Last week, the Court of Appeals announced a major clarification of the law of advancement and indemnification of legal fees in disputes among closely-held business owners. Read about it in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Warning: If You Want Legal Fee Advancement or Indemnification, You May Need to Amend Your Partnership, Shareholder, or Operating Agreement

In this week’s New York Business Divorce, we tackle one of the most spectacular and well-publicized business falling-outs of modern times: Michael D. Cohen’s departure from the Trump Organization LLC, his resulting criminal conviction, and his cooperation with the Federal Government’s various investigations into activities surrounding former President Trump J. Trump. As an alleged former officer of the Trump Organization, Cohen sued the company for indemnification under its operating agreement for millions of dollars in legal fees resulting from the sprawling array of civil, administrative, and criminal proceedings against him. Learn how Cohen’s claims were resolved in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading The Outer Limits of LLC Indemnification: Michael Cohen v Trump Organization

In the wild west of LLC derivative lawsuits, the First Department’s recent decision in Bd. of Managers of 28 Cliff St. Condominium v Maguire, 2020 NY Slip Op 06844 [1st Dept Nov. 19, 2020] offers—albeit indirectly—an additional foothold for a successful plaintiff to assert his right to recover his fees from an award in favor of the LLC.
Continue Reading Fee Sharing in LLC Derivative Suits: A Common Law Right and a One Way Street 

In this week’s New York Business Divorce, read about the exceedingly versatile cause of action of breach of fiduciary duty and the many remedies courts may award upon a finding of breach. This week’s post focuses on two remedies in particular: disgorgement of profits obtained through self-dealing, and recovery of attorneys’ fees when pled derivatively.
Continue Reading The Common-Law Tort of Breach of Fiduciary Duty: The Total Package

In Hammad v Al-Lid Food Corp., decided last month by Justice Sylvia Ash, the court denied the minority shareholder’s application for various interim remedies sought after the company elected to purchase his shares. Find out more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading You Sued for Dissolution, They Elected to Buy You Out, What Else Do You Want?

An appellate ruling last week in a dispute between a putative 50% LLC member and the other party claiming to be the sole member raises the issue whether a written operating agreement, to be enforceable, requires signatures. Read more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading If LLC Agreement Must Be in Writing, Must it Be Signed?

This week’s New York Business Divorce offers its annual Winter Case Notes with synopses of five recent decisions in business divorce cases involving LLC dissolution, cash-out merger, LLC member expulsion, and more.
Continue Reading Winter Case Notes: LLC Deadlock and Other Recent Decisions of Interest