Can I Sue a Company That Has Been Sold?

Yes. If the business entity still exists after the sale, you may file a civil lawsuit against it in state and sometimes federal court. If it no longer exists after the sale, you may be able to file suit against the company's shareholders. You may be able to sue the buyer of the business, especially if you suffered injury from a defective product manufactured by the seller.

Claims Against the Seller of a Company

In most instances, just because a company gets sold does not mean it is no longer responsible for its debts. If it still exists after the sale, you can sue it as if it had not gotten sold. It's as simple as that.

Claims Against the Owners of a Company

What if a company dissolves and no longer exists after its sale? You still are not necessarily out of luck. In certain cases, particularly those involving close corporations (companies owned by a few shareholders and are not publicly traded, often small businesses and sole proprietorships), the shareholders may be liable in a civil lawsuit.

This is "alter ego" liability or, more generally, "piercing the corporate veil." Corporations and their owners are separate legal entities. But, the separateness of a corporation may be disregarded, and a shareholder held responsible for the company's debts if:

• The business owners failed to act as if the company were a separate entity (for example, they failed to keep separate corporate books, mixed business and personal assets, etc.)
• Fundamental fairness requires it (such as where you might not otherwise have anyone else to recover from and a judge in state or federal court thinks it's unfair for you to bear the loss)

Although state laws vary, if the corporate veil gets pierced, a shareholder's liability gets limited to the assets distributed to them or their proportionate share of the claim, whichever is less. But again, state laws vary, so consider consulting a lawyer about suing the business owner in a civil lawsuit.

Claims Against the Buyer of a Company

Suppose the company dissolves and the shareholders disappear. That still doesn't mean you are out of luck. You may have a remedy: You may be able to sue the company's buyer in state or, in some cases, federal court.

The general rule is that a company's purchaser is not liable for the seller's debts. But under the doctrine of "corporate successor liability," you may be able to recover. There are generally four (or, in some situations, six) exceptions to the general rule under this doctrine.

Exception 1: Fraud

The first exception is fraud. Judges hate fraud. If you can show that there was fraud involved in the sale of the company, you may be able to file suit. For example, if someone created the buyer to evade debts, a court might find the purchaser liable.

Exception 2: Assumption of Liabilities

The second exception is when the buyer assumes responsibility for the seller's liabilities. Typically, when a company gets sold, the buyer and the seller get together and decide how to divvy up liabilities as part of the sale price. In the contract for the sale of the company, the buyer might agree to be responsible for all or some liability for the seller's debts.

If the buyer expressly agrees to assume the seller's debts in the contract, it is generally easy to spot; the contract says so. It can depend on the language of the contract.

A buyer can also assume the liabilities of a seller even if they didn't write it in the contract. This is implied assumption. You look for the intent of the buyer. If the buyer engages in conduct or makes representations that show an intention to assume the seller's liabilities in whole or part, a court may find the buyer responsible. What makes sufficient conduct or representations to take a seller's liabilities depends on which state's law applies.

Exception 3: De Facto Merger

The third exception is for what lawyers call a "de facto merger." A merger happens when two or more companies unite to form a single business. In a standard merger, the buyer becomes responsible automatically for all the seller's debts. But, a de facto merger, or a merger-in-fact, happens if the sale of a company mimicked the result of a merger except for the assumption of liabilities.

In making this determination, a court will look at the following factors:

• Continuity of ownership
• Cessation of ordinary business and dissolution of the seller as early as possible
• Assumption by the buyer of the liabilities necessary for the uninterrupted continuation of the business
• Continuity of management, personnel, physical location, assets, and general business operation

Once again, what forms a de facto merger depends on state law. Some states view this exception broadly in cases involving personal injury or product liability. As you see, this gets complicated. So, consult a lawyer about legal services.

Exception 4: Mere Continuation

The fourth exception is the "mere continuation" exception. This exception is closely related to the de facto merger exception described above. This exception imposes liability if the company's sale is just a business reorganization. Some courts have described this situation as when the buyer is merely a "new hat" for the seller.

In determining whether a buyer is the mere continuation of a seller, a court will look at the following factors:

• Continued use of the name, facilities, and employees
• Common identity of the owners or management of the buyer and seller
• Whether only one company exists after the sale of the company

Not only does state law vary, but courts within the same state are also inconsistent on this exception. A lawyer with the know-how can guide you through the complicated legal hoops.

Exception 5 for Personal Injury or Product Liability: Continuity of Enterprise

In certain states, two more exceptions might apply if you must sue a buyer and the seller is not otherwise responsible, particularly if your claim involves personal injury or product liability.

This fifth exception is the "continuity of enterprise" exception. This is an expansion of the mere continuation exception, only with a different focus. The mere continuation exception asks whether the company is continuing; the continuity of enterprise exception looks at the seller's business operations. Specifically, a court will focus on the following factors:

• Continuity of management, personnel, assets, facilities, and operations
• The seller dissolves or stops doing business
• The buyer assumes the liabilities necessary to keep the business running
• The buyer holds itself out to the public as a continuation of the seller

Exception 6 for Personal Injury: Product Line

A sixth possible exception is the "product line" exception. The purpose is purely to compensate someone who suffers personal injuries caused by the seller's product. A buyer who continues making the exact product as the seller may be liable to a claimant for a defective product, even if it did not own the company that made the specific product.

Consult a Lawyer

There are several ways to recover if a company that gets sold owes you money or injures you. If the company still exists, you can file suit. If not, you may consider suing the shareholders. If that is not an option, you may want to pursue legal action against the buyer.

But as you can see, the legal analysis gets complicated. State laws differ and often conflict significantly, and courts have differing views on choosing which state's law applies to any given case.

If you decide that suing a sold company is necessary, bring in a law firm. An experienced business lawyer can give you legal advice within the context of a client relationship. Many don't charge legal fees for an initial consultation so that you can discuss your legal issue freely. Remember that states have statutes of limitations, so you may have a limited amount of time to file suit.