Page 316 - מיזוגים ורכישת חברות - ברקלי תשפא

The Carroll Group withdrew its proposed merger on December 1, 1993. Thereafter,
on March 8, 1994, the board authorized the payment of an extraordinary $14.00 per share
cash dividend. Plaintiffs seek to enjoin the payment of this dividend.

It is elementary that the declaration of dividends out of available corporate funds is a
matter left to the discretion of the board of directors and that the declaration or payment
of a dividend will be reviewed by a court only on the basis of fraud or gross abuse of
discretion. See Gabelli & Co. v. Liggett Group, Inc., Del.Supr., 479 A.2d 276, 280 (1984)
(quoting Eshleman v. Keenan, Del.Ch., 194 A. 40, 43 (1937) (Wolcott, C.)).

The only argument plaintiffs can advance in support of the position that the
declaration and payment of the special dividend is "a gross abuse," is again predicated
upon the assertion that "Revlon duties" require the board now to maximize the current
value of the stock. The proposed dividend, they say, is inconsistent with a transaction with
Pensler, and thus does not satisfy this Revlon duty. Concluding as I do above, it follows
that plaintiffs have shown no gross abuse in the declaration of the special dividend, nor
have plaintiffs shown any other ground for the grant of preliminary injunction at this time.
Therefore the application will be denied.

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