James R. Thompson v. ORIX USA Corporation ( 2016 )


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  •                                  COURT OF CHANCERY
    OF THE
    STATE OF DELAWARE
    ANDRE G. BOUCHARD                                               New Castle County Courthouse
    CHANCELLOR                                                   500 N. King Street, Suite 11400
    Wilmington, Delaware 19801-3734
    Date Submitted: March 23, 2016
    Date Decided: June 3, 2016
    Kathaleen S. McCormick, Esquire                  Arthur L. Dent, Esquire
    Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP             Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP
    1000 North King Street                           1313 North Market Street, 6th Floor
    Wilmington, DE 19801                             Wilmington, DE 19801
    RE: Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    Dear Counsel:
    On March 23, 2016, I heard argument on cross-motions for summary
    judgment in this action. This letter constitutes my decision on the claim for
    advancement of expenses relating to the Preston Hollow Action, as defined below.
    The claim for advancement regarding the recently withdrawn declaratory judgment
    claims that were asserted in separate actions will be addressed at a later date.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 2 of 19
    I.       BACKGROUND
    Unless noted otherwise, the facts recited in this letter decision are based on
    the undisputed allegations of the Verified Complaint for Advancement and certain
    documentary exhibits submitted by the parties that are not factually disputed.
    A.       The Parties
    Plaintiff James R. Thompson is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of
    Preston Hollow Capital, LLC (“Preston Hollow”).              From April 1997 until
    December 31, 2013, Thompson worked in various roles for ORIX USA
    Corporation (“ORIX USA”) and ORIX Capital Markets, LLC (“ORIX Capital”),
    including as Chairman of ORIX Capital from 1997 until 2013, and as CEO and a
    director of ORIX USA from 2004 to 2013. 1
    Plaintiff Clifford Weiner works at Preston Hollow. Before joining Preston
    Hollow, Weiner served as an employee and officer at ORIX USA from August
    1997 until January 2014, with a two-year sabbatical between 2007 and 2008.2
    Defendant ORIX USA is a Delaware corporation, and defendant ORIX
    Capital is a Delaware LLC. The principal place of business for both ORIX USA
    and ORIX Capital (collectively, the “ORIX Entities”) is in Dallas, Texas. The
    1
    Compl. ¶ 7.
    2
    Compl. ¶¶ 8, 10.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 3 of 19
    ORIX Entities provide various financial services.         Preston Hollow allegedly
    competes with the ORIX Entities.
    B.       Employment at ORIX and the Formation of Preston Hollow
    When Thompson and Weiner began working for the ORIX Entities in 1997,
    they agreed to compensation packages that included shares of any increase in the
    enterprise value of the ORIX Entities.3 In November 2013, the ORIX Entities
    decided on a replacement for Thompson as CEO, and Thompson submitted his
    resignation, effective December 31, 2013.4 In the meantime, Thompson had
    begun planning his next career move, forming Preston Hollow in late 2013. He
    was its sole member. In January 2014, the ORIX Entities terminated Weiner’s
    employment, and Weiner also began working for Preston Hollow. 5
    C.       The Litigation and Procedural Posture
    Around the time of their departures, Thompson and Weiner told the ORIX
    Entities that they planned to exercise their enterprise value options, but the ORIX
    Entities refused to make these payments. This led Thompson and Weiner to sue
    3
    Compl. ¶ 9.
    4
    Compl. ¶ 11.
    5
    Compl. ¶ 12.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 4 of 19
    the ORIX Entities in state court in Dallas (the “Dallas Actions”) on October 31,
    2014 and August 7, 2015, respectively. 6
    On October 23, 2015, ORIX USA filed suit against Preston Hollow in the
    United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the “Preston Hollow
    Action”). 7 The complaint in that case did not name Thompson or Weiner as
    defendants, but it implicated their conduct. For example, ORIX USA alleged that
    Preston Hollow tortiously interfered with the contractual relations between ORIX
    USA and Thompson, Weiner, and two other former ORIX USA employees.
