AmerisourceBergen Spat Gives Investors Edge in Corporate Suits

A first-of-its-kind ruling in a case against AmerisourceBergen Corp. could give investors more time to hold corporate leaders accountable for their company operations.

The Delaware Chancery Court applied a new framework for evaluating allegations of wrongdoing over a long period of time: Treat the alleged instances of a wrongful act as part of a sequence, and then each instance gives rise to a separate statute of limitations.

That means shareholders may have more leeway to file claims of a fiduciary breach of duty against the leaders or board members of drug companies, banking institutions, or other corporate ...