Litigation

Court of Chancery Dismisses Merger Claims

By Morris James LLP

Globis Partners LP v. Plumtree Software, Inc., C.A. No. 1577-VCP (November 30, 2007).

This decision explains why some attacks on a merger fail for want of a basis to avoid the business judgment rule and for a failure to make proper disclosure claims. The merger was a third-party transaction and the defendant directors received no unique benefit as a result. The Court held that granting those directors a right to indemnification, an acceleration of options and a cash out of vested options, did not constitute a special benefit that would make the directors interested parties. Hence, the business judgment rule applied.

The court also concluded that the complaint's disclosure claims lacked merit. For the most part, those claims were attacks on the merits of the investment banker's analysis attached to the proxy statement. That is not a claim of inadequate disclosure. Thus, the complaint was dismissed.

Full post as published by Delaware Business Litigation Report on November 30, 2007 (boomark / email).