Contractual Interpretation

Subscribe to Contractual Interpretation via RSS

The contractual interpretation issue before the Business Court in Schultheis v. Hatteras Capital Investment Management, LLC, 2014 NCBC 23, turned on the meaning of the word "with."  Well, actually on the phrase "entering into any contract . . . with."

HCIM, one of the Defendants, had acquired a 55% membership interest in Hatteras Alternative Mutual Funds (HAMF).  At that time,  HCIM became the sole managing member of HAMF per an Operating Agreement.  Four years later, HCIM signed an Asset Purchase Agreement to sell all the assets of…

Continue Reading It Depends On The Meaning Of The Word “With”

Premier, Inc. v. Peterson, 2012 NCBC 59, decided last Friday by Judge Murphy, turned on a strict application of the parol evidence rule.

At issue was whether the defendants were entitled to a substantial earn-out payment under a Stock Purchase Agreement.  The Plaintiff had purchased the Defendants’ software business of selling a Web-based surveillance and analytic services to healthcare providers.

Interpretation of the Contract

The Stock Purchase Agreement called for the earnout payment to be made on a series of five year anniversaries of the acquisition date.  The calculation…

Continue Reading Parol Evidence Rule Barred Defendants’ Interpretation Of Earn-Out Provision

Whether a furniture manufacturer’s marketing of a line of trademarked furniture for its licensor had been "commercially reasonable" was decided by the Business Court yesterday in favor of the manufacturer, in Lexington Furniture Industries, Inc. v. Bob Timberlake Collection, Inc., 2009 NCBC 22 (September 9, 2009).

The parties had entered into a License Agreement giving Lexington the right to sell furniture collections under the Bob Timberlake trademarks. Sales had apparently gone quite well; Timberlake’s COO testified that one of the collections was "the most successful furniture line in the…

Continue Reading Furniture Manufacturer Used “Commercially Reasonable Efforts” In Marketing Trademarked Products

Whether the parties had agreed on the material terms necessary to create a binding contract was the issue resolved by the Business Court in two opinions issued simultaneously on Friday, March 13th.  The claims in one case survived a motion to dismiss, the claims in the other were cut down on summary judgment.

In the first case, JDH Capital, LLC v. Flowers, 2009 NCBC 4 (N.C. Super. Ct. Feb. 13, 2009), the Court ruled that a Letter of Intent executed by the parties was a "non-binding agreement to agree," and dismissed the case.  In the second case, Crockett Capital Corp. v. Inland American Winston Hotels, Inc., 2009 NCBC 5 (N.C. Super. Ct. Feb. 13, 2009), the Court ruled that the plaintiff could proceed in its case even though the Master Agreement at issue contemplated the need to negotiate the terms of future agreements.

These cases are must reads if you are litigating a contract formation issue in the Business Court.  They are equally important to look at if you are drafting Letters of Intent or other agreements involving commercial real estate ventures, which were the business deals involved in both Flowers and Crockett. (There are reportedly non-litigation lawyers who read this blog precisely to see how their deal documents might play out in Court).Continue Reading Letters Of Intent And Agreements To Agree: Two Rulings From The North Carolina Business Court