|
Duty Of Care (business Associations)
In United States corporation and business association law (particularly Delaware law and the Revised Model Business Corporation Act), a duty of care is part of the fiduciary duty owed to a corporation by its directors. The other aspects of fiduciary duty are a director's duty of loyalty and (possibly) duty of good faith. Put simply, a director owes a duty to exercise good business judgment and to use ordinary care and prudence in the operation of the business. They must discharge their actions in good faith and in the best interest of the corporation, exercising the care an ordinary person would use under similar circumstances. Directors' decisions are typically protected under the business judgment rule, unless they breach one of these duties or unless the decision constitutes waste. A breach of fiduciary duty will typically remove a director's decision from business judgment protection and require that the director show entire fairness. Waste Directors have a duty not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
English Law
English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures. Principal elements of English law Although the common law has, historically, been the foundation and prime source of English law, the most authoritative law is statutory legislation, which comprises Acts of Parliament, regulations and by-laws. In the absence of any statutory law, the common law with its principle of '' stare decisis'' forms the residual source of law, based on judicial decisions, custom, and usage. Common law is made by sitting judges who apply both statutory law and established principles which are derived from the reasoning from earlier decisions. Equity is the other historic source of judge-made law. Common law can be amended or repealed by Parliament. Not being a civil law system, it has no comprehensive codification. However, most of its criminal law has been codified from its common la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Entire Fairness
''Weinberger v. UOP, Inc.'', 457 A.2d 701 (Del. 1983), is a case concerning United States corporate law in the context of mergers and "squeeze outs". In Delaware squeeze-out mergers are subject to a two prong entire fairness test. The test focuses on the fairness of both the transaction's price and the process of approval. The two prongs are fair price and fair dealing. Facts In 1974, Signal Companies, Inc. acquired 50.5% of UOP, Inc.'s outstanding shares. At this time, Signal nominated and elected six of the thirteen directors on UOP's board. In 1977, Signal became interested in acquiring the rest of UOP at any price up to $24 per share. Signal received a fairness opinion from Lehman Brothers, stating that $21 per share was a fair price, although the fairness opinion may have been based upon hasty and incomplete review. Signal's board unanimously voted to propose a merger at $21 per share. Upon receiving this offer, UOP's board urged the shareholders to approve the merger. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Delaware Supreme Court
The Delaware Supreme Court is the sole appellate court in the United States state of Delaware. Because Delaware is a popular haven for corporations, the Court has developed a worldwide reputation as a respected source of corporate law decisions, particularly in the area of mergers and acquisitions.Thomas Lee Hazen and Jerry W. Markham, ''Corporations and Other Business Enterprises'' (2003) Jurisdiction The Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction over direct appeals from the Superior Court, Family Court, and Court of Chancery. Because it is the only appellate court in the state, its jurisdiction over appeals from final orders is mandatory. However, it has discretionary jurisdiction over appeals from interlocutory orders. The Court has original jurisdiction over writs of mandamus, prohibition, and certiorari. In addition, the Court regulates and has exclusive jurisdiction over matters concerning the admission and discipline of lawyers, the Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Eisner
Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from September 1984 to September 2005. Prior to Disney, Eisner was president of rival film studio Paramount Pictures from 1976 to 1984, and had brief stints at the major television networks NBC, CBS, and ABC. Eisner's 21-year stint at Disney saw the revitalization of the company's poorly performing animation studios with successful films such as ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989), ''Beauty and the Beast '' (1991), '' Aladdin'' (1992), and ''The Lion King'' (1994), a period known as the Disney Renaissance. Eisner additionally broadened the company's media portfolio by leading the acquisitions of ABC, most of ESPN and The Muppets franchise. Eisner also led major investments and expansion of the company's theme parks both domestically and globally, including the openings of Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios) in 1989, Euro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unocal Corp
Union Oil Company of California, and its holding company Unocal Corporation, together known as Unocal was a major petroleum explorer and marketer in the late 19th century, through the 20th century, and into the early 21st century. It was headquartered in El Segundo, California, United States. Unocal was involved in domestic and global energy projects. Unocal was one of the key players in the CentGas consortium, which attempted to build the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline to run from the Caspian area, through Afghanistan, to the Indian Ocean, at a time after the Taliban siege of Kabul in 1996. On August 10, 2005, Unocal merged its entire upstream petroleum business with Chevron and became a wholly-owned subsidiary. Unocal then ceased operations as an independent company, but continues to conduct many operations as Union Oil Company of California, a Chevron company. History The Union Oil Company of California was founded on October 17, 1890, in Santa Paula, California, by Lyman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caremark (court Decision)
