Minority discounts and control premiums in appraisal proceedings

in a merger, a stockholder often has a statutory right of dissent and appraisal under which the stockholder may demand to be paid fair value exclusive of any gain or loss that may arise from the merger itself. Most courts and commentators agree that a dissenting stockholder should ordinarily receive a pro rata share of the fair value of the corporation without any discount simply because minority shares lack control. In several recent cases, the courts have indicated that a minority stockholder is thus entitled to a share of the control value of the corporation even though the merger does not constitute a sale of control (as in a going private transaction) and even though control of the subject corporation is not contestable (as where a single stockholder owns an outright majority of shares). In a similar vein, several courts have ruled that reliance on market prices for purposes of appraisal results in an inherent minority discount, thus requiring that a premium for control be added. In short, the emerging rule appears to be that fair value is the price at which a controlling stockholder could sell control because failure to do so amounts to imposition of a minority discount. It is the thesis here that the routine addition of a control premium is inconsistent with settled corporation law and good policy because (among other reasons) it is based on the unwarranted assumption that the source of a control premium must be a minority discount. To be sure, the courts should adjust for a minority discount if one is found. But the routine addition of a control premium as part of fair value creates a windfall for dissenting stockholders and infringes the legitimate rights of majority stockholders.