Asked in Estate Planning, Probate and Securities Law for Utah

Q: What are my chances to force a publicly traded company to lift the restrictions on stock in the court I have inherited

I am about to inherit restricted stocks from my father who was an insider in the company. I dont know what the restrictions are exactly yet, but whatever they are, can I and how likely can I succeed to force the company to lift those restrictions in the court?

Do they need to have justifiable reasons not to lift those restrictions? Or are they allowed to decide whatever they want to?

1 Lawyer Answer
Wesley Winsor
PREMIUM
Wesley Winsor
Answered
  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • Saint George, UT
  • Licensed in Utah

A: Hello,

That questions is difficult to answer. If your Dad died while working at the company, perhaps the stock will come restriction free. Usually restrictions are in place to prevent insider trading, so if there is no chance at insider trading anymore, they may lift them. Other restrictions can be put in place so ensure the employee doesn't get the stock then find a new job elsewhere. I am sure there is some company policy on how to handle restricted stock of a decedent. A Court will not remove those restrictions just because the person died, you would have to show a compelling reason to do so.

I hope this helps.

Wes

Nina Whitehurst agrees with this answer

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.