''In re Caremark International Inc. Derivative Litigation'', 698 A.2d 959 (Del. Ch. 1996), is a civil action that came before the Delaware Court of Chancery. It is an important case in United States corporate law and discusses a director's duty of care in the oversight context. It raised the question regarding compliance, "what is the board's responsibility with respect to the organization and monitoring of the enterprise to assure that the corporation functions within the law to achieve its purposes?" Chancellor Allen wrote the opinion. Facts The shareholders of Caremark International, Inc. brought a derivative action, alleging the directors breached their duty of care by failing to put in place adequate internal control systems. This in turn was said to enable the company's employees to commit criminal offences, resulting in substantial fines and civil penalties amounting to over $250 million. Judgment The settlement contract requiring stricter oversight of corporate employee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smith V
Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people with surname Smith * Smith (artist) (born 1985), French visual artist Arts and entertainment * Smith (band), an American rock band 1969–1971 * ''Smith'' (EP), by Tokyo Police Club, 2007 * ''Smith'' (play), a 1909 play by W. Somerset Maugham * ''Smith'' (1917 film), a British silent film based on the play * ''Smith'' (1939 film), a short film * ''Smith!'', a 1969 Disney Western film * ''Smith'' (TV series), a 2006 American drama * ''Smith'', a 1932 novel by Warwick Deeping * ''Smith'', a 1967 novel by Leon Garfield and a 1970 TV adaptation Places North America * Smith, Indiana, U.S. * Smith, Kentucky, U.S. * Smith, Nevada, U.S. * Smith, South Carolina, U.S. * Smith Village, Oklahoma, U.S. * Smith Park (Middletown, Connecticu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Business Judgment Rule
The business judgment rule is a case law-derived doctrine in corporations law that courts defer to the business judgment of corporate executives. It is rooted in the principle that the "directors of a corporation... are clothed with hepresumption, which the law accords to them, of being otivatedin their conduct by a bona fide regard for the interests of the corporation whose affairs the stockholders have committed to their charge".''Gimbel v. Signal Cos.'', 316 A.2d 599, 608 (Del. Ch. 1974) The rule exists in some form in most common law countries, including the United States, Canada, England and Wales, and Australia. To challenge the actions of a corporation's board of directors, a plaintiff assumes "the burden of providing evidence that directors, in reaching their challenged decision, breached any one of the triads of their fiduciary duty — good faith, loyalty, or due care". Failing to do so, a plaintiff "is not entitled to any remedy unless the transaction constitutes wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tort
A tort is a civil wrong that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with criminal wrongs that are punishable by the state. While criminal law aims to punish individuals who commit crimes, tort law aims to compensate individuals who suffer harm as a result of the actions of others. Some wrongful acts, such as assault and battery, can result in both a civil lawsuit and a criminal prosecution in countries where the civil and criminal legal systems are separate. Tort law may also be contrasted with contract law, which provides civil remedies after breach of a duty that arises from a contract. Obligations in both tort and criminal law are more fundamental and are imposed regardless of whether the parties have a contract. While tort law in civil law jurisdictions largely derives from Roman law, common law jurisdictions derive their tort law from cus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duty
A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; fro, deu, did, past participle of ''devoir''; la, debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may arise from a system of ethics or morality, especially in an honor culture. Many duties are created by law, sometimes including a codified punishment or Legal liability, liability for non-performance. Performing one's duty may require some sacrifice of Self, self-interest. Cicero, an early Roman philosopher who discusses duty in his work “On Duty", suggests that duties can come from four different sources: # as a result of being a human # as a result of one's particular place in life (one's family, one's country, one's job) # as a result of one's character # as a result of one's own moral expectations for oneself The specific duties imposed by law or culture vary considerably, depending on jurisdiction, religion, and social normalities. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Good Faith (law)
In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract. It is implied in a number of contract types in order to reinforce the express covenants or promises of the contract. A lawsuit (or a cause of action) based upon the breach of the covenant may arise when one party to the contract attempts to claim the benefit of a technical excuse for breaching the contract, or when he or she uses specific contractual terms in isolation in order to refuse to perform his or her contractual obligations, despite the general circumstances and understandings between the parties. When a court or trier of fact interprets a contract, there is always an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" in every written agreement. History In U.S. law, the legal concept of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
