Last week’s post highlighted Justice Kornreich’s rejection of a marketability discount in the Zelouf case, a dissenting shareholder appraisal proceeding. In this week’s Part Two, New York Business Divorce examines a number of additional issues of interest in the Zelouf decision, including tax-affecting, control premium, and damages for quasi-derivative claims.
Continue Reading Zelouf (Part Two): Fair Value Ruling Addresses Range of Issues

Shareholder and LLC agreements, like other contracts, frequently contain terms accompanied by the proviso, “notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement,” signaling that the term trumps all others. Read this week’s New York Business Divorce to learn about a recent First Department appellate ruling in Schepisi v. Roberts highlighting the mischief that can result from multiple, ” dueling” notwithstanding clauses.
Continue Reading LLC Agreement Falters from Dueling “Notwithstanding” Clauses

Decisions in lawsuits brought by minority members challenging LLC mergers are rare finds. This week’s New York Business Divorce highlights a recent decision in just such a case by Manhattan Commercial Division Justice Melvin Schweitzer, in which he denied a motion to dismiss an action seeking to set aside a merger involving a realty management company organized as a three-member LLC. You won’t want to miss it.
Continue Reading Action to Enjoin LLC Freeze-Out Merger Goes Forward

What happens when feuding business partners bring competing lawsuits against each other, including a dissolution proceeding, in different courts in different states? That’s the question addressed in a recent decision by Suffolk County Commercial Division Justice Elizabeth Emerson in Picarella v. HMA Properties, LLC, highlighted in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Fighting for Home Court Advantage in Multi-State Business Divorce Litigation

It happens once in a while: the co-owners of a business entity formed under the laws of State X have a choice of law clause in their agreement opting to be governed by the laws of State Y. Such was the case in Gelman v. Gelman, recently decided by Justice Daniel Palmieri involving a dispute between sibling co-members of a Delaware LLC whose operating agreement had a New York choice of law provision. Which state’s law did the court apply? Get the answer in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading What Law Applies When Internal Affairs Doctrine Clashes With Choice-of-Law Clause?

By statute a member can seek judicial dissolution of an LLC, but can a member of a member seek dissolution by way of a derivative claim under Tzolis v. Wolff? Find out in this week’s New York Business Divorce featuring Justice Kornreich’s recent decision in JG Club Holdings, LLC v. Jacaranda Holdings, LLC.

Continue Reading Can a Member of a Member of an LLC Sue to Dissolve the LLC?

Dissension between members of a family-owned business can present especially difficult issues when litigation erupts. This week’s New York Business Divorce highlights recent decisions by Justices Timothy Driscoll (Nassau County), Emily Pines (Suffolk County) and Deborah Kaplan (Manhattan) involving dissolution and related claims among warring family members.

Continue Reading A Toxic Mix of Family and Business

This week’s New York Business Divorce offers some “summer shorts” consisting of summaries of three recent decisions of interest including two by Justice Carolyn E. Demarest and a split decision by the Appellate Division, First Department.

Continue Reading Summer Shorts: Stock Sale Under Duress and Other Recent Decisions of Interest