Case Citation
Legal Case Name

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

Supreme Court of Delaware1996Docket #282873
684 A.2d 289 1996 WL 613201

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: In a two-step merger, a company’s fair value for appraisal purposes must include non-speculative value created by the acquirer’s new business plan implemented after gaining control but before the final cash-out merger. The old management’s abandoned plan is irrelevant.

Legal Significance: This case clarifies that the statutory exclusion of value “arising from the expectation of the merger” is a narrow exception for speculative elements only. It does not exclude tangible, non-speculative value added by an acquirer’s new business plan prior to a second-step merger.

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

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

MacAndrews & Forbes Group, Inc. (MAF), controlled by Ronald Perelman, acquired Technicolor, Inc. in a two-step, friendly cash-out merger. The first step was a tender offer in November 1982, through which MAF acquired 82.19% of Technicolor’s stock. Before this, Technicolor’s management, led by CEO Morton Kamerman, pursued a struggling business plan (the “Kamerman Plan”). Immediately after gaining control, Perelman began implementing a new business strategy (the “Perelman Plan”), which involved divesting several unprofitable divisions to focus on core operations. This plan was the operative reality of the company by the time the second-step merger was completed on January 24, 1983. Cinerama, a dissenting shareholder, perfected its appraisal rights. The Court of Chancery, in determining Technicolor’s fair value, excluded any value attributable to the Perelman Plan, reasoning that such value arose from the expectation of the merger. Instead, it valued the company based on the defunct Kamerman Plan. Cinerama appealed, arguing the valuation should have been based on the Perelman Plan, which was governing the company on the merger date.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: In a statutory appraisal proceeding following a two-step merger, must the determination of “fair value” include non-speculative value created by the acquirer’s implementation of a new business plan after the first-step tender offer but before the second-step cash-out merger?

Yes. The Court of Chancery erred by excluding the value of 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

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

In a statutory appraisal proceeding following a two-step merger, must the determination of “fair value” include non-speculative value created by the acquirer’s implementation of a new business plan after the first-step tender offer but before the second-step cash-out merger?

Conclusion

This decision establishes that in a two-step merger appraisal, the valuation must 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 conseq

Legal Rule

Under 8 Del. C. § 262(h), a company's fair value must be 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

Legal Analysis

The Supreme Court of Delaware reversed the Court of Chancery, holding that 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 adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullam

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • In a statutory appraisal, the company must be valued as 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 fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui of

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