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Good Faith Issues

By Mark E. Betzen and Jeffrey D. Litle
December 27, 2004

The massive corporate scandals that accompanied the new millennium resulted in a host of high-profile legislative and regulatory responses by, among others, Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the national securities exchanges. Fearful of being marginalized by the incursion of these entities into matters of corporate governance, the Delaware courts appear to be using the threat of enhanced exposure to potential personal liability as a means to encourage directors and officers to be more attentive in the performance of their managerial responsibilities.

By virtue of their managerial prerogatives, directors and officers of a corporation owe fiduciary duties to the corporation and its stockholders. These duties govern the conduct of corporate fiduciaries both in making corporate decisions on an episodic basis and in overseeing the corporation's business and affairs on an ongoing basis. Historically, these duties have been characterized as duties of loyalty and care, with the duty of loyalty having an integral good faith component.

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