A hot topic of late, the viability in New York of common-law dissolution of limited liability companies is cast into doubt by a new decision, the third in a series from Brooklyn Commercial Division Justice Leon Ruchelsman. Read about it, and where the case law may go from here, in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
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Dissolution Basics
To Dissolve or Not to Dissolve, that is the Question. The Answer is Both.

In this week’s New York Business Divorce, companion appellate decisions issued last week in the long running Kassab v Kasab litigation emphasize the fundamental legal differences between corporate and LLC dissolution, with allegations of majority “oppression” sufficient to grant dissolution in one case, but so insufficient as to require pre-answer dismissal in the other.
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Battle of the Estoppels

Business divorce lawsuits often come in pairs (or trios), making preclusionary principles like estoppel a recurring phenomenon. In this week’s New York Business Divorce, we consider an appeals court’s recent take on three competing estoppel doctrines arising from the same law firm limited liability partnership breakup.
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An Extreme Case of Petitioner’s Remorse

In this week’s New York Business Divorce, read about the hurdles one can face when attempting to change course after suing for, or stipulating to, dissolution. The lesson: when suing for dissolution, be prepared to see it through to the bitter end. …
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Court Rejects Oppressed Shareholder’s Bid for Dissolution or Buy-Out, Finds Money Damages Sufficient
Not all misconduct by majority shareholders is worthy of dissolution or a compelled buy-out. The Court’s broad power under BCL 1104-a to craft appropriate remedies also includes the power to award money damages, and dissolution may not be appropriate where the alleged shareholder oppression was a discrete, one-time transaction.
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Will the Pandemic Be a Boon for Future LLC Dissolution Claimants?

In this week’s New York Business Divorce, we consider a remarkably thoughtful opinion by Commercial Division Justice Jennifer G. Schecter containing some noteworthy hints about the future of LLC dissolution claims in light of the coronavirus pandemic and its catastrophic economic impact on New York closely-held businesses.
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Who Is a “Control” Person for Purposes of the Dissolution Statute’s Surcharge Provision?

Can a shareholder petitioning for dissolution under Section 1104-a of the Business Corporation Law rely upon the “surcharge” provision of the statute to sue a non-shareholder, director, or officer for corporate misappropriation as an end-run around legal obstacles to an otherwise viable substative cause of action? We tackle that issue in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
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Resignation: Antidote for Internal Dissention and Deadlock?

Under what circumstances, if at all, does resignation of one member of a two-member board of directors eliminate “deadlock” and “internal dissention” as an available grounds for corporate judicial dissolution? In this week’s New York Business Divorce, we consider a recent ruling by Justice Andrea Masley on that important question.
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How Not to Start a Corporate Dissolution Proceeding

In this week’s New York Business Divorce, a would-be dissolution petitioner just could not catch a break in a series of procedural losses emanating out of Bronx County Supreme Court. …
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Can an Arbitrator Order Extra-Judicial Dissolution?

In this week’s New York Business Divorce, we consider the important but rarely litigated question of whether an arbitrator has the power to extra-judicially dissolve a New York business entity.
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