The Delaware Chancery’s refusal to dismiss a derivative allegation in a suit claiming that Goldman Sachs directors were paid excessively may soon provide a decision that offers companies guidance on setting board of director pay (Stein v. Blankfein, Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, C.A. No. 2017-0354-SG (Del. Ch. May. 31, 2019). This guidance may come despite the court’s initial doubts that the facts, when more fully developed, would yield a holding against Goldman.

If the case is not settled before the next phase of the case, the Chancery’s application of the “entire fairness” standard may provide greater clarity on how directors are paid and whether pay levels are excessive. The “entire fairness” standard, as applied to director pay setting, was articulated in the 2017 Investor’s Bancorp case, and has a standard that is less differential than the “business judgment rule”. (See “Delaware Supreme Court ruling moves the goalposts on director compensation,” Executive Pay Matters, February 16, 2018).

The initial court decision raises several notable issues.

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