    On October 28, 2015, plaintiffs sent a letter to counsel for the ORIX Entities
    demanding advancement under the provisions of ORIX Capital’s LLC agreement
    (the “LLC Agreement”) or, in the alternative, that the ORIX Entities provide a
    binding confirmation that they would not commence any claims or counterclaims
    against plaintiffs relating to their conduct as officers or employees of the ORIX
    Entities. 8 On November 5, 2015, the ORIX Entities informed plaintiffs that they
    6
    Compl. ¶ 13. Bradley Aff. Exs. 3, 6.
    7
    Compl. Ex. D. ORIX USA amended its complaint on December 18, adding a claim for
    conversion and making other changes. Third-Party Compl. Ex. A at ¶¶ 75-80.
    8
    Compl. Ex. H at 1-3.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 5 of 19
    would not provide advancement, noting that they were aware of no pending or
    threatened claims against them. 9
    On November 23, 2015, plaintiffs filed amended petitions in their respective
    cases in the Dallas Actions that added new counts seeking declaratory judgments
    that they had not breached any obligations they owed the ORIX Entities. 10 These
    declaratory judgment claims were recently withdrawn.
    On November 24, 2015, plaintiffs filed the complaint in this action, seeking
    advancement under the LLC Agreement and ORIX USA’s certificate of
    incorporation (the “ORIX USA Charter”). 11 On December 17, they moved for
    summary judgment.         On December 29, the ORIX Entities filed a third-party
    complaint against Preston Hollow and PHC Fund I, LP, an entity controlled by
    Preston Hollow, seeking a declaration that those entities must provide at least an
    equal share of any advancement or indemnification provided by the ORIX
    Entities. 12 No further actions have been taken regarding the third-party complaint.
    9
    Compl. Ex. C.
    10
    Compl. Ex. F, Plaintiff James R. Thompson’s Second Amended Petition, ¶¶ 77-80;
    Compl. Ex. G, Plaintiff Clifford Weiner’s First Amended Petition, ¶¶ 72-75.
    11
    Compl. ¶ 25.
    12
    Third-Party Compl. ¶¶ 26-33.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 6 of 19
    On December 30, 2015, defendants filed their own motion for summary
    judgment on plaintiffs’ advancement claims. After briefing, I heard argument on
    the cross-motions for summary judgment on March 23, 2016.
    II.      LEGAL ANALYSIS
    A.     Legal Standard
    This Court will grant a motion for summary judgment if the pleadings and
    materials submitted to the Court “show that there is no genuine issue as to any
    material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of
    law.” 13 Both sides have moved for summary judgment regarding advancement
    under the ORIX USA Charter, while only defendants have moved for summary
    judgment regarding the LLC Agreement. I address these provisions in turn.
    B.     Advancement Under the ORIX USA Charter
    General rules of contract interpretation apply to construing provisions in
    charters, including advancement provisions. I will therefore “give language which
    is clear, simple, and unambiguous the force and effect required.”14 This Court
    construes mandatory advancement provisions broadly in order to effectuate
    13
    Ct. Ch. R. 56(c).
    14
    Hibbert v. Hollywood Park, Inc., 
    457 A.2d 339
    , 343 (Del. 1983).
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 7 of 19
    Delaware’s policy of quickly providing temporary relief from substantial litigation
    expenses. 15
    Article 8(b) of the ORIX USA Charter contains the following provision
    governing indemnification and advancement:
    Each person who was or is a director, officer or employee of the
    Corporation and who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a
    party to or is involved in any threatened, pending or completed action,
    suit or proceeding . . . by reason of the fact that he was or is a director,
    officer, employee or agent of the Corporation . . . shall be indemnified
    and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted
    by applicable law.
    The right to indemnification conferred in this ARTICLE 8 shall also
    include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred
    in connection with any proceeding in advance of its final disposition
    to the fullest extent authorized by applicable law.16
    The advancement rights in this provision can be broken into three requirements.
    First, the provision covers a person “who was or is a party or is threatened to be
    made a party to or is involved in any threatened, pending or completed
    action . . . .” Second, the person’s involvement in the action must be “by reason of
    the fact that he was or is a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation.”
    Third, advancement is provided only for “expenses incurred in connection with any
    15
    See Brown v. LiveOps, Inc., 
    903 A.2d 324
    , 327-28 (Del. Ch. 2006).
    16
    ORIX USA Charter, Compl. Ex. A, at art. 8(b).
