A limited liability company operating agreement may be amended informally by oral agreement or by a course of conduct. The party that claims amendment of an operating agreement by a course of conduct must establish the clear and mutual intent of the parties to agree to the amendment. A clear…
Clark v. Butoku Karate Sch., LLC, No. 326638 (Mich. App., 2016) Statutes: MCL 450.4101, MCL 450.4305, MCL 450.4509 Plaintiff Joby Clark and Defendant were the sole members of a Michigan Limited Liability Company operating a karate school. Clark was the subject of a rumor that he had a sexual relationship…
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…
It may take a unanimous action of the members of a limited liability company to dissolve the entity or to change the date on which the company will dissolve according to the terms of its operating agreement. But unless the Operating Agreement specifically requires the members to act unanimous to…
Good faith and fair dealing are obligations implied in every contract, including contracts among owners of closely held businesses, and cannot be waived by the language in an operating agreement voiding fiduciary duties. The duties of good faith and fair dealing require disclosure of conflicts of interest involving controlling LLC members…
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…
Court Rejects as Unnecessary Statutory Interpretation Finding Fiduciary Duties in LLC Act One of the burning issues in limited liability company law is the existence and scope of the fiduciary duties that are the core of the business relationship between the owners and managers of the business. Our discussion of a…
Operating Agreements for Limited Liability Companies to Change Under Revised Limited Liability Company Act Part of an ongoing series on the adoption of New Jersey’s revised limited liability company act. The amendments to the New Jersey’s Limited Liability Company Act, N.J.S.A. 42:2C-1-94 that begin to take effect in March 2013 will…
Small business owners sometimes run into difficulties with their business partners after much time has passed since they first set up the business. They come to discover that the operating agreement either does not address their problem or the result is not what they intended. Small business owners should take…