Match.com Case Holds Potential to Upend Insider Deal Scrutiny

Delaware’s top court is weighing a potentially groundbreaking ruling that could streamline corporate dealmaking while scaling back protections for minority investors in many transactions that favor insiders.

A case involving dating site Match.com is giving the leading US forum for M&A disputes a chance to reaffirm or rein in enhanced scrutiny of deals involving a potential conflict of interest between a company and its controlling stockholder.

Delaware’s justices surprised court watchers in May by indicating they would consider if all such transactions—or only a relatively small subset—invite the most rigorous judicial review. The Match case involves the 2019 spinoff of ...