If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years of working with founders, it’s that protecting your position isn’t a one-and-done deal. The mechanisms that keep you safely in the driver’s seat during your seed round might be woefully inadequate by the time you’re raising a Series C. Let me walk you through how founder protection
Safeguarding Vision: The Critical Importance of Founder Protection Clauses
I’ve seen it happen time and again in the high-stakes world of venture capital and startup growth—brilliant founders suddenly finding themselves pushed to the sidelines of their own companies. One minute you’re the visionary CEO, the next you’re being shown the door by the very investors you brought in. As funding rounds pile up and…
Delaware General Corporation Law Amended: Key Shifts in Controller Transactions and Books & Records Access
- The amendments refine
Unambiguous LLC Agreement Terms Prevail: When Investors Can Remove a CEO Without Board Consent
In Star America Rail Holdco, LLC v. Casey Cathcart and Cathcart Rail Holdco, LLC, C.A. No. 2024-0883-LWW, the Delaware Court of Chancery considered whether unambiguous LLC agreement terms allowed an outside investor to remove a company’s CEO without the board’s consent. The Court decided that unambiguous terms of an agreement prevail, and the investor…
Fee-Shifting Granted Against Delaware Corporation in Books and Records Action; Receiver Appointed
In the Section 220 books and records inspection case of PVH Polymath Venture Holdings Ltd. v. TAG Fintech Inc., C.A. No. 2023-0502-BWD (Del. Ch. Jan. 26, 2024), PVH Polymath Venture Holdings Ltd. (“Polymath”) sought inspection of TAG Fintech, Inc.’s (“TAG”) records after discovering TAG had submitted a forged letter to Pakistani regulators. The…
Delaware Court Emphasizes Strict Compliance with Books and Records Demand Requirements
As we’ve discussed previously, it is imperative that a stockholder making a books and records demand under Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) comply with all statutory requirements. The recent decision of Martin Floreani et al. v. FloSports, Inc., C.A. No. 2023-0684-LM (Del. Ch. Oct. 31, 2024) underscores this…
An Updated Primer on Delaware Books and Records Demands Pursuant to Section 220 of the DGCL
Delaware stockholders and directors have an important tool in their arsenal to obtain information from a Delaware corporation: Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”). The statute confers standing upon stockholders or directors to demand inspection of the books and records of a Delaware corporation. 8 Del. C. § 220.
This post will…
Ownership Without Membership: Delaware Court Enforces 15% Business Interest Through Promissory Estoppel
In Rostowsky v. Hirsch, C.A. No. 2022-0004-SG (Del. Ch. Oct. 15, 2024), the Delaware Court of Chancery addressed the ownership interest held by plaintiff, Ari Rostowsky, in a business he formed with the defendants, Laura Hirsch and Lisa True, even though he was not included as a member under the LLC operating agreement. The…
The Delaware Court of Chancery Holds Amendment of LLC Agreement via Merger Enforceable
On August 30, 2024, the Delaware Court of Chancery in Campus Eye Management Holdings, LLC v. E. Bruce DiDonato, OD, C.A. 2024-0121-LWW (Del. Ch. August 30, 2024), affirmed an amendment to a limited liability company agreement (an “LLC Agreement”) that was adopted by merger, notwithstanding a different vote was required to adopt the amendment…
Moelis and its Aftermath: Recent Case Law and Statutory Developments Addressing the Ability of Stockholders to Manage Corporations through Stockholder Agreements
This article was written by Jim Rosenbluth and Carl Neff of Pierson Ferdinand LLP.
Delaware has long maintained its status as the mecca for U.S. corporations, with over 50% of all publicly listed corporations incorporated there. Devoted exclusively to the adjudication of business disputes and known for having developed a widely cited and extensive body…