Suffolk County Commercial Division Justice Elizabeth Hazlitt Emerson recently decided a fair value appraisal in a stock buyout proceeding under BCL 1118, in which she rejected the two experts’ widely divergent conclusions of value in favor of her own computation based on the income approach. Read all about it in this week’s New York Business Divorce.

Continue Reading Court Rejects Experts’ Appraisals in Fair Value Proceeding, Relies on Own Computation Using Income Approach

A recent appellate decision, ordering a new stock valuation hearing in a case marked by incomplete expert testimony and inadequate findings by the judicial hearing officer who heard the valuation evidence, prompts thoughts on the use of hired-gun experts in this week’s New York Business Divorce.

Continue Reading Stock Valuation, Dr. Pangloss, Mr. Scrooge and Do-Overs

Have room for one more 2008 top-10 list? This week’s New York Business Divorce highlights the 10 most interesting business divorce cases from last year, with updated case citations and links to previous write-ups.

Continue Reading Top 10 Business Divorce Cases of 2008

DUE TO TECHNICAL GLITCH, THIS ENTRY WAS PUBLISHED THIS MORNING INCOMPLETE. THIS WILL LINK TO THE COMPLETE ENTRY. MY APOLOGY FOR THE DUPLICATE EMAIL NOTIFICATION. P.A.M.
The statute governing buyouts in oppressed shareholder dissolution cases dictates that the fair value of the shares is to be determined as of the day before the date on which the dissolution petition was filed. This week’s New York Business Divorce looks at a quirky case involving a fight over which of two proposed valuation dates was the proper one, with $1,000,000 in assets hanging in the balance.

Continue Reading Court Rejects Attempt to Vary Statutory Valuation Date in Oppressed Shareholder Buyout

The laws authorizing “oppressed” minority shareholders to petition for corporate dissolution also give the majority shareholders the right to avoid litigating dissolution by electing to purchase the petitioner’s shares for fair value. This week’s New York Business Divorce highlights a recent case in which the court refused to permit an untimely election.

Continue Reading Timing is Everything When it Comes to the Buyout Election in Corporate Dissolution Cases

Say goodbye to Joe the Plumber, say hello to Joe the Shareholder who makes his debut in this week’s New York Business Divorce as we examine the rights under employment law of a minority shareholder whose employment with his own company is terminated by the controlling shareholders.

Continue Reading Dissolution May Be Sole Remedy When Minority Shareholder’s At-Will Employment is Terminated

“Eat and drink with your relatives; do business with strangers.” This Greek proverb gets sorely tested by the case featured in this week’s New York Business Divorce, involving a Greek restaurant business in which one of the shareholders died after filing for dissolution and the other then sought to enforce a buyback provision in the shareholders’ agreement.

Continue Reading Court Enforces Stock Buyout Triggered by Shareholder’s Death Notwithstanding Pending Dissolution Proceeding

Professional service corporations are “interesting” and “strange creatures”, says Justice Ira B. Warshawsky in a recent decision rejecting a claim for statutory buyout in a suit brought by a terminated partner in a law firm organized as a professional corporation. Get the story in this week’s New York Business Divorce.

Continue Reading Terminated Member of Professional Corporation is Not Entitled to Statutory Stock Redemption

It’s the perfect LLC storm: Accusations by the minority member of overreaching and breach of fiduciary duty by the controlling members, no operating agreement, and an LLC statute that affords neither party a judicial means of achieving the separation they each want. Read about it in this week’s New York Business Divorce.

Continue Reading A Case of Mutual Frustration: Minority Member of LLC Can’t Compel Dissolution, Majority Can’t Compel Buyout

Justice Ira Warshawsky of Nassau County Supreme Court’s Commercial Division has issued a “BIG” decision (as in discount for Built-In Gains tax) in a stock valuation arising out of a dissolution proceeding brought by minority shareholders claiming oppression. Read about it in this week’s New York Business Divorce.

Continue Reading Court Discounts Fair Value Award for Built-In Gains Tax in Shareholder Oppression Case