Limited Liability Company laws in New Jersey and many states provide a cause of action for the oppression of minority members of company against those in control of the business. Oppression of a minority LLC member is measured by the reasonable expectations of the minority member in those states that…
Minority shareholders of a closely held corporation may be subjected to oppressive conduct by the controlling majority that deprives them of the benefits of their investment. Oppressed minority shareholder actions vindicate the rights of the minority owner to participate in the management and share in the economic benefits of the…
A plaintiff seeking to bring a derivative claim on behalf of a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership must be “suitable” and represent the interests of the business. A member of a limited liability company may sue individually to recover or protect the member’s individual right. New Jersey law…
To enforce a claim for misappropriation of a trade secret, the plaintiff must prove that the information was secret and valuable. Plaintiffs in New Jersey can rely on either the common law or the New Jersey Trade Secrets Act. Secrets that have been publicly disclosed lose their their protection as…
The Federal Trade Commission is considering an administrative rule that would enact a broad ban on non-compete agreements that would prohibit contracts that restrict the employee from working for a competitor or starting a competing business. The rule would also apply to ‘de facto’ non-competes, such as non-solicitation agreements, that…
An agreement that barred a lawyer from soliciting clients within a geographic area was unenforceable after the lawyer left the firm under the rules governing the professional conduct of attorneys. An agreement prohibiting a former associate attorney from soliciting clients of the firm after his resignation may be enforceable in…
Well-drafted business governance documents include buy-sell agreements to address deadlock among the owners. A shotgun buy-sell is an offer that sets only the price. It can be accepted as either an offer to buy out the other side or to sell to the other side at the price in the…
How to Expel a Member from a Limited Liability Company The removal of a member from a limited liability company, known as involuntary dissociation, is permitted by statute in most states and may also be permitted in an operating agreement. Removal is permitted when a member has engaged in wrongful…
A business divorce is the process by which the owners of a business separate their business interests. The process involves negotiation and may also require litigation. These cases can be divided into four phases: the emergent phase, the examination phase, the valuation phase and the resolution phase. Most owner lawsuits…
Limited liability company statutes often require the unanimous approval of the members before actions may be taken outside the ordinary course of business or for any amendment of the Operating Agreement. The requirement for unanimous action creates a minority veto – any member can veto the actions of the majority…