Delaware Business Litigation Report

Court Of Chancery Explains Demand Excusal Based On Knowing Violations Of Law

Kandell v. NIV, C.A. No. 11812-VCG (Sept. 29, 2017)

Derivative plaintiffs alleging that directors allowed the corporation they serve to violate the law typically face dismissal for failure to make pre-suit demand on the board unless they allege a bad faith breach of the fiduciary duty of loyalty. To survive dismissal, plaintiffs need to sufficiently allege the directors knowingly cause the violation or knowingly failed to act—a very high bar. This decision explains that a knowing violation may be found, as it was here (at the motion to dismiss stage), when the law in question is clear and the illegal corporate practice in question is well known to the board.

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