Remember the “purposeless purpose clause” that featured prominently in last summer’s appellate ruling in the LLC dissolution case, Mace v Tunick? On remand, following a trial, Justice Alan Scheinkman once again dismissed the case. Find out why in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading The Purposeless Purpose Clause Makes a Comeback — Or Does It?

Justice Alan Scheinkman’s highly detailed, 33-page decision last week in Verghetta v Lawlor, valuing a minority interest in two LLCs that own and operate Planet Fitness health clubs, is must reading for lawyers and business appraisers who handle fair value contests. Learn more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Threading the Fair-Value Needle: Court Finds Major Flaws in Both Sides’ Appraisals in Arriving at Its Own Value

An appellate ruling last week in Zwarycz v, Marnia Construction, Inc. illustrates the heavy price of neglect to issue stock certificates or follow other formalities in closely held corporations — a price paid in years of litigation over stock ownership. Learn more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Fifty Years a Stockholder, Six Years to Prove it in Court

A recent decision by Westchester Commercial Division Justice Alan D. Scheinkman in Briarcliff Solutions Holdings, LLC v. Fifth Third Bank (Chicago) takes the spotlight in this week’s New York Business Divorce, featuring a battle for control of the company’s Board of Directors and, ultimately, control of a lawsuit asserting claims against one ownership faction. Don’t miss it.
Continue Reading Whose Lawsuit Is It Anyway?

In New York, the common law right to judicial dissolution of a closely held corporation has existed for about 50 years, but there have few reported cases on the subject, which gives all the more reason to read this week’s New York Business Divorce highlighting an important decision earlier this month by Justice Alan Scheinkman in White v. Fee, denying a motion to dismiss a common law dissolution claim involving a family-owned business.

Continue Reading Court Upholds Complaint Seeking Common Law Dissolution of Family-Owned Business

A highly instructive decision by Westchester Commercial Division Justice Alan D. Scheinkman in Matter of Piekos (Home Studios Inc.) grabs the spotlight in this week’s New York Business Divorce. The question presented: Does the mere filing of a dissolution petition by an allegedly oppressed minority shareholder trigger a mandatory buyback of the petitioner’s shares at book value under the terms of the shareholders’ agreement?

Continue Reading Decision Breaks New Ground in Dispute Over Enforcement of Stock Buyback Triggered by Filing of Dissolution Petition

A post-trial decision by Westchester Supreme Court Justice Alan Scheinkman tackles a novel remedial issue in an LLC dissolution involving 50-50 partners who went from friendship to fisticuffs over their vending machine business. Read about it in this week’s New York Business Divorce.

Continue Reading Court Orders Return of Investment as Equitable Remedy in LLC Dissolution Proceeding