Despite Turnover, Supreme Court Impacted Corporate Law in 2014

Turnover on the Delaware Supreme Court didn’t stop the state’s highest court from continuing to be among the nation’s most influential authorities on corporate law. The court lost three justices with extensive corporate law experience and will lose a fourth next year. However, their replacements didn’t miss a beat as several major corporate law decisions were issued this year.

Court turnover

Three of the Delaware Supreme Court’s most respected corporate law minds left the bench in 2014, but the judges were succeeded by equally respected corporate jurists. Former Chief Justice Myron T. Steele left at the end of 2013, while Justices Jack B. Jacobs and Carolyn Berger both departed in 2014. All three justices had served on the Delaware Court of Chancery prior to their promotion to the Supreme Court. Justice Henry duPont Ridgely also announced his intention to retire in January 2015. Although Ridgely largely focused on criminal law prior to joining the court, he quickly became skilled in Delaware corporate law. Ridgely authored the Supreme Court’s decision in Airgas v. Air Products and Chemicals, a 2010 opinion reversing a Chancery Court decision over a “poison pill” battle.