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 Rules That Moving Situs of Trust to Delaware Supports Personal Jurisdiction Under the State’s Long-Arm Statute
• Supreme Court Interprets an Alleged Irrevocable Proxy and Finds It Does Not Run with Shares and Bind Subsequent Owner
• Chancery Orders Stay of “Dr. J” Litigation Pending Arbitrator’s Decision on Arbitrability
• Chancery Dismisses Claims Against Controller and its Affiliates Based on Group Pleading and Vague, General Allegations of Claims for Breach of Fiduciary Duty
• Superior Court Orders Earn-Out Payment under Ambiguous Merger Agreement after Defendant Withheld Documents in Discovery
• Chancery Rules That Delisted and Long-Dark Corporation Failed To Show Harm Warranting a Confidentiality Order for Basic Financial Documents Responsive to a Books and Records Request
• Chancery Finds Asset Purchase Agreement Required Buyer to Indemnify Seller for Liability Under State Tobacco Settlement
• Chancery Determines Divorcee Was One Share Short of Equal Ownership Needed To Avoid Removal from Leadership of Business Empire
• 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