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.
In re Dole Food Co. (Dole III)
In joint fairness/statutory appraisal action, Chancery finds defendants’ fraud defeated financial advisor’s ability to produce reliable DCF, notwithstanding advisor’s “heroic” efforts to create “the most credible and reliable projections in the case.”
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.
Financial Advisor’s ‘Real Client Was the Deal,’ Says Chancery
Chancery says “dropdown” of assets from parent to master limited partnership resulted in overpayment; transaction was enabled by financial advisor that took orders from parent regardless of whether opinion “made sense as a matter of valuation theory.”
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.
Court Rejects Flat Prohibition Against Double Dipping
Appeals court finds Ohio statute requires trial court to consider income from all sources in calculating spousal support and overrules Heller I to extent Heller imposes a flat prohibition against double dipping; mandate is to ensure fairness and equity.
Chancery Assigns Secondary Role to Post-Merger DCF
In an appraisal action, Chancery says merger price stemming from robust sales process is best indicator of value; court’s own DCF valuation “is close to the market,” but problematic projections make it more suitable as a check on the sales-derived price.
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.
Treatment of Debt Skews Valuation of Franchise Business
Appeals court acknowledges impossibility of duplicating calculations underlying trial court’s valuation of husband’s LLC owning McDonald’s franchises but surmises result hinges on treatment of funds from family trust to LLC as debt, rather than equity.
In re El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. Derivative Litig.
Chancery says “dropdown” of assets from parent to master limited partnership resulted in overpayment; transaction was enabled by financial advisor that took orders from parent regardless of whether opinion “made sense as a matter of valuation theory.”
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.
Gallo v. Gallo
Appeals court finds Ohio statute requires trial court to consider income from all sources in calculating spousal support and overrules Heller I to extent Heller imposes a flat prohibition against double dipping; mandate is to ensure fairness and equity.
9th Circuit Calls Tax Court Out Over ‘Imaginary Scenarios’
Ninth Circuit orders Tax Court to recalculate value of decedent’s minority interest in longtime family partnership owning timber assets because Tax Court accorded weight to NAV value based on “imaginary scenarios” that saw some possibility of liquidation.
In re Ancestry
In an appraisal action, Chancery says merger price stemming from robust sales process is best indicator of value; court’s own DCF valuation “is close to the market,” but problematic projections make it more suitable as a check on the sales-derived price.
Expert’s Solid DCF and Industry Research Sway Court
Court discredits respondent expert’s capitalization of earnings calculation and market-based analysis, noting “severe deficiencies” and instead adopts petitioner expert’s valuation but applies DLOM to entire equity value, not just goodwill.
Freihage v. Freihage
Appeals court acknowledges impossibility of duplicating calculations underlying trial court’s valuation of husband’s LLC owning McDonald’s franchises but surmises result hinges on treatment of funds from family trust to LLC as debt, rather than equity.
Gift Tax Case Pivots on Key Assumption Informing Valuations
Taxpayer parents incurred gift tax liability when, based on improper valuations, they agreed to merge their S corp. with their sons’ S corp. and accepted an unduly low interest in the new company while sons received an unduly high interest, Tax Court says ...
Court Relies on DCF to Derive Value of ‘Sui Generis’ Company
NY court rejects comparable analyses to value “truly incomparable” beverage company and relies solely on DCF; court says the fact that expressions of interest to buy the company never became bona fide offers indicates liquidity risk and supports 25% DLOM.