Bryan Townsend

Bryan Townsend focuses his practice on litigation involving fiduciary, corporate, and commercial matters in the Delaware Court of Chancery. He represents directors and officers, as well as stockholders, in litigation matters ranging from appraisal valuations to contractual disputes to claims for breaches of fiduciary duties.

Bryan advises special committees and directors on the discharge of their fiduciary duties in reviewing proposed transactions, and he has coordinated with expert witnesses on methodologies and developments in appraisal and valuation law. Bryan also represents companies involved in commercial litigation, including post-closing price adjustments and stock purchase agreements. In addition to his experience in the Court of Chancery, Bryan represents clients involved with business litigation in the Superior Court of Delaware and the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, as well as pro bono clients in Delaware Family Court.

Bryan serves as the Senate Majority Leader in the Delaware General Assembly. He chairs the Housing Committee, serves on the Judiciary, Education, and Executive Committees, and has chaired the Health & Social Services and Banking, Business & Insurance Committees. Since becoming a State Senator in 2012, Bryan has sponsored several pieces of legislation that have updated the Delaware General Corporation Law, alternative entities acts, and Delaware’s Unclaimed Property law. He has also chaired or served on task forces that have examined Delaware’s fundamental revenue streams and infrastructure needs.

Professional Affiliations

• Delaware State Bar Association
• The Office of the Child Advocate, Delaware, Guardian ad litem on behalf of abused and neglected children
• Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Volunteer Attorney for victims of domestic violence
• Widener University Delaware Law School's Veterans Law Clinic, Volunteer Attorney for veteran with service injuries

• Represented majority owners of a closely-held company in a buyout of a minority stockholder
• Secured a pre-merger class-action settlement on behalf of company, with no change in pecuniary consideration for class members
• Advised a special committee of disinterested directors regarding negotiations and litigation for a going-private transaction proposed by a controlling stockholder
• Litigated breach-of-contract actions in various settings, including post-closing price adjustments and stock purchase agreements
• Expedited litigation relating to an international joint-venture
• Litigation involving duties in Delaware limited liability companies
• Discovery matters, including expedited e-discovery and privilege logs

Latest Blog Posts

Delaware Business Litigation Report

• Chancery Approves Reduced Fee Award for Derivative Settlement Based on Therapeutic Benefits
• Chancery Denies Books and Records Request Related to Disney’s Opposition to Florida Legislation Prohibiting LGBTQ+ Topics in Classrooms
• Chancery Grants Single-Member Special Litigation Committee’s Motion To Terminate Derivative Claims
• Chancery Determines That Former Executives Are Not Entitled to Equity Awards Under Separation Agreement
• Following Flawed Business Acquisition, Chancery Dismisses Derivative Complaint for Failure to Plead Demand Futility
• Chancery Relies on Unanimous Dictionary Entries To Confirm Unambiguity of Supply Agreement
• Supreme Court Affirms Chancery’s Interpretation of Word “And” in Option Agreements
• Chancery Rules That Moving Situs of Trust to Delaware Supports Personal Jurisdiction Under the State’s Long-Arm Statute
• View More

Community

University of Delaware Alumni Association, Board of Directors, 2011-2015

University of Delaware Board of Trustees, Member, 2004-2005

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware, Big Brother, 2010-2014

Honors

Harry S. Truman Scholar, 2003, Delaware

Yale Journal on Regulation, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Articles Editor, 2007-2009