Comparable Transaction Exposes Error in Court’s Enterprise Goodwill Ruling
Appeals court strikes divorce ruling adopting income-based valuation of enterprise value of owner’s financial services business, valuation conflicts with data from similar transaction that occurred close to valuation date and involved owner-spouse.
Bocek v. JGA Assocs., LLC
Court rejects expert’s loss of business opportunity and lost earnings calculations, finding capitalization of earnings method is inappropriate for valuing company with unstable earnings and lost salary projections are based on “incomplete use” of data.
Value Determination Accords With Parties’ Contract, Chancery Says
Court says valuation firm’s determination of value of defendants’ put units accords with agreement to which plaintiff and defendants committed themselves; since contract does not provide for judicial review, court won’t “second-guess” valuator’s judgment.
Uncertainty Over Key Inputs Compromises DCF, Chancery Says
Chancery favors merger price, without synergy adjustment, over DCF-generated value, noting uncertainties over key inputs such as projections, equity risk premium, terminal growth rate as well as the “wildly divergent” DCF results of the parties’ experts.
In re Trulia Stockholder Litig.
In stockholder class action, Chancery declines to approve settlement that requires plaintiffs to agree to broad release of claims in exchange for additional valuation-related information, finding it fails to meet applicable “fair and reasonable” standard.
PECO Logistics, LLC v. Walnut Inv. Partners, L.P.
Court says valuation firm’s determination of value of defendants’ put units accords with agreement to which plaintiff and defendants committed themselves; since contract does not provide for judicial review, court won’t “second-guess” valuator’s judgment.
Rubin v. Bedford
Appeals court affirms soundness of going private merger; court says plaintiffs failed to point to better offer and their expert lacked formal accounting, economics, and valuation training and displayed a light grasp of issues related to company’s value.
In re Marriage of Johnson
Appeals court strikes divorce ruling adopting income-based valuation of enterprise value of owner’s financial services business, valuation conflicts with data from similar transaction that occurred close to valuation date and involved owner-spouse.
‘Hybrid’ Approach to Quantify Loss of Beer Franchise Contracts
Court uses hybrid approach to quantify diminished value in business resulting from franchisees’ loss of beer brands; it means determining FMV of franchise contracts by way of DCF and adding loss in value of other assets directly related to loss of brands.
Adjusted Merger Price Superior to Other Valuation Methods
In appraisal arbitrage case, Chancery finds merger price adjusted for synergies is best indicator of fair value of company; dissenter’s DCF value rests on unsound management projections and its comparable transactions analysis uses too few data points.
Merion Capital LP & Merion Capital II LP v. BMC Software
Chancery favors merger price, without synergy adjustment, over DCF-generated value, noting uncertainties over key inputs such as projections, equity risk premium, terminal growth rate as well as the “wildly divergent” DCF results of the parties’ experts.
Chancery Decries Accounting Firm’s Compromised Valuation
Chancery says major accounting firm’s merger-related appraisal represents “new low”; to achieve client’s goal of zero corporate tax liability, firm abandoned sound prior approaches and simply copied another accounting firm’s report and called it its own.
Chancery Adopts Merger Price Sans Cost Savings Reduction
Chancery agrees with company expert’s reliance on merger price as best estimate of fair value of company where DCF and comparable companies analyses lack reliable data, but court rejects downward adjustment for purported cost savings related to merger.
Tax Court Tacitly Approves of IRS Solvency Assessment
In transferee liability case, solvency experts use gamut of valuation methods to establish when subject became insolvent; Tax Court does not endorse any one approach but appears to give nod to IRS market-based solvency analysis.
Fox v. CDx Holdings
Chancery says major accounting firm’s merger-related appraisal represents “new low”; to achieve client’s goal of zero corporate tax liability, firm abandoned sound prior approaches and simply copied another accounting firm’s report and called it its own.
LongPath Capital, LLC v. Ramtron International Corp.
In appraisal arbitrage case, Chancery finds merger price adjusted for synergies is best indicator of fair value of company; dissenter’s DCF value rests on unsound management projections and its comparable transactions analysis uses too few data points.
Tri Cnty. Wholesale Distribs. v. Labatt USA Operating Co. LLC
Court uses hybrid approach to quantify diminished value in business resulting from franchisees’ loss of beer brands; it means determining FMV of franchise contracts by way of DCF and adding loss in value of other assets directly related to loss of brands.
Merlin Partners LP v. AutoInfo, Inc.
Chancery agrees with company expert’s reliance on merger price as best estimate of fair value of company where DCF and comparable companies analyses lack reliable data, but court rejects downward adjustment for purported cost savings related to merger.
Expert’s Failure to Adhere to Objective Standard Spoils Analysis
Court excludes lost profits analysis under Daubert where expert calculates value of plaintiff’s book of business without documenting comparables, verifying plaintiff’s claims as to number of lost clients, and employing objective work-life expectancy data.
Bankruptcy Court Accepts Rationale for Tax Affecting
In a fraudulent transfer case involving S corp, court says valuation should reflect that buyers of S corps would experience a reduction in the value of the corporations' earnings because of the need to pay personal income taxes on those earnings.
High Company-Specific Risk Adjustment Distorts Valuation
In a buyout case, the court finds that, in reselling company, defendants undervalued rollover equity interest by double counting risks specific to the company in order to avoid triggering windfall provision in prior sales agreement favorable to plaintiff.
Kardash v. Commissioner (I)
In transferee liability case, solvency experts use gamut of valuation methods to establish when subject became insolvent; Tax Court does not endorse any one approach but appears to give nod to IRS market-based solvency analysis.
Russell v. Allianze Life Ins. Co. of N.A.
Court excludes lost profits analysis under Daubert where expert calculates value of plaintiff’s book of business without documenting comparables, verifying plaintiff’s claims as to number of lost clients, and employing objective work-life expectancy data.