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 8 of 19
    proceeding.” 17 I address whether plaintiffs have satisfied these three requirements
    with respect to the Preston Hollow Action, in turn, below.
    1.        Plaintiffs Are Involved in the Preston Hollow Action
    Plaintiffs argue that they meet the first requirement despite not being named
    as parties in the Preston Hollow Action because they are “involved in” that action
    based on the fact that one of the grounds for ORIX USA’s tortious interference
    claim against Preston Hollow focuses on the plaintiffs’ conduct. To that end,
    plaintiffs express concern that they may need to sit for depositions or respond to
    discovery requests in the litigation.18 In response, defendants argue that plaintiffs
    are not involved in the Preston Hollow Action because they are not parties and
    because, at most, “someday they might be affected by that case.” 19
    17
    
    Id.
     (emphasis added). In addition, the ORIX USA Charter begins with a qualification
    that the provision covers only people who are or were directors, officers, or employees.
    This qualification appears to be duplicative of the “by reason of” requirement addressed
    here.
    18
    Tr. Oral Arg. 26, Mot. Expedite (Dec. 8, 2015) (defendants indicating that deposing
    plaintiffs would be likely). At oral argument on the summary judgment motion, the
    ORIX Entities acknowledged that Thompson and Weiner probably would be required to
    respond to document requests but would not be deposed in the Preston Hollow Action.
    See Tr. Oral Arg. 59-61, Mot. Summ. J. (Mar. 23, 2016). Plaintiffs concede that any
    advancement obligations ORIX USA has are only toward Thompson and Weiner
    individually, and not toward Preston Hollow, although they caution that making
    categorical divisions at the advancement stage could be difficult. Id. at 45-48.
    19
    Defs.’ Op. Br. 30.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 9 of 19
    To the extent plaintiffs seek coverage of their own costs arising from the
    Preston Hollow Action, it is clear that they are “involved in” that action even
    though they have not being named as parties. The case plainly puts their conduct
    directly at issue, and plaintiffs are indisputably connected to Preston Hollow.
    Plaintiffs presumably already have or likely will incur costs relating to document
    requests. They also may have incurred some costs in assessing their possible roles
    in the case in the event that they are later named as defendants or are eventually
    deposed. Plaintiffs have thus satisfied the first requirement for advancement under
    the ORIX Charter relating to the Preston Hollow Action.
    2.     Plaintiffs’ Involvement in the Preston Hollow Action Is by
    Reason of Their Corporate Statuses
    The second requirement is that plaintiffs’ involvement in the Preston Hollow
    Action must be by reason of their former status as directors, officers, employees, or
    agents of ORIX USA. 20 The operative test is whether a “causal connection or
    nexus” exists between the underlying proceedings and the individual’s corporate
    capacity. 21
    20
    ORIX USA Charter at art. 8(b).
    21
    Homestore, Inc. v. Tafeen, 
    888 A.2d 204
    , 213 (Del. 2005).
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 10 of 19
    Plaintiffs assert that certain claims in the Preston Hollow Action
    demonstrate a causal nexus between the action and plaintiffs’ former corporate
    capacities. Specifically, plaintiffs argue that the Preston Hollow Action implicates
    their status as former officers and employees of ORIX USA by alleging that
    Preston Hollow induced them (and others) to breach their fiduciary duties to ORIX
    USA. 22 They also contend that the Preston Hollow Action implicates plaintiffs’
    corporate capacities because the complaint in that action alleges that they
    misappropriated confidential information to which they had access because of their
    positions at ORIX USA. 23
    Defendants counter that the Preston Hollow Action was not brought by
    reason of plaintiffs’ corporate status for a number of reasons. First, they argue that
    the allegedly misappropriated confidential information was not learned in
    plaintiffs’ corporate capacities, but rather was obtained through action that “any
    [ORIX USA] employee could take.”24 According to defendants, a causal nexus to
    22
    Pls.’ Op. Br. 33; Preston Hollow Complaint at ¶ 45. The amended complaint changed
    the relevant language from “breach of the fiduciary duties owed by employees to ORIX
    USA” to “breach of the loyalty owed by the employees . . . .” Third-Party Compl. Ex. A
    at ¶ 61. In my view, this change does not alter the substance of the underlying
    allegations.
