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Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Cede & Co. v. Technicolor, Inc. Case Brief

Supreme Court of Delaware1994Docket #1859231
634 A.2d 345

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: A shareholder challenged a corporate merger, alleging the board breached its duties of care and loyalty. The Delaware Supreme Court held that a breach of the duty of care, without proven financial injury, is sufficient to rebut the business judgment rule and trigger a stricter “entire fairness” review of the transaction.

Legal Significance: This case clarifies that a breach of the duty of care alone rebuts the business judgment rule. A plaintiff need not prove causation and damages at the rebuttal stage; the burden shifts to the directors to prove the transaction’s entire fairness.

Cede & Co. v. Technicolor, Inc. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Ronald Perelman, through his company MAF, sought to acquire Technicolor, Inc. Technicolor’s CEO, Morton Kamerman, engaged in secretive, one-on-one negotiations with Perelman, largely excluding other directors and senior management. Director Fred Sullivan acted as an intermediary, purchased Technicolor stock after learning of MAF’s interest, and arranged a $150,000 finder’s fee for himself. Kamerman also negotiated a favorable post-merger employment contract. The Technicolor board was given minimal notice of a special meeting to approve the merger. For most directors, this meeting was the first time they learned of the proposed sale’s terms. After a brief, two-hour meeting, which included a presentation by an investment bank that had been restricted in its due diligence, the board approved the $23 per share merger. The deal included a stock option agreement that effectively gave MAF a “lock-up” on the company. Cinerama, a dissenting shareholder, filed suit alleging the directors breached their fiduciary duties of care and loyalty.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a shareholder plaintiff, after establishing that a corporate board breached its duty of care by being grossly negligent in approving a merger, also have to prove that the breach proximately caused a quantifiable monetary injury to rebut the business judgment rule and trigger an entire fairness review?

No. A shareholder plaintiff is not required to prove injury or causation Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

Does a shareholder plaintiff, after establishing that a corporate board breached its duty of care by being grossly negligent in approving a merger, also have to prove that the breach proximately caused a quantifiable monetary injury to rebut the business judgment rule and trigger an entire fairness review?

Conclusion

This case solidifies the independence of the duty of care within the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute

Legal Rule

To rebut the business judgment rule, a shareholder plaintiff must provide evidence Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing e

Legal Analysis

The Delaware Supreme Court reversed the Court of Chancery's novel reformulation of Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • A plaintiff rebuts the business judgment rule (BJR) by proving a
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugia

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