Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

DE Chancery Enjoins Board in Potential Stockholder Dilution Scheme

By Brett M. McCartney
May 02, 2015

Directors and officers of struggling corporations seeking capital or startups willing to trade equity for cash should carefully read the Delaware Court of Chancery's recent transcript ruling in Elite Horse Investments Ltd. v. T3 Motion, C.A. No. 10550-CB (Del. Ch. Jan. 23, 2015), and consider it a cautionary tale. If control of a business can be purchased, sitting directors and officers should not be surprised when the new controlling stockholder or control group installs its own directors and replaces management. Moreover, directors and officers should think long and hard before attempting defensive measures aimed at protecting their positions or other entrenchment motives. As discussed below, the Court of Chancery will not hesitate in enjoining such conduct.

Background

Elite Horse Investments Ltd. (EHI) is one of a group of stockholders of T3 Motion Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA, that designs, manufactures and markets electric-motor-powered personal mobility vehicles. In or around December 2014, EHI and a group of seven others invested $6 million in T3 Motion in exchange for approximately 60 million shares or roughly 60% of T3 Motion's equity. At the time of EHI's investment, T3 Motion's board of directors was composed of three members: CEO William Tsumpes, Steven Healy and Ki Nam. However, T3 Motion's bylaws authorized the company to have seven directors on the board.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Legal Possession: What Does It Mean? Image

Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.

The Anti-Assignment Override Provisions Image

UCC Sections 9406(d) and 9408(a) are one of the most powerful, yet least understood, sections of the Uniform Commercial Code. On their face, they appear to override anti-assignment provisions in agreements that would limit the grant of a security interest. But do these sections really work?