Recent Massachusetts case defines defacto merger

A recent Massachusetts appeals court decision defines Mass law regarding defacto mergers and successor liability regarding environmental claims. The case can be found here: http://www.socialaw.com/slip.htm?cid=16545&sid=119

This case summarizes as follows the Mass law regarding defacto mergers:

Factors considered in determining whether a sale should be treated as a de facto merger are: “whether (1) there is a continuation of the enterprise of the seller corporation so that there is a continuity of management, personnel, physical location, assets, and general business operations; whether (2) there is a continuity of shareholders which results from the purchasing corporation paying for the acquired assets with shares of its own stock, this stock ultimately coming to be held by the shareholders of the seller corporation so that they become a constituent part of the purchasing corporation; whether (3) the seller corporation ceases its ordinary business operations, liquidates, and dissolves as soon as legally and practically possible; and whether (4) the purchasing corporation assumes those obligations of the seller ordinarily necessary for the uninterrupted continuation of normal business operations of the seller corporation.” Cargill, Inc. v. Beaver Coal & Oil Co., 424 Mass. 356, 359-360 (1997).

The court noted that one key is looking at continuity of management, employees and shareholders.

This decision is also instructive on the liability a buyer would assume pursuant to express language in a purchase agreement. The court found that buyer’s assumption of liabilities of seller “as then existing” pursuant to an asset purchase agreement was not sufficient to hold that buyer assumed CERCLA liability then unknown.