Practice Areas
Education
- J.D., class valedictorian and Order of the Coif, 1988, The College of William and Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law
- Member, William and Mary Law Review
- B.A., 1981, Washington and Lee University
Admissions to Practice
- Delaware, 1989
- Virginia, 1990
- U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, 1989
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, 1990
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1989
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1990
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1993
R.J. is a member of the Corporate and Business Litigation Group.
He provides pro bono legal services through the Delaware Volunteer Legal Services Program. R.J. was an officer in the United States Marine Corps from 1981 to 1985.
Professional and Community Activities
- Member, Delaware State Bar Association, Corporation Law and Litigation Sections
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Virginia Bar Association
Noteworthy
- R.J. has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and voted one of the "top lawyers" in Delaware by his peers in a survey conducted by Delaware Today Magazine. R.J. has also been selected by Corporate Counsel as one of its Top Lawyers in the area of “Bet-The-Company” litigation.
Representative Matters
- Gatz v. Ponsoldt, 925 A.2d. 1265 (Del. 2007) (en banc) (distinction between derivative claims and direct class action claims)
- Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co. v. Lone Star Fund V (U.S.), L.P., et al., C.A. No. 3160-VCL (“busted deal” litigation seeking specific performance of merger agreement)
- Clear Channel Broadcasting, Inc., et al. v. Newport Television LLC, C.A. No. 3550-VCS (“busted deal” litigation seeking specific performance of asset purchase agreement)
- Alliance Data Systems Corporation v. Blackstone Capital Partners V, L.P., et al., C.A. No. 3796-VCS (defense of attempt to force closing of merger)
- WatchMark Corp. v. Argo Global Capital, LLC, 2004 WL 2694894 (Del. Ch. Nov. 4, 2004) (alteration of rights of preferred stockholders)
- FS Parallel Fund v. Ergen, 2004 WL 3048751 (Del. Ch. Nov. 3, 2004), aff’d on appeal, No. 521, 2004 (July 21, 2005) (en banc) (breach of fiduciary duty claims related to satellite internet service)
- Malone v. Brincat, 722 A.2d 5 (Del. Supr. 1998) (en banc) (disclosure duties of directors)
- Witco Corp. v. Beekhuis, 38 F.2d 682 (3d Cir. Oct. 21, 1994) (federal preemption of state regulation of trustees)
- In re Siliconix Shareholders Litigation, 2001 WL 716787 (Del. Ch. June 19, 2001) (duties of directors in connection with tender offers)
- Pennsylvania Employee Benefit Trust Fund v. Zeneca, Inc. and AstraZeneca, Inc., 2005 WL 2993937 (D. Del. Nov. 8, 2005) (FDA preemption of state consumer fraud claims)
News
- 22 Morris Nichols Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in Super Lawyers – Delaware Edition 2013
22 Morris Nichols attorneys have been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers - Delaware Edition 2013. - 28 Morris Nichols Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2013
28 Morris Nichols attorneys have been named to The Best Lawyers in America 2013 in twenty two practice areas. - 25 Morris Nichols Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2012
25 Morris Nichols attorneys have been named to The Best Lawyers in America 2012 in twenty practice areas. - 19 Morris Nichols Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in Super Lawyers – Delaware Edition 2011
Super Lawyers® magazine has named 19 Morris Nichols attorneys as top legal counsel in Delaware for 2011. - 26 Morris Nichols Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2011; Firm is Top-Listed in Eight Categories in Delaware
26 Morris Nichols attorneys have been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2011. The firm was also “Top-Listed in Delaware” in eight practice areas. - 18 Morris Nichols Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in Super Lawyers – Delaware Edition 2010
Super Lawyers® magazine has named 18 Morris Nichols attorneys as top legal counsel in Delaware for 2010. - Andrew Johnston and R.J. Scaggs, Jr. Speak at 31st Annual Securities Regulation and Business Law Conference
Partners Andrew Johnston and R.J. Scaggs, Jr. served as faculty members at the 31st Annual Securities Regulation and Business Law Conference.
Notable Publications and Presentations
- R. Judson Scaggs, Jr., A. Gilchrist Sparks III, Delaware Law Issues in Spin-Offs And Split-Offs, Presentation at the Twenty Fourth Annual Securities Regulation Institute, Coronado, CA (January 24, 1997)