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When you’re an entrepreneur, business disputes are inevitable. Unfortunately, when they arise, they can result in significant harm to your company and its bottom line. If you’re facing a business dispute — or you simply want to be prepared for any potential conflicts — you likely have many questions. Below are some of the most…

“Because Wallace and Joan have not authorized dividend distributions, Martin has received no financial benefit from his minority interest in E&E. Meanwhile, Wallace has approved his own annual compensation in the millions of dollars.” Smith v. Smith, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81240, *3 (E.D. Mich. May 8, 2020). The Smith case, pending in the U.S.…

Assuming a member has a “proper purpose,” Illinois LLCs are required to provide documents a member demands. Within ten days of a member’s demand, the company is required to either: 1) produce the requested documents; or 2) respond in writing describing the documents that will be provided and stating a reasonable time and place at…

Disorganization, financial difficulties, and greed can lead to a partner taking more from a business than they’re entitled. This, of course, comes at the expense of their partners. In closely held businesses, there are unfortunately numerous ways to cheat. A few examples are a partner funneling money to another entity he or she owns under…

From fake loans to $80,000 bonuses to certain shareholders in lieu of dividends to all, the defendants in Chomiak v. Kasian provided a variety of avenues for a successful shareholder oppression action. On August 3, 2017, the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court issued an opinion affirming the lower court’s ruling for the…

In a recent order, the Appellate Court affirmed a Cook County trial court decision finding that a de facto LLC manager in a manager-managed LLC: (1) had fiduciary duties to the other members despite not being the legal manager; and (2) breached his fiduciary duties to his co-owners by running the business and finances without…

In a recent order, the Illinois Appellate Court held that Section 12.56(g) of the Business Corporation Act of 1983 (the “Act”) must be read to provide compensation for provisional directors by the corporation as opposed to it shareholders. Sinkus v. BTE, 2016 IL App (1st) 152135-U. In Sinkus, the plaintiff, Sinkus, and one of the…

The Appellate Court of Illinois recently affirmed an award of attorney fees in a Section 12.56 proceedings. In Thazhathuputhenpurac v. JT Enterprises of Chicago, the Court held that minority shareholder was entitled to reasonable attorney fees due to the 51% shareholder’s failure to act in good faith in “filing a frivolous counterclaim and forcing [the…

A non-public corporation is a corporation that has no shares listed on a national securities exchange or regularly traded in a market maintained by one or members of a national or affiliated securities association. In a shareholder action in a non-public corporation, circuit courts may order one of several remedies listed in Section 12.56 of…

A limited liability company (“LLC”) allows members limited liability, but LLCs aren’t perpetual. Section 180/35-1 of the Limited Liability Company Act details the events that cause the dissolution of LLCs. 805 ILCS 180/35-1. Section 180/35-1(4)(E) indicates that LLCs can be dissolved “on application by a member or a disassociated member, upon entry of a judicial…