New York law imposes some strict limits on the ability of closely-held business owners and fiduciaries to recover advancement and indemnification of their legal fees from the entity in defense of derivative actions and other business divorce disputes. When advancement rights are abused, there are ways for minority owners to fight back. Read on in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Can the Company Pay My Legal Fees? – Part Two
In this week’s New York Business Divorce, a tip of the hat to retiring Justices Eileen Bransten and Charles E. Ramos with a look back at some of their more memorable business divorce rulings.
Continue Reading A Fond Adieu to Two Giants of the Manhattan Commercial Division Bench
Last week’s Court of Appeals decision in Pappas v. Tzolis completes a trilogy of recent decisions by that court dismissing fiduciary breach claims by disappointed sellers concerning buy-out agreements that contain releases or waivers of fiduciary duty. Learn more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Pappas Saga Ends, Court of Appeals Upholds Fiduciary Waiver in LLC Buy-Out Agreement
The New York Court of Appeals heard oral argument this month of an appeal from the Appellate Division, First Department’s split decision in Pappas v. Tzolis pitting fiduciary duty against contractual waiver in the context of an intra-member buy-out of LLC membership interests. This week’s New York Business Divorce provides highlights of the oral argument and links to the argument’s webcast, the parties’ briefs, and other background materials.
Continue Reading Does Waiver Trump Fiduciary Duty? Court of Appeals Hears Argument in Pappas v. Tzolis
The New York Court of Appeals sidestepped the issue of LLC promoter liability for pre-formation nondisclosure in its decision last week in Roni LLC v. Arfa. It’s in this week’s New York Business Divorce, which also pays tribute to the late Professor Larry Ribstein.
Continue Reading With a Whimper, Not a Bang: New York’s Top Court Rules on LLC Promoter Liability
This week’s New York Business Divorce offers a courtside view of the oral argument earlier this month in Roni LLC v. Arfa, in which NY’s highest court will decide whether organizers (“promoters”) of limited liability companies owe a fiduciary duty of disclosure to prospective investors-members.
Continue Reading NY’s Top Court Hears Argument on LLC Promoter Liability
Last week’s rulings by New York’s high court in the closely-watched Centro and Arfa cases resolves much of the uncertainty that has surrounded the ability of controlling owners of closely held companies to bargain for effective releases against fiduciary-based claims of non-disclosure when buying out minority owners. Get the full story in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading New York’s Top Court Resets the Bargaining Table When Controlling Owner of Closely Held Company Buys Out Minority Partner
A recent decision by Commercial Division Justice Bernard Fried addresses an interesting issue concerning demand requirements for derivative actions involving manager-managed LLCs. Learn more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading May Majority Member of Managerless Manager-Managed LLC Maintain Derivative Action?
In this second installment of a two-part series, New York Business Divorce examines recent First Department decisions clarifying the standards for overcoming general releases given in the context of transactions with fiduciaries in closely held business entities, where the plaintiffs allege that the fiduciary fraudulently induced them to enter into the transaction. This week’s focus is on a case whose name should be familiar to regular readers of this blog, Arfa v. Zamir, 2010 NY Slip Op 06070 (1st Dept July 13, 2010).
Continue Reading Recent Appellate Rulings Clarify Standards for Challenging Releases Given to Fiduciaries of Closely Held Business Entities: Part 2
This week and next, New York Business Divorce examines two recent First Department decisions clarifying the standards for overcoming general releases given in the context of transactions with fiduciaries in closely held business entities, where the plaintiffs allege that the fiduciary fraudulently induced them to enter into the transaction. This week’s focus is on Centro Empresarial Cempresa S.A. v. America Movil S.A.B. de C.V., 2010 NY Slip Op 04719 (1st Dept June 3, 2010).
Continue Reading Recent Appellate Rulings Clarify Standards for Challenging Releases Given to Fiduciaries of Closely Held Business Entities: Part 1