    23
    Pls.’ Op. Br. 33.
    24
    Defs.’ Ans. Br. 17.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 11 of 19
    plaintiffs’ corporate status requires that “the corporate powers were used or
    necessary for the commission of the alleged misconduct.” 25
    In Brown v. LiveOps and Pontone v. Milso, the Court found an entitlement to
    advancement for directors and officers who were accused of misappropriating
    confidential information that they were able to access because of their corporate
    capacities.26 Those cases focused on their status as directors and officers.27 Here,
    Article 8(b) of the ORIX USA Charter not only covers directors and officers, it
    also covers one’s involvement “by reason” of his or her status as an employee.28
    Consequently, even if defendants are correct that the allegedly misappropriated
    information was accessible to all employees and not only to officers or directors
    such that Thompson and Weiner could be said to have not used their corporate
    powers to obtain such information (a questionable proposition in my view), their
    25
    Bernstein v. TractManager, Inc., 
    953 A.2d 1003
    , 1011 (Del. Ch. 2007).
    26
    Pontone v. Milso Indus. Corp., 
    100 A.3d 1023
    , 1052-53 (Del. Ch. 2014); Brown, 
    903 A.2d at 330
    .
    27
    As is the case here, the provision in Brown covered directors, officers, and employees,
    id. at *326, but the opinion did not squarely address the question of employee access
    because plaintiff’s access in that case appeared to be by reason of his status as a
    cofounder, officer, and director, and not necessarily as an employee. Id. at *328.
    28
    ORIX USA Charter at art. 8(b).
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 12 of 19
    conduct is still encompassed under the advancement provision in the ORIX USA
    Charter.
    Defendants next contend that the Preston Hollow Action was not brought by
    reason of plaintiffs’ corporate status, but instead arose out of plaintiffs’
    employment agreements or out of actions plaintiffs took in their personal capacities
    or as officers of Preston Hollow. 29 Relying on Weaver v. ZeniMax and Paolino v.
    Mace, defendants argue that conduct related to an employment agreement cannot
    be the subject of advancement.30 But in Weaver, the mandatory indemnification
    and advancement provisions at issue only covered actions by reason of a person’s
    status as an officer or director, not as an employee. 31               Indeed, the Court
    distinguished those provisions from the company’s permissive indemnification
    provision, which covered employees.32
    29
    Defs.’ Op. Br. 32; Defs.’ Ans. Br. 18.
    30
    Weaver v. ZeniMax Media, Inc., 
    2004 WL 243163
     (Del. Ch. Jan. 30, 2004); Paolino v.
    Mace Sec. Int’l, Inc., 
    985 A.2d 392
     (Del. Ch. 2009).
    31
    Weaver, 
    2004 WL 243163
    , at *2.
    32
    
    Id.
     (“Article 5 of ZeniMax’s bylaws provides that indemnification is mandatory for
    those cases brought ‘by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer
    of the Corporation’ and that indemnification is permissive if brought ‘by reason of fact
    that such person is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation.’”); id. at *5
    (“[U]nder ZeniMax’s bylaws, it is permissive to advance funds for this employment
    related claim but the corporation has chosen not to do so and it is not required to do so.”).
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 13 of 19
    Defendants’ reliance on Paolino v. Mace also is misplaced. Defendants
    argue that claims brought against an officer for breaches of an employment
    agreement are not “by reason of the fact” of the officer’s position with the
    company. But Paolino specifically notes that the causal nexus test will generally
    be satisfied for “a claim against a director or officer for matters relating to the
    corporation . . . even if the individual was a party to an employment agreement.” 33
    The Court in that case found it puzzling that defendants contended their claims for
    breach of contractual, statutory, and common law duties did not trigger
    advancement rights,34 noting that advancement would have been unavailable only
    if the claim “clearly involve[d] a specific and limited contractual obligation
    without any nexus or causal connection to official duties.” 35 In my view, the
    Here, because the provision is mandatory for actions by reason of one’s status as an
    employee as well as a director or officer, defendants cannot opt out of advancement.
    33
    Paolino, 
    985 A.2d at 406
    .
