A last-minute bid to break a crippling corporate deadlock at TransPerfect Global Inc. and perhaps avoid a court-ordered sale of the profitable translation-services company may have new life, after Delaware Court of Chancery Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard on Monday called a hearing to decide whether a forced sale should move forward.

In a letter, Bouchard said the court would hear argument May 5 on Shirley Shawe's motion to expedite consideration of her request to force a shareholder meeting so that she could vote her one percent interest in TransPerfect with Elizabeth Elting, the company's co-founder and CEO.

Up until now, Shirley has been fiercely aligned with her son Philip Shawe, TransPerfect's other founder and CEO, who has been warring with Elting to prevent the sale of the company the two started in a college dormitory.