Halpern v. Barran

DUFFY, Chancellor:

This is a shareholders’ derivative suit brought on behalf of Shell Oil Company (Shell), a Delaware corporation. Defendants have moved to dismiss the amended complaint as to all claims which accrued prior to June 17, 1966 on the ground that they are barred by the statute of limitations, and to strike from the complaint the remaining allegations of wrongdoing as sham. 1 This is the decision on that motion.

The individual defendants are past and present directors of Shell. The corporate defendants are the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and seven of its affiliates, all of whom are…