Mark E. Felger, left, and Kaan Ekiner, right, of Cozen O'Connor. Courtesy photos Chancery Stays Action Pending Resolution of a Motion to Dismiss in a First-Filed Action to Which the Defendant Is Not a Party
Prior to initiating the Delaware Chancery Court action, Eastern Wholesale sued one of Hudson's affiliates—but not Hudson—in North Carolina. Shortly after the filing of the Chancery action, Hudson moved to dismiss or stay. And due to potential overlapping legal and factual issues, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick entered a stay.
November 06, 2024 at 08:00 AM
5 minute read
In Eastern Wholesale Fence v. Hudson, 2024 WL 3757835 (Del. Ch. Aug. 12, 2024), plaintiff Eastern Wholesale Fence LLC alleged that defendant Damien Hudson breached certain restrictive covenants arising out of the sale of a business. Prior to initiating the Delaware Chancery Court action, Eastern Wholesale sued one of Hudson's affiliates—but not Hudson—in North Carolina. Shortly after the filing of the Chancery action, Hudson moved to dismiss or stay. And due to potential overlapping legal and factual issues, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick entered a stay.
Hudson owned a series of businesses that manufactured and sold wholesale aluminum, vinyl, chain-link and wood fence products. The Hudson Entities had a manufacturing facility in South Carolina and production facilities in North Carolina. Hudson sold the Hudson entities to Eastern Wholesale, a national wholesale distributor of fence products, pursuant to an asset purchase agreement. The purchase agreement bound Hudson to certain restrictive covenants, including non-solicitation and nondisparagement covenants. The nonsolicitation provision barred the Hudson parties for five years following closing, with no geographic limitation. The nondisparagement provision ran into perpetuity and without geographic limitation.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All
The Importance of Contractual Language in Analyzing Post-Closing Earnout Disputes
6 minute read
Delaware Supreme Court Upholds Court of Chancery’s Refusal to Blue Pencil an Unreasonable Covenant Not to Compete
4 minute read
Chancery Court Exercises Discretion in Setting Bond in a Case Involving Share Transfer Restriction
6 minute read
Law Firms Mentioned
Trending Stories
- 1Reviewing Judge Merchan's Unconditional Discharge
- 2With New Civil Jury Selection Rule, Litigants Should Carefully Weigh Waiver Risks
- 3Young Lawyers Become Old(er) Lawyers
- 4Caught In the In Between: A Legal Roadmap for the Sandwich Generation
- 5Top 10 Developments, Lessons, and Reminders of 2024
Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
