Is a “Management Member” of an LLC, who holds only an economic interest, a “Member” for purposes of demanding access to the LLC’s books and records? Justice Shirley Werner Kornreich, applying Delaware law, closely examined the operating agreement in upholding inspection rights, as explained in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading A Member By Any Other Name . . . May Have Access to LLC Books and Records

A minority member of an LLC that operates a Manhattan restaurant learned how tough it can be to get judicial dissolution of a financially sound LLC that’s achieving its intended purpose, notwithstanding allegations of majority oppression. It’s in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading LLC’s Purpose Being Achieved? Business Doing Fine? Good Luck Getting Judicial Dissolution

Did the Appellate Division, Second Department, throw us a curve ball in its decision last week in Mace v. Tunick, reinstating an LLC dissolution complaint based on its finding that the operating agreement’s purpose clause, authorizing the LLC to engage in “any lawful business,” did not set forth “any particular purpose”? Learn more about this important development in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Does Your LLC Agreement Have a Purposeless Purpose Clause?

It’s common practice to convert old realty-holding general partnerships to LLCs for financing and liability purposes. Given that partnerships and LLCs are distinct entity forms governed by distinct statutes, can a pre-conversion partnership agreement nonetheless be enforced among the post-conversion LLC members? Find out in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading It’s a Partnership! No, It’s an LLC! No, It’s Both!

This week’s New York Business Divorce compares two recent New York and Delaware decisions reaching opposite results on the issue of amending LLC agreements without the unanimous consent of the members. You may be surprised to learn which state offers minority members greater protection.
Continue Reading Delaware Ruling Highlights Difference With New York Over Amending LLC Agreements

Shotgun buy-sell provisions frequently are included in shareholder and operating agreements, but there’s little evidence that business owners “pull the trigger” with any frequency. This week’s New York Business Divorce looks at one of the rare litigations involving a shotgun provision in action.
Continue Reading Aim Carefully Before Pulling Trigger on Shotgun Buy-Sell Agreement

This week’s New York Business Divorce examines the “diversity trap” in business divorce cases involving LLCs brought in federal court, highlighting a recent decision by SDNY District Judge Edgardo Ramos dismissing for lack of jurisdiction a suit between former law firm partners.
Continue Reading Beware Diversity Trap in Federal Court Business Divorce Cases Involving LLCs

This week’s New York Business Divorce offers its annual Winter Case Notes with synopses of four recent decisions by Supreme Court Justices Elizabeth Emerson, Stephen Bucaria, and Charles Ramos in cases involving partnership, close corporation, and LLC disputes.
Continue Reading Winter Case Notes: De Facto Partnership and Other Recent Decisions of Interest

Few recent cases in the business divorce field are as important as last week’s appellate affirmance in the Shapiro case, allowing majority LLC members to adopt an operating agreement that binds non-signatory minority members. Get the story in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Thinking About Becoming a Minority Member of a New York LLC Without an Operating Agreement? Think Again