    34
    See 
    id. at 403
    .
    35
    See 
    id. at 407
    . Weaver drew a similar distinction, noting that the claim in that case for
    taking more vacation time than was provided in the relevant employment contract was
    different from fiduciary claims for mismanagement or general misconduct. 
    2004 WL 243163
    , at *3-5.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 14 of 19
    claims at issue here “challenge [plaintiffs’] conduct generally and [their] alleged
    failings in [their] official capacity,” thus triggering their advancement rights.36
    Defendants next argue that plaintiffs are not entitled to advancement because
    their actions were taken to benefit themselves or Preston Hollow. But even if this
    is true, their involvement in the case is nonetheless by reason of their former status
    at ORIX USA and the obligations that those statuses entailed.37 Indeed, if self-
    interest or divided loyalty could deprive directors and officers of advancement, it
    illogically would be unavailable when it would be needed most.
    Finally, defendants point out that advancement should not be available in
    relation to conduct that took place after plaintiffs left ORIX USA. 38 It may be true
    that some of the conduct at issue occurred after plaintiffs left ORIX USA. But, in
    contrast to a case such as Charney v. American Apparel, it is far from clear how
    36
    Paolino, 
    985 A.2d at 407
    .
    37
    See Homestore, 
    888 A.2d at 213-14
     (holding that if causal nexus exists between
    proceedings and official capacity, proceedings are “by reason of” official capacity
    regardless of selfish motivations for misconduct); see also Konstantino v. AngioScore,
    Inc., 
    2015 WL 5770582
    , at *12 (Del. Ch. Oct. 2, 2015), as revised (Oct. 9, 2015) (noting
    that advancement had been made available available for claim that director had breached
    fiduciary duties to company in order to benefit another company he had created).
    38
    Defs.’ Op. Br. 36 (citing Bernstein, 
    953 A.2d at 1011
     (“Of course, the conduct
    complained of must occur at a time when one is a corporate officer or director.”).
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 15 of 19
    much, if any, of the conduct at issue took place after plaintiffs’ disaffiliation.39
    Rather than engage in a line-drawing exercise now, it is more appropriate in my
    view for counsel to monitor the expenses for which advancement is requested and
    address granular disputes as necessary at the indemnification stage.
    3.     Expenses Must Be in Connection with Preston Hollow
    Action
    The third requirement for advancement in the ORIX USA Charter limits
    plaintiffs’ entitlement to advancement for expenses they incur “in connection with”
    the Preston Hollow Action. 40 Although this limitation may seem commonsensical,
    it is particularly important here and requires that plaintiffs’ expenses be separated
    carefully from Preston Hollow’s. Plaintiffs are not parties in the litigation and may
    not receive advancement for expenses relating to Preston Hollow’s litigation of the
    case. Acceptable expenses may relate, for example, to document discovery and
    depositions involving the plaintiffs, and analysis of their exposure and potential
    future involvement as parties.        But acts taken in plaintiffs’ capacities as
    representatives of Preston Hollow, such as depositions under Court of Chancery
    39
    See Charney v. Am. Apparel, Inc., 
    2015 WL 5313769
    , at *16 (Del. Ch. Sept. 11, 2015).
    See also Pontone, 100 A.3d at 1053 (finding that action was “by reason of” former
    corporate status because advancement plaintiff misappropriated information during his
    corporate tenure, even though his scheme to misuse it commenced after his departure).
    40
    ORIX USA Charter at art. 8(b).
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 16 of 19
    Rule 30(b)(6), are not eligible for advancement. In sum, plaintiffs are entitled to
    advancement under the ORIX USA Charter for the expenses they incur based on
    their involvement in the Preston Hollow Action, but these expenses should not
    include any of Preston Hollow’s own litigation costs.
    C.    Advancement Under the LLC Agreement
    Defendants have moved for summary judgment regarding advancement
    under the LLC Agreement of ORIX Capital.                   The indemnification and
    advancement provisions in the LLC Agreement state, in relevant part, as follows:
    6.01 Right to Indemnification. Subject to the limitations and
    conditions as provided in this Article VI, each Person who was or is
    made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in
    any threatened, pending or completed action . . . by reason of the fact
    that he, or a Person of whom he is the legal representative, is or was a
    Manager, Member, Officer or employee of the Company shall be
    indemnified by the Company to the fullest extent permitted by the Act
    ....
