Litigation

Court of Chancery Expands Dissolution Remedy

By Morris James LLP

Lola Cars International Limited v. Krohn Racing LLC, C.A. 4479-VCN (November, 12, 2009)

The Delaware Limited Liability Company Act permits the Court of Chancery to dissolve an LLC when it is not "reasonably practicable to carry on the business" of the LLC. The initial decisions under this statute tended to adopt a narrow construction of its terms and dissolution was not ordered just because of a business dispute between the members of the LLC. More recent decisions have expanded the circumstances when dissolution will be ordered, including when there is a management deadlock. This decision expands that trend to permit dissolution when there is serious mismanagement established. While not yet to the point of "no-fault" dissolution, the trend is headed that way, and it remains to be seen exactly how much mismanagement needs to be shown to win a dissolution decree. Probably disloyalty such as self-dealing is still required.

Full post as published by Delaware Business Litigation Report on November 12, 2009 (boomark / email).