Delaware Business Litigation Report

Court of Chancery Explains When Delay Is Not A Bar

Ginsburg v. Philadelphia Stock Exchange, C.A. No. 2202-CC (May 31, 2007).

It is often thought that even a short delay in seeking injunctive relief may bar a claim. Certainly in the case of claims to rescind a corporate transaction, any delay may be fatal. However, when the Court is satisfied that the plaintiff has been diligent, it is less likely to punish the delay that occurs in following the command of the Delaware Supreme Court to use the right to review corporate records before filing suit.

In this decision, the plaintiff knew he objected to the sale of securities by the PHLX and filed a demand to review its records on that sale. A year after the sale, he sued to have it rescinded. The Court denied the motion of the defendants for summary judgment on the claim for rescission because much of the delay in suing was attributed to the time the PHLX took in producing the documents the plaintiff had sought to review. In short, if you follow the rules to use the tools at hand you may get the time to do so.

Share