The long-running dispute between investment banker David Handler and M&A advisory boutique Centerview Partners has taken another turn. In David A. Handler v. Centerview Partners Holdings LP, et al., No. 269, 2025 (Del. Mar. 18, 2026), the Delaware Supreme Court reversed the Court of Chancery’s dismissal of Handler’s compensation-related counterclaims, holding that the
Delaware Court Blocks Stockholder’s Attempt to Use Appraisal Rights as a Section 220 Workaround
In a noteworthy decision from the Delaware Court of Chancery, Vice Chancellor Morgan T. Zurn dismissed a stockholder’s attempt to use an appraisal petition as an alternative method to obtain corporate books and records.
What struck me most about this opinion is the court’s thorough analysis of the statutory distinctions between Sections 220 and 262.
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