NCR Corp. v. Wahl

755 F. Supp. 91, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 875, 1991 WL 9803
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 28, 1991
DocketNos. 91 Civ. 221 (LLS), 91 Civ. 348 (LLS)
StatusPublished

This text of 755 F. Supp. 91 (NCR Corp. v. Wahl) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
NCR Corp. v. Wahl, 755 F. Supp. 91, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 875, 1991 WL 9803 (S.D.N.Y. 1991).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

STANTON, District Judge.

William P. Sadler, Barbara K. Sadler (the “Sadlers”) and American Telephone and Telegraph Company (“AT & T”) move for an order directing NCR Corporation (“NCR”) to produce a list of NCR’s shareholders. The motion was granted on January 24, 1991 in an oral decision on the record in open court, for substantially the reasons stated here.

The facts in this application are not in dispute.

BACKGROUND

The Sadlers have been shareholders of record of NCR for more than six months and more than five days ago they made a written demand on NCR for production of its shareholder list. The Sadlers assert that they do not desire the list for a purpose other than the business of NCR and that they have not engaged in the sale of a shareholder list within the last five years. Thus, they comply facially with the requirements of New York Business Corporation Law (“BCL”) section 1315 for obtaining the list of shareholders of a foreign corporation doing business in New York.

NCR is a corporation organized under the laws of Maryland. It is qualified to do business in New York, and is doing a substantial volume of business here.

The Sadlers and AT & T seek the list to allow AT & T to solicit NCR shareholders for their votes or proxies in favor of a [93]*93resolution supporting the calling of a special meeting and the election of directors who will act to facilitate AT & T’s tender offer for NCR’s shares. Specifically, AT & T seeks to have NCR’s directors redeem its “poison pill” shareholders’ rights plan, and permit a business combination between AT & T and NCR under the Maryland Business Combination Act, which otherwise might prevent AT & T from merging with NCR for five years. See Md.Corps. & Ass’ns Code Ann. § 3-602 (1985 & Supp.1990).

DISCUSSION

1. Applicability of section 1315

Maryland law compels production of a shareholder list only to shareholders who have owned at least five percent of a corporation’s outstanding stock for at least six months. Id. § 2-513(a). Neither the Sad-lers nor AT & T qualify under that requirement, and thus they could not compel production of NCR’s shareholder list under Maryland law. See Caspary v. Louisiana Land and Exploration Co., 707 F.2d 785 (4th Cir.1983) (enactment of section 2-513 extinguished common-law right of shareholder to inspect shareholder list).

BCL section 1315 provides that a New York resident shareholder of a foreign corporation doing business in New York is entitled to examine the shareholder list of the foreign corporation in person or by an agent if the shareholder has owned his shares for six months or owns five percent of any class of shares. N.Y.Bus. Corp.Law § 1315(a) (McKinney 1986).

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Bluebook (online)
755 F. Supp. 91, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 875, 1991 WL 9803, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ncr-corp-v-wahl-nysd-1991.