Chicago breach of fiduciary duty lawyers

In Illinois, the situation regarding LLC minority members bringing a derivative lawsuit for member oppression is quite specific. The Illinois Limited Liability Company Act allows LLC members to file a derivative action to protect the interests of the LLC. This is particularly relevant when the LLC itself has a cause of action, but the managers or members have failed to pursue it. Such a derivative action enables members to enforce the rights of the LLC and recover damages on its behalf.

However, it’s important to understand that a derivative action is distinct from a member oppression claim. While derivative actions are filed on behalf of the LLC for wrongs against the LLC, certain types of member oppression claims are brought by individual members against the controlling members for actions that unfairly prejudice the minority members’ rights or interests and case-specific injury to the minority member but not the LLC as a whole.

For a derivative action to be initiated, certain conditions must be met. The member initiating the action should not be a manager of the LLC, and they must have made a written demand on the managers or members of the LLC to take action to enforce the right. If the managers or members fail to take action within 90 days, the member can then file a lawsuit on behalf of the LLC. It is crucial to note that derivative actions are complex and can be costly, so seeking advice from an experienced business attorney is recommended.

For member oppression, minority LLC members in Illinois have legal options to protect their interests and seek remedies, such as judicial dissolution, breach of fiduciary duty claims, specific performance or injunctive relief, and buyout or monetary damages. Again, legal counsel is crucial in navigating these options and understanding the rights and legal remedies available under the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act.

A Delaware Chancery Court judge recently rendered a post-trial verdict in the In re Tesla Motors Stockholder Litigation in which he found in favor of co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk, on claims that Musk breached his fiduciary duties, was unjustly enriched, and created corporate waste in connection with Tesla’s 2016 acquisition of the SolarCity Corporation.

This high-profile, high-stakes lawsuit stemmed from alleged conflicts of interest created by Musk’s leadership and ownership of both companies during the 2016 acquisition. At the time of the merger, Musk was SolarCity’s largest stockholder and chaired its board of directors. At the same time, he owned 22% of Tesla stock and served as CEO and a director of Tesla. When the potential acquisition of SolarCity came up, Tesla’s board elected not to form a special committee of independent directors to negotiate the transaction. It did, however, condition approval of the acquisition on the “affirmative vote of a majority of the minority of Tesla’s disinterested stockholders” and recused Musk from certain Board discussions regarding the acquisition.

Despite these protections, the plaintiff shareholders alleged that Musk, as Tesla’s controlling shareholder, exerted his influence over Tesla’s board to approve the acquisition at an unfair price, following a highly flawed process, in order to bail out his (and other family members’) foundering investment in SolarCity. Plaintiffs named both Musk and members of Tesla’s board as defendants and sought damages as well as equitable remedies. Before trial, all defendants except Musk settled with plaintiffs, leaving only the claims against Musk proceeding to an 11-day trial over July and August 2021. Continue reading ›

Articles Tagged with Chicago breach of fiduciary duty lawyers

In Illinois a Minority Member can Bring a Derivative Lawsuit as a LLC Member on Behalf of the LLC

Delaware Judge Finds for Elon Musk on Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims