In CASE 20

question 13

Multiple Choice

In CASE 20.4In re Abbott Laboratories Derivative Shareholders Litigation(2003) ,the shareholder-plaintiffs alleged the corporate directors breached their duty of good faith through their failure to follow up on repeated notices of regulatory noncompliance.How did the court rule?

• A) The court ruled the directors were not liable and did not breach any duty of good faith because they were unaware of the issues, and accepted corporate governance procedures did not require the disclosure of the noncompliance notices to them.
• B) The court ruledthe directors could not be held liable because the corporation's certificate of incorporation exempted directors from liability for breach of the duty of care.
• C) The court ruledthe business judgment rule applied and that the plaintiffs' allegations could not withstand the protection of that rule.
• D) The court ruledthe plaintiffs sufficiently pleaded allegations that, if true, constituted a breach of the duty of good faith leading to the directors' actions falling outside the protection of the business judgment rule.

---

Definitions:

Mutagenic Agent

A chemical, physical, or biological factor that can induce genetic mutations, potentially leading to cancers and various genetic disorders.

Plant Domestication

The process by which wild plants have been evolved into crop plants through selective breeding by humans.

Natufians

A prehistoric culture located in the Levant, significant for their early adoption of sedentary communities and agriculture.

Root Crop

Edible plants that grow underground such as potatoes, carrots, and beets, often rich in carbohydrates and nutrients.