeding between the parties to defeat a party’s standing. What other conditions might be imposed in other cases remains to be seen.

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Court Of Chancery Orders Dissolution Despite LLC Agreement Bar

Meyer Natural Foods LLC v. Duff, C.A. 9703-VCN (June 4, 2015)

This decision may answer the question of whether an LLC Agreement’s bar of dissolution without a member’s consent trumps the statutory remedy of court-ordered dissolution when the entity’s purpose cannot be achieved any longer. It concludes that dissolution is proper under the facts presented where the objecting member really had no good reason to object.

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Court Of Chancery Permits Equitable Dissolution

In re Carlisle Etcetera LLC, C.A. 10280-VCL (April 30, 2015)

In this precedent-setting decision, the Court upholds the right of an assignee of an LLC interest to petition for its dissolution. The LLC Act itself limits a dissolution petition to managers or members, but drawing on precedent upholding the broad powers of a court of equity, the Court holds that an equitable remedy exists that permits an assignee to also seek dissolution.

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Court Of Chancery Enforces Section 273

In The Matter Of Bermor Inc., C.A. 8401-VCL (February 9, 2015) This decision reinforces that the joint venture statute for Delaware corporations, Section 273, requires the Court to dissolve the entity upon a deadlock. Absent extraordinary circumstances amounting to a fraud, the Court has no discretion to do otherwise. Share

Court Of Chancery Grants Specific Performance To Break Deadlock

Millien v. Popescu, C.A. 8670-VCN (January 31, 2014)

This is an interesting case because the Court grants specific performance of an somewhat vague contract and that breaks what would otherwise have been a stockholder deadlock.  It has a good outline of the law of specific performance.

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Court Of Chancery Explains Stay Law On Appeals

In The Matter of the Rehabilitation Of Indemnity Insurance Corporation, C.A. 8601-VCL (January 16, 2014)

A party aggrieved by a trial court's decision may seek a stay while it appeals. To win a stay, it must satisfy the so-called "Kirpat" test, particularly its requirement of irreparable harm absent a stay.  This decision illustrates the analysis of the Kirpat factors.

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Court Of Chancery Outlines Custodian Immunity

Jepsco Ltd. v. B.F. Rich Co. Inc,. C.A. 7343-VCP (February 14, 2013)

The liability of a custodian or receiver for a dissolving corporation is not clear.  Judicial immunity does protect him from many claims, but as this decision points out, not from all claims.  The discussion of what claims are or are not barred by immunity is particularly helpful for anyone assuming the role of a custodian or receiver.

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Court Of Chancery Stays Section 273 Case

McElroy v Schornstein, C.A. 7233-CS (June 6, 2012)

It is often said that the Court of Chancery will not stay or dismiss an action filed under one of the statutory provisions for summary adjudication of a claim, such as to decide a proxy contest,  because there is prior litigation filed elsewhere.  That is generally true, but not always and this decision involves 1 of the rare exceptions.  Here the plaintiff sought a decree of dissolution by his complaint filed several months after a similar claim was filed by the other side in New Jersey. Noting that any decision by it would impact a preliminary ruling by the New Jersey court, the Court of Chancery dismissed its case to avoid such a conflict.

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Court Of Chancery Appoints Receiver To Resolve Strategic Issues

Badii v. Metropolitan Hospice Inc., C.A. 6190-VCP (March 12,  2012)

In this case the Court appointed a receiver for an insolvent corporation under Section 291 of the DGCL.  The Court reasoned that the appointment was needed to break a deadlock over whether to implement a proposed tax strategy when there was little time left to deal with the IRS.  This illustrates when a receiver may be appointed to make business decisions.

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Court Of Chancery May Appoint A Receiver To Collect Insurance

In The Matter of Krafft-Murphy Company Inc., C.A. 6049-VCP (November 9, 2011)

This decision upholds the power of the Court of Chancery to appoint a receiver for a dissolved Delaware corporation to collect on the corporation's insurance polices covering asbestos claims. This may be done even more than 10 years after formal dissolution and provides a way to pursue insurance coverage despite the general law that prohibits direct claims against an insurer.

See also the Supreme Court's reversal of part of the Court's ruling at Anderson v. krafft-Murphy Company, Inc. Del Sup. C.A. 85, 2013 ( November 26, 2013).

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