Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc.

CourtCourt of Chancery of Delaware
DecidedJanuary 21, 2026
DocketC.A. No. 2025-0761-BWD
StatusPublished

This text of Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc. (Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Chancery of Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc., (Del. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE BONNIE W. DAVID COURT OF CHANCERY COURTHOUSE VICE CHANCELLOR 34 THE CIRCLE GEORGETOWN, DE 19947

Date Submitted: January 13, 2026 Date Decided: January 21, 2026

Philip Trainer, Jr., Esq. Ryan D. Stottmann, Esq. Samuel M. Gross, Esq. Cassandra L. Baddorf, Esq. Ashby & Geddes LLP Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell, LLP 500 Delaware Ave., PO Box 1150 1201 N. Market St., PO Box 1347 Wilmington, DE 19899 Wilmington, DE 19899

RE: Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc., C.A. No. 2025-0761-BWD

Dear Counsel:

This letter opinion resolves defendant SomaLogic, Inc.’s motion to dismiss or

stay this litigation due to an arbitration provision in a merger agreement.

In July 2022, SomaLogic, Inc. and Palamedrix, Inc. entered into a merger

agreement under which SomaLogic, Inc. acquired Palamedrix, Inc. for $35 million

at closing plus up to $17.5 million if the acquired entity achieved certain

performance milestones. The plaintiff, Shareholder Representative Services LLC,

represents the interests of former Palamedrix, Inc. securityholders. It alleges that

after closing, SomaLogic, Inc. breached its contractual obligations under the merger

agreement by failing to use “Commercially Reasonable Efforts” to achieve the

milestones. Through the present motion, the parties debate whether, under the Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc., C.A. No. 2025-0761-BWD January 21, 2026 Page 2 of 15

precise language of the merger agreement, that claim is subject to arbitration. For

the reasons explained below, I conclude that it is not and therefore deny the motion

to dismiss or stay.

I. BACKGROUND1

A. Defendant Acquires Palamedrix Pursuant To A Merger Agreement.

SomaLogic, Inc. (“SomaLogic” or “Defendant”), a Delaware corporation

headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, is a proteomics company that develops tests to

identify the presence of particular proteins for medical diagnosis. Compl. ¶¶ 12, 17–

18. Palamedrix, Inc. (“Palamedrix”) was another proteomics company developing

DNA nanosensor technology to identify proteins present in biological samples. Id.

¶¶ 16, 21.

On July 25, 2022, Defendant and Palamedrix entered into a merger agreement

(the “Merger Agreement”) under which Defendant acquired Palamedrix (the

1 The following facts are taken from Plaintiff’s Verified Complaint (the “Complaint”), the exhibits attached thereto, and other documents submitted in connection with the Motion to Dismiss or Stay. Verified Compl. [hereinafter Compl.], Dkt. 1. In deciding a motion under Court of Chancery Rule 12(b)(1), the Court may consider documents outside the pleadings. See Sloan v. Segal, 2008 WL 81513, at *6 (Del. Ch. Jan. 3, 2008) (“This court has the discretion to consider evidence outside the pleadings in deciding motions under Rule 12(b)(1) . . . .”). Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc., C.A. No. 2025-0761-BWD January 21, 2026 Page 3 of 15

“Merger”). Id. ¶ 22; id., Ex. A [hereinafter Merger Agt.] at 1.2 In consideration for

the Merger, Defendant agreed to pay Palamedrix securityholders $35 million at

closing and up to an additional $17.5 million (the “Milestone Consideration”) in

three tranches if the acquired entity achieved certain performance milestones (the

“Milestones”)3 after closing. Compl. ¶ 22; Merger Agt. § 2.16(a)(iv), (d).

Section 2.16 of the Merger Agreement governs Plaintiff’s entitlement to

Milestone Consideration. See generally, Merger Agt. § 2.16. Section 2.16(b)(i)

requires Defendant to use “Commercially Reasonable Efforts”4 to provide technical

and scientific support and funding to achieve the Milestones:

2 Under Section 2.17(a) of the Merger Agreement, the Palamedrix securityholders appointed plaintiff Shareholder Representative Services LLC (“Plaintiff”) as their “representative, agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact . . . to act on behalf [of] [Palamedrix] Securityholder[s] as of the Closing for all purposes in connection with this [Merger Agreement].” Merger Agt. § 2.17(a); Compl. ¶ 11. 3 The Milestones are tied to sales of products based on Palamedrix technology. See Merger Agt. § 2.16(d) (showing the consideration that may be earned based on levels of “cumulative Net Sales”); id. § 1.1 (“‘Net Sales’ means . . . the ‘net sales’ generated from the sale of Soma San Diego Products . . . .”); id. (defining “Soma San Diego Product” to include “any product that embodies or incorporates any Intellectual Property created, owned by, or licensed to [Palamedrix] as of the time of Closing”). 4 The Merger Agreement defines “Commercially Reasonable Efforts” to mean: solely for purposes of Section 2.16, that level of effort and resources that the [Defendant] would typically devote to, and with respect to, products of similar market potential at a similar stage in development or product life, taking into account Intellectual Property protection or potential infringement, safety, the competitiveness of alternative products, and the profitability of Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc., C.A. No. 2025-0761-BWD January 21, 2026 Page 4 of 15

[Defendant] shall use, and shall cause its Affiliates (including the Surviving Company) to use, Commercially Reasonable Efforts to (A) provide technical and scientific support to achieve each of the Milestones and (B) provide funding that is reasonably necessary to support achievement of the Milestones, with respect to each such applicable Milestone. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, [Defendant] shall not, and shall not authorize or permit any of its Affiliates (including the Surviving Company) to, take any action, or omit to take any action, in bad faith with the intent of avoiding or materially delaying the achievement of any Milestone.

Id. § 2.16(b)(i). Section 2.16(c) sets out “Milestone Consideration Procedures.”

Id. § 2.16(c). Section 2.16(c)(ii) states:

If [Plaintiff] believes in good faith that a Milestone has been achieved, then [Plaintiff] shall submit a written notice (a “Milestone Achievement Claim”) to [Defendant] (A) informing [Defendant] of such belief and (B) setting forth evidence for its belief that such Milestone has been achieved. Within forty-five (45) calendar days following [Defendant’s] receipt of a Milestone Achievement Claim, [Defendant] shall either (A) pay and/or issue (or cause to be paid and/or issued) the applicable Milestone Consideration to the Milestone Consideration Recipients in accordance with Section 2.16(c)(v) and the cash payment to JPM in accordance with Section 2.16(a)(iii) or (B) notify [Plaintiff] in writing that it disagrees and disputes such Milestone Achievement Claim (such dispute, a “Milestone Dispute,” and such notice, a “Milestone Dispute Notice”).

Id. § 2.16(c)(ii). If Defendant delivers a Milestone Dispute Notice, the parties must

“first discuss and attempt to resolve the Milestone Dispute through negotiations.”

the product, all as measured by the facts and circumstances in existence at the time such efforts are due. Merger Agt. § 1.1. Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc., C.A. No. 2025-0761-BWD January 21, 2026 Page 5 of 15

Id. § 2.16(c)(iii)(A). If the parties do not reach agreement, they may submit the

Milestone Dispute to final and binding arbitration:

If a Milestone Dispute has not been resolved through negotiation within sixty (60) days after the date of [Plaintiff]’s receipt of a Milestone Dispute Notice, a Milestone Dispute Party may submit the Milestone Dispute to final and binding arbitration in the State of California.

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Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. SomaLogic, Inc., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shareholder-representative-services-llc-v-somalogic-inc-delch-2026.