A decision last month by Justice Carolyn Demarest in Mizrahi v. Cohen adds to the short but growing list of LLC dissolution cases in which courts have ordered equitable buy-outs notwithstanding the absence of enabling provision in the LLC agreement. This week’s New York Business Divorce has this important story.
Continue Reading Court Decision Boosts Equitable Buy-Out Remedy in LLC Dissolution Case

Continuing its spotlight on disputes in the family-owned business, this week’s New York Business Divorce features insightful remarks on the subject by Justice Alan D. Scheinkman of the Westchester Commercial Division following the settlement of a case I handled before him.
Continue Reading A Judge’s Wise Words on Disputes in Family-Owned Businesses

This week’s New York Business Divorce continues with Part Two of my interview with law professor and legal scholar Benjamin Means whose latest article applies legal and social science theories to the special problems afflicting the family owned business.
Continue Reading Interview with Law Professor Benjamin Means on Conflict in Family-Owned Businesses: Part Two

This week’s New York Business Divorce features Part One of a two-part online interview with law professor Benjamin Means, who has written a number of scholarly articles on shareholder oppression, and whose most recent article, called Non-Market Values in Family Businesses, applies Ben’s critical analysis to the special considerations attendant to oppression actions and conflict resolution within family-owned businesses. You won’t want to miss it! …
Continue Reading Interview with Law Professor Benjamin Means on Conflict in Family-Owned Businesses: Part One

Time is a factor in every litigation, but especially in dissolution cases where the business dynamic and ongoing management conduct can dramatically affect the course and outcome of the case. This week’s New York Business Divorce offers some thoughts on the issue. …
Continue Reading Is Time on Your Side in Dissolution Case?

A recent Delaware Chancery Court decision teaches an important lesson for drafters of buy-out agreements involving pass-through entities and taxes on “phantom” income allocated to a former owner. Learn more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Delaware Case Provides Drafting Lesson for “Phantom” Income Provision in Buy-Out Agreement

This week’s New York Business Divorce features brief summaries of a handful of noteworthy court decisions that escaped my attention last year, including a pair of decisions involving deadlock and oppressed minority shareholder disputes, and another pair of decisions involving receivership applications.
Continue Reading Some Winter Case Notes

An important decision last week by the Appellate Division, First Department, in Giaimo v. Vitale directed the application of stock valuation discounts for lack of marketability and built-in gains taxes in a case involving closely held, subchapter C real estate holding corporations. It’s must reading for business appraisers and business divorce lawyers, in this week’s New York Business Divorce. …
Continue Reading Appellate Court Directs 16% Marketability Discount in Fair Value Buy-Out of Realty Companies, Affirms Discount for Future Built-In Gains Tax at Present Value

When a partnership is wrongfully dissolved and then continued by one of the partners, are the departing partners entitled to be paid fair market value or book value for their interests? That was just one of several interesting issues decided by an appellate panel last month in Quick v. Quick, which gets the not-so-quick treatment in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Appellate Court Resolves Disputes Over Valuation and Capital Accounts in Partnership Dissolution Case