Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Seeks Transparency in Chancery Court Hearing in TransPerfect Case

DOVER, Del., Feb. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware (CPBD), the advocacy group supporting TransPerfect employees and Delaware's incorporation-driven economy, filed an opposition with the Court of Chancery in Delaware opposing a motion of custodian Robert B. Pincus, in the TransPerfect case, to close the courtroom to the public on February 7, 2017, and restrict public access to its transcript and record. In the opposition filed by the CPBD, the CPBD assert that "the public has a right of access to civil proceedings" and the Custodian does not justify "the Court closing the courtroom for the entire Hearing."

"We find the motion - and the continued attempts to keep the public and the TransPerfect employees in the dark – outrageous. This decision impacts the lives of not only the 4,000 employees and their families who work at TransPerfect, but also the million people who live and work in Delaware; it is unjust to continue to have these conversations kept confidential and to make these decisions behind closed doors," said Chris Coffey, Campaign Manager for Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware. "How can we keep our government accountable if there is no transparency in the courts?"

This motion comes just days after the CPBD released a new television ad urging Delawareans to contact their elected officials to support the TransPerfect Bill which would require a three-year 'work it out' period before the Chancery Court can order the sale of a solvent company in deadlock. The ad features TransPerfect employees who have been silenced by the courts through out judicial proceedings in The Delaware Court of Chancery has ordered the sale of the global translation services company. Senator Colin Bonini, who is working with CPBD on the Bill and has continued to support CPBD's efforts, also submitted an opposition to closing the courtroom.

"Public confidence in the courts quickly erodes when judicial proceedings are kept clandestine," Senator Bonini's lawyer wrote in the letter she submitted to the Delaware court. The Senator "has a long history of advocating for transparency in the government, and has been following this matter closely, as it presents issues that are important to his constituency."

Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware is a group made up of more than 2,200 members including employees of the global translation services company TransPerfect, as well as concerned Delaware residents, business executives, and others. They formed in April 2016 to focus on raising awareness among Delaware residents, elected officials, and other stakeholders about the issue.

For more information on Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware, visit DelawareForBusiness.org. Links for Senator Bonini's (http://bit.ly/2l5YtYb)  and CPBD's motions read them here (http://bit.ly/2jHbTh2).

Contact: Mary Urban, [email protected] 
Julijana Englander, [email protected]

SOURCE Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware

Related Links

http://www.DelawareForBusiness.org