Over the last decade, trust law has evolved so the role of trustee can better reflect the open architecture that modern families desire. It’s now commonplace for trust settlors to design so-called “directed trusts,” and existing trusts are frequently transferred to new jurisdictions to be modified through the use of techniques such as decanting, non-judicial settlements agreements, consent... Continue Reading

The 2018 amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (the ‘‘DGCL’’) were recently enacted. The amendments update the ratification statute, Section 204, to address recent case law. Nonstock or ‘‘membership’’ corporations are now also permitted to use the statutory ratification provisions to cure corporate defects. With respect to the avail- ability of appraisal rights in... Continue Reading

Delaware recently passed amendments to the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act that enable a new type of series of an LLC known as a “registered series.” The changes address historical uncertainty among lenders seeking to perfect a security interest with respect to a secured lending transaction involving a series of a Delaware limited liability company as a borrower... Continue Reading

In its last session, the Delaware legislature passed a number of amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and the Delaware “alternative entity” statutes—the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “DLLCA”), the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the “DRULPA”), the Delaware Revised Uniform Partnership Act (the “DRUPA”) and the... Continue Reading

Statutory appraisal remedies allow stockholders who believe they have received inadequate consideration in certain transactions, such as mergers or consolidations, to obtain a judicial determination of the fair value of their shares. Over the years, courts, litigants, and experts alike have grappled with how to make an appropriate fair value determination. To marshal the evidence necessary to most... Continue Reading

Over the last decade, corporate responsibility and sustainability has moved to the forefront. Large businesses have Chief Sustainability Officers and produce sustainability reports—indeed, more than 80% of the S&P 500 do so. Investors seek consistent sustainability information and propose resolutions on matters from gender equality to human rights to climate change, and these are... Continue Reading

Fifteen years ago Delaware enacted its decanting statute with the addition of Section 3528 to Title 12 of the Delaware Code. Decanting became part of a growing list of innovative laws that propelled Delaware into the leading jurisdiction that it is for the creation and administration of trusts. Decanting may seem simple, but its execution can be complicated. This article will identify some of the... Continue Reading

David A. Harris, Louis G. Hering, “2018 Summary of Delaware Case Law Relating to Alternative Entities,” 2018 Annual Meeting of ABA, Section of Business Law (Feb. 20, 2018).. Continue Reading

For many years Delaware corporate law was mainly public company law. But now there is a critical mass of case law relevant to private and venture-backed companies, with 2017 adding to that law perhaps more than any prior year... Continue Reading

Morris Nichols partner RJ Scaggs is coauthor of the Bloomberg BNA Corporate Practice Series Portfolio, Derivative Lawsuits.  The recently revised treatise, updated on a roughly biennial basis, explores all facets of derivative litigation.  The portfolio begins by distinguishing between direct and derivative claims and goes on to discuss some common requirements for derivative complaints.  The... Continue Reading