• Blog Post

    North Carolina Business Court Suggests a Willingness to Impose a Fiduciary Duty on Minority Shareholders

              The North Carolina Business Court recently issued an opinion in which it suggested a willingness to adopt a position that “controlling” minority shareholders owe a fiduciary duty to their fellow minority shareholders.[1]             The case arose out of a transaction between Reynolds American, Inc. (“Reynolds American”) and Lorillard, Inc. (“Lorillard”), funded in part by shares purchased by Reynolds American’s largest shareholder, British American Tobacco, p.l.c. (“British American”).   Reynolds American was formed in 2004 when R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company acquired British American’s United States subsidiary.  British American obtained a forty-two percent (42%) stake in the newly formed Reynolds American.   At that…