The law that controls any business organizations is a creature of state law, and disputes among owners in a business divorce involve the application of the law where the business was formed. More often than not that means the law of the state in which the dispute is being heard,…
The prior owner of a woman-owned business will be required to pay upwards of $500,000 to an oppressed shareholder after a trial court found — and the Appellate Division confirmed — that she had entered into a valid agreement to transfer her shares in return for an agreement that allowed…
What is sufficient evidence of membership interest in a limited liability company? It is not uncommon that the intentions of the parties in forming a limited liability company are poorly documented and or non-existent. The plaintiff in this case argued that documents that indicated his initial interest in the LLC…
The parties to a transaction, including a transaction that concludes a business divorce, will often include a provision that states that neither side is relying on verbal representations of the other. Most often, this provision refers to the due diligence that precedes a transaction, but it can also refer to…
A business divorce case came into the office a couple of years ago, one of the second-generation owners was looking to force one of the first generation owners — who never came to work anymore — into retiring and selling his interests. We reviewed the shareholder ledger and the by-laws…
Agent Fails to Dislcose Principal Exists, Avoids Liability Was the limited liability company statute supposed to eliminate basic principles of agency law? That seemsto be the import of a decision by the Appellate Division of Superior Court in Castro v. Giacchi, Docket No. A-6220-12T2 (N.J. Super. App. Div. December 5, 2014)(Opinion…
Most of the cases that we handle – like any other litigation – get settled before trial. One of the incentives to settle is that invariably the departing owner will agree to some sort of restrictive covenant against competing against his former company. The case that goes to trial, or…
New Jersey Limited Liability Company Attorneys Imagine that the limited liability company you and your partners started five years ago is involved in a nasty corporate governance lawsuit. Perhaps one of the partners needs to be expelled, or maybe one of the owners is involved in a competing business. Imagine…
Purchaser Alleges Mortgage Was Not Approved by All LLC Members A mortgage given by a New Jersey limited liability company to one of its members can be challenged by the purchaser in a court-approved sale of the business, the Appellate Division holds, reversing the trial court. This case arises out…
Dispute Related to Repurchase of Shares Under Buy-Sell Agreement Subject to Agreement to Arbitrate Agreements to arbitrate are frequently added to buy-sell agreements and other corporate governance contracts. These agreements will be enforceable in nearly all circumstances and the parties should be certain that arbitration – rather than litigation in…