An Illinois appellate court affirmed a finding of breach of fiduciary duty and the expulsion of a limited liability company member under a version of the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The case is of interest for the way it construes the model partnership and limited liability company acts. Explusion…
The Business Divorce Law Report
Anti-Reliance Clause in Purchase Agreement Defeats Fraud Claim
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…
What’s in that Buy-Sell Agreement Again? Better Take a Look
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…
Texas Appeals Court Affirms Partnership Dissolution Verdict
A partnership has no obligation to complete performance of its executory contracts, the Texas Court of appeals held in affirming a multi-million dollar trial court verdict involving a chain of TGI Fridays in Dallas. The case involved a joint venture formed with TGI Fridays and several entites that qualified as…
Seven Business Litigation Best Practices that Address the Lack of Civil Trials
Here is the hard reality. The chances that your case, or any case, will get to a real trial on the merits is way less than one in 10. The truth is that only between two and five cases out of 100 will be resolved with a trial. What does…
Consent to Amended LLC Certificate is Dissociation
We often think of the dissociation of a member from a limited liability company as a matter of expulsion. The majority typically wants to expel a problematic minority member from the LLC. But one can also dissociate themselves by resigning as member, or, under the Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company…
LLC Distribution Needs Definition
The Appellate Division sent a case back to the trial judge to figure out exactly what the owners of an LLC meant in a settlement agreement when it referred to when it linked a contingent payment to a “distribution.” The case, which involves a relatively modest amount in dispute, is…
LLC Member Enjoined from Competition
An LLC member breached his fiduciary duty by competing with his own company, a trial court in New York City holds in issuing an injunction against one of the principals of a successful company that makes automated parking systems. The case involves the company that makes Parkmatic parking systems, mechanical…
Plaintiff Alleges Wrong in Derivative Suit Against Managers
New York has recognized the right of limited liability company members and managers to bring derivative claims – that is, claims belonging to the LLC – against other members or managers. But, the derivative plaintiff needs to beware of the demand requirement or face having their case dismissed. Derivative Suit…
Claims for Judicial Dissolution Not Easily Withdrawn
New York’s oppressed shareholder statute has a unique provision that was initially intended to prevent the oppressed shareholder from destroying a viable business. That is because the New York statute otherwise gives the court only two options: send the oppressed shareholder away or force the dissolution of the business. Other…