Photo of Peter A. Mahler

Peter A. Mahler is a litigator focusing on business divorce cases involving dissolution and other disputes among co-­owners of closely held business entities, such as limited liability companies, corporations, and partnerships. Peter represents both control and non-control owners, often involving family-owned businesses. Frequently counseling business owners prior to litigation, he advises them of their rights and also assists in designing and negotiating an amicable separation between parties. Peter’s counsel helps avoid litigation by means of a buy-out, sale, or division of business assets.

 

 

A recent decision by Maryland’s highest court addresses the intersection of minority shareholder rights under the “oppression” statute and the at-will employment doctrine, including a thoughtful discussion of less drastic, alternative remedies to dissolution when oppression is established. Learn more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Less Drastic Measures: Maryland Case Highlights Non-Dissolution Remedies for Oppressed Minority Shareholders

This week’s New York Business Divorce features a guest post by Daniel S. Kleinberger, Emeritus Professor of Law at William Mitchell College of Law and renowned expert on business organizations. His topic: the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing under Delaware law.
Continue Reading Unraveling the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing: Guest Post by Professor Daniel Kleinberger

This week’s New York Business Divorce examines a recent Justice Bucaria decision that, upon reconsideration, allows an LLC member’s suit to recover withheld distributions to proceed without necessity of amending her complaint to seek judicial dissolution. The decision also prompts a look at the LLC Law’s statute of repose for “wrongful distributions.”
Continue Reading LLC “Squabble” Gets Back Its Day in Court

A 2-against-1 battle between sibling co-owners of a third-generation family business leads to an interesting decision by Justice Duane Hart concerning a disputed stock buyback, highlighted in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Court Rejects Majority’s Gambit to Compel Buyback of Shares in Family-Owned Business

This week’s New York Business Divorce highlights two recently published articles on two topics of great interest to business divorce practitioners: (1) whether courts of one state have jurisdiction to dissolve business entities formed in another state, and (2) the role of equity in Delaware LLC litigation.
Continue Reading Recent Articles Highlight Dissolution of Foreign Entities and Delaware LLC Litigation

Pizza’s on the menu in this week’s New York Business Divorce, or at least a dispute between co-members of an LLC that owns a popular Manhattan pizzeria. Just don’t look for any extra cheese on Justice Sherwood’s recent decision in Manzella v. Caporuscio, authorizing the majority member to terminate the minority member’s employment.
Continue Reading Pizza Chef with Bigger Piece of LLC Pie Allowed to Terminate Minority Member’s Employment

A very interesting decision earlier this month by Justice Eileen Bransten in Doppelt v. Smith addressed whether a minority limited partner’s right to seek judicial dissolution was preempted by the partnership agreement’s provision authorizing dissolution upon the consent of a majority of the limited partnership interests. Read more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Court Enforces Waiver of Limited Partner’s Right to Seek Judicial Dissolution — Or Did It?

The LLC Institute, the New York Law Journal, and the American Institute of CPAs are all sponsoring upcoming continuing education programs of great interest to business divorce professionals, at two of which I’ll be a panel member. Get the details in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Don’t Miss These Upcoming Programs on LLCs and Business Valuation