In a two-member, 50/50 LLC, can Member #1 as sole managing member assert a fiduciary breach claim against non-managing Member #2? Justice Vito DeStefano recently tackled the question in Kalikow v. Shalik, highlighted in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Court Dismisses Fiduciary Breach, Contribution Claims Against Non-Managing LLC Member
In Digirolomo v. Sugar LI, LLC, decided last month by Justice Stephen Bucaria, the court devised a novel solution in a lawsuit between LLC members, designed to bring about an equitable buy-out, by conditioning injunctive relief on the plaintiffs filing an amended complaint seeking dissolution. Don’t miss it in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Novel Ruling in Lawsuit Over Capital Call Prods Parties to Equitable Buy-Out
Provisions in LLC operating agreements, penalizing members for failing to make capital contributions, have generated a number of court decisions in recent years, but none as interesting and perhaps controversial as last week’s ruling by the Appellate Division, First Department, in Antonini v. Petito. You won’t want to miss it in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Bad LLC Agreement Makes Bad Law in Dispute Over Capital Call
Litigation over capital contributions by LLC members once again takes center stage in this week’s New York Business Divorce. The featured decision by Justice Emily Pines in Duff v. Curto highlights the risks taken when business partners fail to define capital obligations in the operating agreement.
Continue Reading The Importance of Defining Capital Contributions in the LLC Agreement
Those interested in the evolving law of LLC dissolution won’t want to miss this week’s New York Business Divorce featuring a case called Mizrahi v. Cohen decided last week by Justice Carolyn Demarest in which she ordered dissolution of a financially failing real estate holding company.
Continue Reading Court Orders Dissolution of Unprofitable Real Estate LLC
In Georgi v. Polanski, decided last month by Kings County Commercial Division Justice David Schmidt, the court addresses the right of a controlling LLC member to expel the non-controlling member upon his failure to comply with a capital call. It’s in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Not a Capital Idea: Making Unauthorized LLC Capital Calls
The baseball season is upon us but there’s no joy in Mudville or, at least, at the Cooperstown All Stars Village baseball camp where the co-owners of a limited liability company are playing hardball litigation. The Third Department umpire recently called a preliminary injunction in favor of the non-controlling team after the controlling member pitched a high-and-inside capital call. Read about it in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Court Enjoins “Squeeze-Out” Capital Call by Controlling Members of LLC
It’s a familiar story line to readers of this blog: LLC minority member sues for dissolution. Majority members adopt resolution requiring all members to contribute cash to pay legal expenses in the defense of the litigation. Plaintiff cries foul. See how it played out in a recent decision by the Appellate Division, Second Department, in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading LLC Dissolution Case Illustrates Peril to Minority Member of Compulsory Capital Contribution Provision in Operating Agreement
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
This week’s New York Business Divorce looks at a recent case in which the managing member of an LLC, relying on the operating agreement’s indemnity provision, sought to sell company assets for various purposes including payment of her own legal fees to defend against an action brought by the other members to remove her as manager.
Continue Reading Indemnity Provision Can Tilt the Playing Field in Litigation Between Business Partners