    6.02 Advance Payment. The right to indemnification conferred in
    this Article VI shall include the right to be paid or reimbursed by the
    Company the reasonable expenses incurred by a Person of the type
    entitled to be indemnified under Section 6.01 who was, is or is
    threatened to be made a named defendant or respondent in a
    Proceeding in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding . . .
    . 41
    41
    LLC Agreement, Compl. Ex. B, at §§ 6.01-6.02.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 17 of 19
    These provisions are similar in many respects to those of the ORIX USA Charter.42
    But defendants point out one important difference: unlike the ORIX USA Charter,
    which covers a person who is “involved in” a proceeding, the LLC Agreement
    provides advancement only for expenses incurred by a person who is threatened to
    be named a defendant or respondent in a Proceeding. 43
    Although defendants have avoided naming plaintiffs as defendants thus far,
    plaintiffs have raised a number of facts suggesting they have been “threatened” to
    be named defendants, including a letter sent by ORIX USA threatening to
    disqualify counsel if they represented plaintiffs in the Preston Hollow Action,44
    defendants’ refusal to confirm that plaintiffs would not be named as defendants in
    that action, and the fact that plaintiffs’ alleged misconduct has already been placed
    at issue in the litigation. Thus, plaintiffs have raised a genuine question of fact in
    42
    Thus, to the extent defendants made the same arguments with respect to the LLC Agreement
    that they made concerning the ORIX USA Charter, defendants’ arguments would fail for the
    reasons discussed above. See supra Part II.B.1-2.
    43
    Defs.’ Op. Br. 31.
    44
    Pls.’ Op. Br. 27.
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 18 of 19
    my view as to whether they are threatened to be named defendants. For this
    reason, defendants’ motion for summary judgment must be denied.45
    D.    Fees for Fees
    Plaintiffs who successfully prosecute an advancement suit are generally
    entitled to an appropriate award of fees for the expenses incurred in litigating the
    suit, unless the parties have agreed otherwise.46 Thus, plaintiffs are entitled to fees
    for establishing a right to advancement of expenses relating to the Preston Hollow
    Action under the ORIX USA Charter. Counsel for plaintiffs are instructed to make
    a good faith allocation of expenses for litigating this part of their suit. Fees for the
    undecided portion of the case will be addressed at a later date.
    III.   CONCLUSION
    For the foregoing reasons, plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment
    regarding advancement under the ORIX USA Charter for expenses they incur in
    connection with the Preston Hollow Action is GRANTED. Defendants’ motion
    45
    In briefing, defendants also argued that Weiner did not qualify for advancement under
    the LLC Agreement because he was not an officer, director, or employee of ORIX
    Capital. But plaintiffs argued that he still qualifies under the relevant provisions as an
    “agent” of ORIX USA, which is a member of ORIX Capital. At argument, defendants
    conceded that this assertion might be correct, precluding summary judgment. Tr. Oral
    Arg. 101-02.
    46
    Stifel Fin. Corp. v. Cochran, 
    809 A.2d 555
    , 560-62 (Del. 2002); Reddy v. Elec. Data
    Sys. Corp., 
    2002 WL 1358761
    , at *9 (Del. Ch. June 18, 2002).
    Thompson v. ORIX USA Corp.
    C.A. No. 11746-CB
    June 3, 2016
    Page 19 of 19
    for summary judgment regarding advancement under the ORIX USA Charter and
    the LLC Agreement for expenses incurred in connection with the Preston Hollow
    Action is DENIED.         Decision is reserved on both parties’ motions regarding
    advancement for the withdrawn declaratory judgment claims in the Dallas Actions.
    The parties are instructed to submit a form of order within ten days
    implementing these rulings and setting forth procedures for the payment of
    advancement consistent with the order the Court entered in Konstantino v.
    AngioScore, Inc.,47 as modified on December 12, 2014.
    Sincerely,
    /s/ Andre G. Bouchard
    Chancellor
    AGB/gp
    47
    C.A. No. 9681-CB (Del. Ch. Sept. 22, 2014) (ORDER).